WINDHAM: Daring rescue attempt during Vietnam War proves America's greatness
This past Nov. 20 marked the 45th anniversary of the Son Tay Raid. The raid is an interesting, complex story in not only the planning, but also in the execution and results. The Son Tay Raid is one of the most famous rescue missions of the Vietnam War.
Son Tay was a prisoner of war camp near the town of Son Tay in North Vietnam, just 23 miles west of Hanoi, the country's capital. By May 1970, surveillance of the area revealed signs at the camp, such as a large "K" drawn in the dirt. The "K" was a code for "rescue." It was believed there were anywhere from 55 to 70 American prisoners there. The decision was made to attempt a rescue.
The location of the camp was a problem. An estimated 12,000 North Vietnamese soldiers were only a few miles away. There were also air defense batteries, an artillery school, a supply depot, an air base and a secondary school in the area. The rescue would not be an easy task nor one that could take a lot of time.
Author C.V. Glines describes the camp: "The POW camp was not very large and was built in two sections. One was a walled compound where prisoners were located, and the other was an administrative section. There was a small cleared area inside the compound, the size of a volleyball court, surrounded by trees more than forty feet high."
By Aug. 8, training for the mission had begun. The operation was under the guidance of the Joint Chiefs and several intelligence agencies. There were 26 planners and a task force of 148 men, altogether. The training included many hours of intense day and night maneuvers on the ground and in the air.
Two replicas of the camp were built so that every person involved would know as much about the camp as possible. One small replica was called "Barbara." A full-size replica of the camp was built at Eglin AFB in Florida.
The rescue mission, Operation Kingpin, was on the night of Nov. 20. The assault force, an HH-3 and five HH-53s supported by four special operations C-130s began takeoff from Udorn, Thailand, at 11:10 p.m. They headed toward Son Tay under complete radio silence. Soon, a total of 116 aircraft were in the air, including 59 Navy aircraft with the mission of creating a diversion over Haiphong.
The arrival over the prison camp was dramatic. Aircraft dropped flares and napalm and an HH-53 made a low pass so the gunners could rake the guard towers and guard barracks with gunfire. The HH-3 made a controlled crash landing inside the camp courtyard. As expected, the rotor blades hit the trees and were severely damaged. The Green Berets jumped out and cleared the compound, killing a dozen or more Vietnamese guards in the process.
A second helicopter landed in error at the secondary school about a quarter mile away as it looked very similar to the prison camp in the dark. The Green Berets departed the helicopter and engaged in a fierce firefight that left scores of enemy soldiers dead. They called the helicopter back to make the short flight to the prison compound. By then the hard truth had been discovered--there were no POWs. They had been moved to another location.
In 27 minutes the mission was over and the men were on their way back to base. The mood was somber and silence reigned on the long flight. Later, it was revealed that there had been reports before the mission was launched that there were no prisoners at Son Tay. But there had only been one way to be sure.
Michael Haas in his book "Apollo's Warriors" wrote, "Son Tay was a demonstration of what can be accomplished when excellent leadership is selected for a task, given the necessary resources, and the operational freedom necessary to execute that task."
After Son Tay, POWs were moved to a more central location located in Hanoi, what is called the "Hanoi Hilton." There was more communication with each other and a structure of command was established by the prisoners. The prisoners also learned of the raid on Son Tay. These things were certainly morale boosters.
In reflecting on the Son Tay raid from beginning to end, you can't help but honor the courage of men willing to risk their lives to help save their fellow soldier. You also have to give credit to the United States being willing to invest so much to save 55 people. Our country is great, not just because of its might, but because our servicemen and women are valued and we must at least try to save as many as we can.
Marilyn N. Windham is a volunteer at the Museum of Aviation. Contact her at mnwindham@aol.com.
This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 12:50 PM with the headline "WINDHAM: Daring rescue attempt during Vietnam War proves America's greatness ."