WHAT I CAN DO - I WILL -

On 08 February 1971, South Vietnamese President Thieu announced Lam Son 719, a large-scale offensive against enemy communications and supply lines in that part of Laos adjacent to the two northern provinces of South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The mission was to interdict the flow of supplies from North Vietnam. The South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) would provide and command ground forces, while US forces would provide airlift and supporting fire. ARVN ground troops were transported by American helicopters, as the US Air Force provided cover strikes around the landing zones (LZ).

After Lam Son 719, the ARVN all but abandoned western I Corps and the demilitarized zone (DMZ), thereby yielding immense areas to the communists. Meanwhile, as NVA forces poured into northern and central South Vietnam, well organized Viet Cong (VC) Divisions moved to control areas of significance in Cambodia. Five weeks after Lam Son 719 began, US aircraft were again employed to transport ARVN troops to a newly established LZ located in the northern section of an oval shaped mountain that was situated on a northwest to southeast axis and shaped much like the number "8." The mountain was 11 miles long, the upper portion 6 miles wide and the lower portion only 3 miles wide. The city of Snuol was located in the lower section, on the far eastern edge of it. The city was also located at the junction of major roads that communist forces used as the southern-most part of the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail. The mountain was surrounded by dense double and triple canopy jungle dotted with small clearings and laced with rivers of all sizes running through it. Rubber plantations flourished in the region, particularly to the south of the mountain

On 17 March 1971, WO1 James H. Hestand, aircraft commander; CW2 Richard L. Bauman, pilot; SP4 Craig M. Dix and then SP4 Bobby G. Harris, both manifested as crewchief; comprised the crew of a Huey helicopter in a flight of aircraft conducting an ARVN troop insertion mission into an LZ that had been established at grid coordinates XU488458 near Seang Village - roughly in the center of the upper portion of the mountain located in Snuol District, Kratie Province, Cambodia. Meanwhile, communist forces were making every effort to dislodge them. US intelligence knew that elements of the Viet Cong's (VC) 6th Company, 2nd Battalion, F21B Infantry Regiment, 5th Viet Cong Division were operating in and around the northwestern half of this mountain.

Also involved in the combat operation were Capt. David P. Schweitzer, pilot; and 1st Lt. Lawrence E. Lilly, co-pilot; who comprised the crew of an AH1G Cobra gunship (serial #69-17935) that was conducting a visual reconnaissance mission to locate and attack enemy positions entrenched in the dense jungle surrounding the LZ. Capt. Schweitzer and 1st Lt. Lilly were assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

After depositing their cargo of troops, WO1 Hestand and his aircrew pulled away from the LZ and were struck by VC ground fire, then crashed into the jungle just north of the LZ. James Hestand, Richard Bauman and Craig Dix safely exited the Huey’s wreckage. Bobby Harris died when he was thrown from the aircraft.

Shortly after the Huey was downed, the Cobra gunship was struck by ground fire and crashed into the jungle less than a mile west of the Huey's crash site. Search and rescue (SAR) efforts were successful in extracting Capt. Schweitzer, but due to heavy enemy ground fire, the SAR aircraft was forced to leave the area before Lilly could be extracted. An ARVN ground unit entered the battle area to try to rescue 1st Lt. Lilly, but found him dead. The unit came under heavy fire, and in the course of the battle, the body was lost to the enemy. 1st Lt. Lilly was last seen by US personnel lying on his back with his shirt partially open and blood on his chest and neck. As the helicopter pulled away from the downed Cobra, the aircrew observed VC forces firing their weapons as they moved toward it. Lawrence Lilly's remains were never recovered.

The Huey's wreckage was located 6 miles northwest of Snuol, 13 miles northwest of the Cambodian/South Vietnamese border and 25 miles northwest of Loc Ninh, South Vietnam. The Cobra's wreckage was located 7 miles northwest of Snuol, 13 miles northwest of the Cambodian/South Vietnamese border and 26 miles northwest of Loc Ninh, South Vietnam.

A nearby medivac helicopter maneuvered over the Huey's wreckage and lowered a jungle penetrator through an opening in the triple canopy jungle to men seen on the ground, but was forced away by enemy fire, and being low on fuel, before they could be recovered. Five ARVN soldiers were captured and were told by VC guards that "three chopper crew members had just been captured. One was killed in the crash and one was shot in the leg (ankle) trying to escape. The wounded crewmember and two others were finally captured."

James Hestand was captured later that day. He was released to US control on 12 February 1973 during Operation Homecoming. In his debriefing, he reported that Craig Dix was the crewman who was shot in the right ankle as he evaded approaching VC troops. He added that SP4 Dix was ambulatory and still evading at the time of his own capture. WO1 Hestand also reported that when last seen CW2 Bauman was alive, in good condition, and was hiding with SP4 Dix. James Hestand also reported that he saw the body of Bobby Harris outside the aircraft after the crash. He believed the crewchief was dead because his throat had sustained multiple lacerations and his body was already showing discoloration.

WO Hestand was separated from the others when he was captured, and had no further contact with or information about Craig Dix or Richard Bauman. In spite of a Defense Department analyst's "remarks" indicating that Richard Bauman, Craig Dix and Bobby Harris were "all dead," other intelligence reports document Craig Dix being treated for his wound in a Cambodian hospital after capture.

An ARVN ground unit entered the battle area to try to rescue Lilly, but found him dead. The unit came under heavy fire, and in the course of the battle, the body was lost to the enemy. Lilly's remains were never recovered.

A report was received by the U.S. Government which indicated that Harris may have been alive as late as 1974. In November 1974, a report was received from a covert source concerning two U.S. prisoners being held in Cambodia. The source allegedly saw a telegram from Khieu Samphan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Government of National Union (GRUNK), to the "Bureau Politique" in Peking stating that "Sergeant Glenn Harris" had been captured and was being held by communist forces in Kratie Province as of July 1974. The report was debunked because of other information indicating Harris was dead.

Biographical and incident of loss information was obtained from either POW/NET and/or Task Force Omega, Inc (unless otherwise noted). Additional information may be found via remembrances at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund or The Virtual Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial.