This is Jockel Podcast number 294 with Echo Charles and me, Jockel Willink. Good evening, Echo.

Good evening.

Flight. This is Blue Star 6. RP, major bunting announced as he crossed the release point on the ground, indicating two minutes flight time to the landing zone.

With that announcement, Charlie gunships from Crossbows began a slow dive toward the landing zone, prepared to release some of the 14-2.75 inch rockets that each aircraft carried along with their machine guns if it became necessary.

Flight. Lead is taking fire. Blue Star 6 announced over the UHF frequency, which was obvious to everyone behind him as the green tracers were coming from all around him.

Joc 2 is taking fire, where hit came the next announcement. Suddenly the radio was alive with every aircraft reporting taking fire as they crossed the RP and the woods around the landing zone were highlighted by red and white flashes and green tracers streaming upward.

As each aircraft flew into the cone of fire, attempting to reach the landing zone and discharge their load, the airwaves became garbled as pilots stepped on each other's transmission or in panic, depressed their trans mitts switched to the entire flight.

So they could everyone could hear the conversation between a pilot and his crew. Joc 6 is taking shit, get on your guns. Joc 5, where's the damn guns? Break, break. Joc 10 is...

There was so much confusion that no one could get a complete sentence transmitted until...

Mayday, Mayday, Dutchmaster 4-1 is going down. Said Captain Fox in almost a calm voice.

Who the hell is Dutchmaster 4-1 someone asked over the radio? Looking skyward and searching, everyone had their answer.

Dutchmaster 4-1 was the command and control aircraft for the CAV screen and was entering an auto rotation from 4,000 feet.

What really held everyone's attention was the flames coming out of the bottom of the aircraft. Oh shit.

It was obvious that he'd taken a hit with an explosive round in the fuel cell, but at 4,000 feet...

Every aircraft had at least one set of eyes tracking this crippled aircraft. An aircraft in flight on fire was somehow few, something few had ever seen before, and it was horrifying and mesmerizing.

Mayday, Dutchmaster 4-1 is on fire. Was the next call from Captain Fox. His voice a bit elevated.

Fire was every aviator's worst nightmare. Shoot me, but don't let me burn. It was a fear that had been with aviators since Orville and Wilbur had first flown.

Before parachutes, World War I pilots were known to use their pistols rather than burn in an aircraft.

As everyone watched, the radio went silent. Slowly, Dutchmaster 4-1 began a slow roll, and as it hit the trees, it was inverted.

The CAV screen began to converge on the crash site. As Major Bunting entered the cauldron of enemy fire, he turned to Mr. Grossman.

Get on the controls with me in case I'm hit. Grossman immediately did, so that with a very light touch, ready to take command of the aircraft.

Suddenly, sour and Thomas opened fire. Taking fire, they both screamed together. Though there was no need since the sound of a hammer tapping on the side of the aircraft could clearly be heard.

...