Regarding your request
for information. I was the co-pilot on the "routine" medevac on which Mac
Beth was killed. I do not remember any of the other crew member names. It
was a twilight launch and not far from Ky Ha I looked out the window as
we were passing over this small village and saw what
appeared to be an
older man step out of a hut and could see several muzzle flashes from his
weapon. I had just informed the HAC when the crew chief called on the
intercom and said Mac Beth had been hit. We returned to Ky Ha immediately
but he had probably died almost at once as the bullet had penetrated the
zipper on his older style flak vest in the upper chest area.
Joel Vignere 12-27-00
I remember Macbeth very
vividly and often in my thoughts, because the night in question he tried
to get me to take his med-evac mission due to the fact that he only had a
week to go before his deros, however other factors prevailed and I could
not entertain his request. Sorry I can’t recall the ship number.
At times his face and
name appears in my silent thoughts, especially when I get into the
suds. However, me being a positive type, I just tuck it in and keep
pushing forward.
I’ll never forget when I
arrived at Ky Ha in April 66 I was assigned to the same tent in which Mac
was billeted, he was a sandy/red head, ruddy complexion guy and very
helpful to me breaking in as a crew chief. The tent area at that time was
out on the point by the beach, no floors, just wood pallets for our piece
of shit racks/cots. He also had a pretty good friend that was from Guam,
his last name was Cruz.
Terry
Mann 12-28-00