Vic,
I knew Rocky. I was his Peter Pilot the day Silverstein, Plummer, Martino, and Lavigne were shot down south of LZ Center. We were flying High Cover while they tried to take the gung-ho 3/21 battalion commander into a unit that was heavily engaged. They were still a mile out when two fifties got them in a crossfire. Someone on the controls must have been hit and did something radical because the huey did a full 360 roll, I kid you not a full 360 roll. I remember saying to Rocky, “I didn’t think that was possible!” After the roll she went nose down and looked like she was going in upside down. About 200 feet above the deck, someone got on the controls and flared it but she hit hard and fast square on her belly and exploded in a tremendous fireball.
I looked at Rocky and waited to see if he was going to go down to get a closer look and look for survivors. I was really hoping he wouldn’t. No one could have survived that crash. To chase after that through that same crossfire would have been next to inviting death with no real hope of ever helping anyone.
Rocky said we are not going down and I breathed a sigh of relief and was glad for his call, I believe it was the right one although I know I have always wondered did we do the right thing?
That night Rocky got so stinking drunk he couldn’t answer questions from reporters who called the company area wanting more info. I tried to do the best I could with them but the sob’s made us feel like shit. I guess the full bird had political aspirations and was a “player” back home.
I’m not sure if such a story would be of interest to Peggy but I will be able to tell her I loved Rocky and was forever thankful to him for his call.
Blessings, Eric
Rocky Cassano
Addendum – I was at LZ Baldy preparing to launch an air strike in this same area when we received the report of Gerry Silverstein being shot down.
A major USA news reporter/photographer waiting at LZ Baldy wanted to ride aboard my helicopter gunship into Silverstein’s shoot down area. I refused his request (after persistent badgering) – no recollection of who this person was (Peter Arnett and Horst Faas were reportedly in the same area (?). Flew into the same area near Silverstein, put in the air strike and returned to Baldy. Bad day all around.
The 3/21 Battalion Commander (LTC Eli Howard), Sergeant Major (SGM Franklin Rowell), and the RTO (SP4 Richard Doria) all perished along with AP photographer Oliver Noonan in the crash. Just prior to ground impact two bodies were seen either falling or jumping from Silverstein’s aircraft.
My last ‘hit’ was September 4, 1969 – .51cal, same area as Silverstein’s shoot down. Always wondered was it the same gun/gunner that got me and then Kelly McHugh on August 15? Rocky left the Army for the US Navy and was killed in 1979 flying an A6 Intruder configured as an aerial tanker.
VJB
(c) Copyright – 2023 Vic Bandini