[frisco-kid]

Two days before, as part of the newly formed Task Force Oregon, 2/502 [me] and 1/327, 101st Abn. Div., do a CA into the mountains west of Duc Pho, kicking off Operation Malheur I. The next day 2/327 CAs in as a blocking force. Our mission was to do a Search and Destroy on the VC/NVA forces, and to locate and neutralize their basecamps. These mountains are a long time stronghold. We make contact almost immediately.

On 13MAY67 my company is moved to another area by helicoptor. The LZ is a small one and can only take 2-3 choppers at a time. I'm on the 2nd chopper. The first 2 bring us in and hovers about 5' off the ground, and we jump off. As the 2 choppers lifts off and the 3rd one starts to come in, Charlie opens up on us and the chopper. We rush the tree line trying to get to cover and to secure the LZ. The chopper is brought down by small arms fire with a crash. I don't know how far it fell; I was pretty busy. After a short, fierce gunfight, and with the help of the door gunners on the choppers, Charlie breaks contact.

In the initial attack, two of us guys on the ground were wounded. The guys on the chopper are banged up pretty good; a couple of them seriously. In fact, there's one KIA on the chopper. I don't remember if he died from the crash or from a GSW. He was PFC Carl Konopa, a Navajo [?] from AZ. He'd been with the company 8-9mos.. He was 18yrs. old.