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Administrator
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07/28/2014
**02** Found and spoke with Seawolf William L. FORD, LTJG, Det 6, 6/27/1970 to 9/26/1970. He had only arrived in HA(L)-3 a little over a month before he was co-pilot in 312 @ VC Lake Incident and medivac’d to NAVHOSP Yokosuka, Japan. He was there for a day or two then medivac’d to NAVHOSP Bremerton, WA. After nearly a year he went from there to NAS Whidbey SAR when he returned to flight status. Found him in Kent, WA and discovered I had called the same number several times last year but the answer machine was always full so I couldn’t leave a message!
Would have been able to attend the 2012 Portland, OR Seawolf Reunion as well as the 2013 NAS Whidbey SAR Reunion in Oak Harbor...Can't make Dallas this time.
Dan
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Dan, please send me Mr. Fords contact information.
Jim
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Administrator
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In your in-box Jim...
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...Jim,,, please pass on "regards" to Mr. Ford,,, and let me know how it is with him,,,so long ago, yet seems like yesterday...
...Best to yourself and Sharon..........kid
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Dan this is a remarkable find. Our Det 1 bird had formed a fire team with a bird from Det 6 that day at VC Lake. We were both shot down and we were picked up first by Dustoff. Then we went down in a hail of ground fire to pull out Frog and Bill Ford. Unfortunately Pederson and Ramos were perished at the scene. I had always understood that the injuries to Mr. Ford were so serious that he could never recover. I still have occasionally wondered how he has fared. It is such good news that he was able to recover and return to duty. Post accident there was no word on his well being to contradict what I said above. This is very welcome news. I hope Frog and he can have a positive recollection of a tragic event. We all owe a great debt to Lt. Ken Ledford pilot of the dustoff that day who was the only Army recipient of the Navy Cross in the entire Vietnam war. He deserves that distinction. Nerves of steel. I wish we could find him. He deserves our thanks yet today. Welcome to the Seawolf Association Mr. Ford.
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Administrator
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Dave,
He spent a few days at Yokusoka Hospital and then to NAVHOSP Bremerton, WA. He must have been in pretty bad shape. He said he spent nearly a year at Bremerton Hospital before able for flight status again and transferring up to Whidbey SAR. Mike Melendez flew with him up at Whidbey SAR also, but I didn't remember him. Bill said he flew the H-2's and later H-46's at Whidbey, and they just got the UH-1N's but never flew them, so he had to have left before I got there. The H-2's were gone when I arrived in May '74 and we had the H-46's and UH-1N's then.
Dan
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Administrator
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This post was updated on .
Kenneth Ledford , Jr.
Date of birth: 12-Jul-46
Kenneth Ledford was the ONLY member of the U.S. Army to be awarded the Navy Cross during the Vietnam War, or for actions in any war or conflict since the end of the Vietnam War.
Navy Cross
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Lieutenant Kenneth Ledford, Jr., United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 15 September 1970 while serving with the 58th Medical Battalion, 68th Medical Group, United States Army, engaged in armed conflict against enemy forces in the Republic of Vietnam. While flying as a Medical Evacuation Pilot and Aircraft Commander of a Rescue Helicopter, First Lieutenant Ledford was attempting to extract six seriously wounded personnel from a landing zone when he came under heavy enemy small-arms and automatic-weapons fire. Forced to depart the area, he subsequently enlisted the aid of four Navy helicopters and returned to the scene for another rescue attempt. As the aircraft were making their descent into the zone, they came under intense small-arms, automatic-weapons, and .51 caliber fire. Two of First Lieutenant Ledford's cover ships were shot down, a third gunship was disabled, and a fourth was seriously damaged. Instantly, First Lieutenant Ledford went to the rescue of the crew of one of these aircraft which had auto-rotated into a lake. Despite intense enemy fire from several positions as he neared the stricken aircraft, he succeeded in rescuing the downed crew. Once airborne he enlisted the aid of the remaining attack helicopter to cover him while he attempted to extract the dead and wounded from the second downed aircraft. As he approached the wreckage, again coming under a hail of small-arms and automatic-weapons fire, he landed and at great personal risk held his position while his crew made two time-consuming extractions of the wounded men. As the extraction was completed, he took off through the continuing barrage of enemy bullets and impacting mortar rounds. First Lieutenant Ledford's professionalism, courage under fire, and inspiring dedication to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Armed Forces.
General Orders: Authority: Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals
Action Date: 15-Sep-70
Service: Army
Rank: First Lieutenant
Battalion: 58th Medical Battalion
Regiment: 68th Medical Group
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I just found Kenneth Ledford, COL (Ret), in Palm Coast, FL if anyone would like to contact him...
