| The Incident
Kham Duc Special Forces camp
(A-105), was located on the western fringes of Quang Tin
Province, South Vietnam. In the spring of 1968, it was the only
remaining border camp in Military Region I, and was located 46
miles southwest of DaNang, on a narrow grassy plain surrounded by
rugged, virtually uninhabited jungle. The camp and airstrip were
bordered by the Ngok Peng Bum ridge to the west and Ngok Pe Xar
Mountain, looming over Kham Duc to the east. Steep banked streams
full of rapids and waterfalls cut through this tropical
wilderness.
In late March and April 1968,
US intelligence picked up information that the 2nd NVA Regiment,
well over 10,000 men strong, was moving from North Vietnam,
through Laos, and intended to enter South Vietnam somewhere south
of Kham Duc, on its way to the DaNang area. At the same time
other NVA Regiments were infiltrating into northern South Vietnam
along other primary roads north of Highway 14, which was being
used by the 2nd NVA Regiment.
On 8 May 1968, W1 James L.
Dayton, aircraft commander; CW2 George T. Condrey III, pilot;
Spec. Daniel E. Jurecko, crewchief; and Spec. Robert E. Jenne,
door gunner; comprised the crew of a UH1C gunship in a flight of
aircraft conducting a combat support mission against the NVA
troops moving through the rugged jungle covered mountains. As the
helicopter completed a turn from the east to the west members of
other aircraft saw it explode in midair and plunge in flames into
the bank of the Vuong River. The other flight members believed
the violent midair explosion was the result of the Huey taking a
direct hit from an explosive projectile.
The crash site was located just
south of a primary east/west road running from the South
Vietnamese/Lao border eastward nearly to the coast. There was a
major road junction roughly 1 mile west of the crash site, which
was also approximately 14 miles west of the South Vietnamese/Lao
border, 27 miles north of Kham Duc and 38 miles west-southwest of
DaNang, Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam.
Shortly after the incident,
search and recovery (SAR) personnel were airlifted into the
vicinity of the crashsite, but due to enemy activity in the area,
were only able to examine the wreckage from a distance. During
their cursory examination, they found no signs of life in or
around the crashsite. Four days later, on 12 May, a ground
reconnaissance patrol from the 5th Special Forces Group was able
to enter the crash site. They located the remains of the aircrew.
Two of the charred bodies were found in the wreckage, the third
along side of it and forth was 2 meters forward of the aircraft.
All bodies were burned beyond recognition. Due to continued heavy
enemy activity in the area and the badly deteriorated state of
the remains, none of the bodies were recovered at that time. At
the time the search was terminated, Robert Jenne, James Dayton,
George Condrey and Daniel Jurecko were immediately listed Killed
in Action/Body Not Recovered.
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