The Don Englebreston Collection
Wreckage of Destroyed Helicopter at Forward Base, Operation Tailwind Collection, Vietnam War Era
The burned wreckage of a helicopter lies at a forward base in this sobering photograph from Barry Pencek's Operation Tailwind collection. Operation Tailwind, a covert 1970 MACV-SOG incursion into Laos, exacted a heavy toll on the aircrews and helicopters that supported it -- a reminder of the risks borne by those who flew and served in the shadow war along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Project: 219424