Dan
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Here is another member of the rescue:
Michael Mitchell
Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Specialist Fourth Class Michael Mitchell, United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Four Mitchell distinguished himself while serving as a Crew Chief aboard a helicopter ambulance of Headquarters, 58th Medical Battalion, 82d Medical Detachment, 68th Medical Group, 44th Medical Brigade, during a rescue operation in the An Xuyen Province. Responding to an urgent request to evacuate survivors of a helicopter crash, Specialist Mitchell and his fellow crewmen sped to the contact area. As his aircraft approached the wreckage, it encountered intense hostile fire. As soon as the evacuation helicopter touched ground, Specialist Mitchell disembarked the craft and rushed across an open rice paddy amid a hail of enemy bullets to aid injured personnel. Upon reaching the wreckage, the specialist found two airmen critically wounded but still alive. Then, Specialist Mitchell carried one of the casualties back across the bullet-raked rice paddy to the air ambulance. Braving the barrage of small arms and impacting mortar rounds, the specialist once gain returned to the wreckage and assisted in dislodging the trapped pilot from the damaged cockpit. Specialist Fourth Class Mitchell's gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 34 (January 6, 1971)
Action Date: 15-Sep-70
Service: Army
Rank: Specialist Fourth Class
Company: Headquarters
Battalion: 58th Medical Battalion
Regiment: 82d Medical Detachment, 68th Medical Group, 44th Medical Brigade
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Dan, please send me Mr. Ledfords contact information.
Still working up the courage to call Mr. Ford. Last time I saw him was in pre-op at the hospital in Japan.
Jim
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Dan please send me the info on Ken Ledford. Amazing you found him. And Jim I perfectly understand it is tough to call Mr. Ford. But it might be good for you both. Possibly you want to talk to Miguel Melendez first. I had no idea they served together. I have contact info if you need it or I am sure Dan has it. If you do not know Miguel just tell him your a friend of mine. He had his mike cord shot off. That was pretty close.
Mike Mitchell deserved his Silver Star as well. Cool and courageous. He was still relatively new in country and this was his worst day in the 18 months he was in country. No surprise there. Many acts of courage that day and following by many Seawolves as well.
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...can't say "thanks" enuf to you Dan....stand'n ovation to yah.!!
..."Bravo Zulu"....been a long-long time...yet in my minds eye it all just went down....
..Again "Bravo Zulu"....Mr. Kenneth Ledford, Jr...........and to Army,,,and Seawolfs of that day...thank you David S...i know sum of your performance from VC Lake.....Bless you all.!!
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Contact info in your in-boxes David and Jim...Don't have Michael Mitchell's.
By the way, the VC Lake incident was only a month and a half before Ken Ledford's rotation to CONUS in November.
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Well, I spoke with Mr. Ford last friday, and am very happy to say he said his health is fine, and he did go back on flight skins. He spent 3+ months in in the Bremerton, WA Hospital in back and leg braces. Sounds like mobility is fine now, and he winters in Yuma in his motor home. Bill said he remembers little after being shot down and was unconscious for several days. Although he does remembered us meeting again in pre-op in Japan. He left the Navy and went to work for Boeing as an eng. in the wind tunnel area. Bill was with Boeing 28 years, and has been retired since 2006. He had fond memories of him and Mr. Wm. Beltz on leave before coming to HAL-3.
I spoke with Mr. Ken Ledford last Sunday. He is doing well and retired in 1996 from the Army. He went on to teach ROTC for 10 years. His son is an active duty SEAL. Since speaking with Dan Arnes he has spoken with Mike Mitchell his crew chief Sept 15, 1970, and others. He asked if the guys he picked up in the Lake were OK, and I said as far as I know. He laughed and said, there was no way he was letting Smale bring that .50 on board. I told him Dave may call him. Mr. Ledford said it was not widely know that General Abrams called him that night and discussed procedures for 15 minutes. Ledford said there was talk of a round eye defector that called in the initial medevac that afternoon, helping to set up the ambush. I told him Det 6 had intel from SEAL Team 2 that a blond hair, Australian defected and was operating in our AO.
Two very powerful and relieving phone calls for me!
Jim
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Jim what great news. I will be calling Ken Ledford. I have sent him a letter expressing my personal gratitude for his courage that day. I thought it will be great for him to have a touchable reference. I have also sent under separate cover a Seawolf challenge coin. I think he will consider that a great treasure. I think we need to get one to his son as well as he is an active SEAL. Jim I will send you a copy of my letter to Ken--probably this weekend. I am very busy.
I am so glad Bill Ford reengaged with a good Naval career.
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