HC-7 RESCUE 114(1) 30-Jul-1972 (Sunday)
HH-3A Sikorsky Seaking helo Det 110 Big Mother 60
Combat Day (2)
20 miles off North Vietnam coast
Pilot – LT John L. Pitts
Co-pilot – LT Kenneth W. Lowe
1st crew – ADJ-2 Timothy M. McCarthy
2nd crew – AMHAN Matthew (n) Szymanski
F-4D 66-7595 (Charger) 523 TFS, 405 FW, attached to 432, USAF, Udorn
Capt G. B. Brooks
The second Phantom from the 523rd to go down on the 30th was damaged by a MiG during a combat air patrol about three hours later. Capt Brooks flew out to sea before he and his WSO ejected 35 miles east of Thanh Hoa and were rescued by a Navy HH-3A SAR helicopter. (5)
1) Numbering as per HC-7 Rescue Log (accumulative rescue number)
2) HC-7 Rescue Log
3) HC-7 Det 110 Rescue report – None on file
4) Map – Goggle Earth
5) “Vietnam – Air Losses” By: Chris Hobson (with permission)
6) Loss aircraft location data provided by: W. Howard Plunkett (LtCol USAF, retired)
10) HC-7 History collection; Ron Milam – Historian
WSO – Weapons System Officer
(Compiled / written by: Ron Milam, HC-7 Historian – HC-7, 2-1969 to 7-1970, Det 108 & 113)