“God Damn, That’s a Sandy”: A Silver Bar CSAR Mission in the Laos Karst

This episode of “Military Tales” recounts a harrowing combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission during the Vietnam War, known officially as Cosmic 1-6 Bravo, after the survivor’s call sign. It was nicknamed the “Silver Bar SAR” because the four Sandy A-1 pilots on the mission were all first lieutenants (“silver bar” being the rank insignia). Having four first lieutenants fly on the same mission without captains or field grade officers was uncommon.

The mission’s objective was to rescue Captain Woody Clark, the backseater of an RF-4 reconnaissance aircraft, Cosmic 1-6 Bravo. His RF-4 was reportedly shot down by two surface-to-air missiles while flying alone on a mapping mission ordered by General Lavelle. Woody Clark’s front seater was captured and ultimately became a prisoner of war in Hanoi.

Woody Clark was stranded in the mountains near Dong Hoi in southern North Vietnam, in an area characterized by very craggy, karst formations – mountainous terrain of jagged, almost vertical limestone peaks. He was in this treacherous area for about three days. While food was limited, he was able to survive by drinking rainwater captured from the prevalent clouds and rain.

The CSAR force comprised seven aircraft: two Jolly Green Giant helicopters, four A-1 Sandy attack aircraft, and a Pave Nail OV-10 observation aircraft. The A-1s were designated Sandy 1 through Sandy 4. Sandy 1 was the on-scene commander. The Pave Nail OV-10, equipped with advanced navigation gear, was crucial for leading the force through the low-visibility conditions in and out of the karst, as the A-1s lacked such navigation aids.

The mission faced extreme challenges:

• Terrible Weather: Low overcast and clouds often extended down to the mountain tips, leaving as little as 200 feet of space between the clouds and the mountains for the aircraft to maneuver. Flying in clouds in this terrain was extremely dangerous due to the risk of hitting mountains.
• Dangerous Terrain: The karst mountains were “very craggy pointed rough almost vertical”, making low-altitude flight difficult and requiring constant attention.
• Enemy Threats: The location was near Dong Hoi, known for having many surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites. There were also two known MIG air bases within 11 miles of the survivor’s position, posing a threat of air attack. Ground fire and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) were expected, particularly along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, especially at dangerous choke points like Mugia Pass.

The first attempt to rescue Woody Clark the day prior was aborted due to operationally impossible weather past Mugia Pass that would have subjected the helicopters to radar detection if they climbed above the overcast.

On the successful third day, the weather was still bad, but deemed suitable. The team decided the best approach was to come from the backside (west), crossing the dangerous Mugia Pass from their base in Thailand (56 miles away), rather than attempting to come from the Gulf of Tonkin side which was closer to the dense SAM sites near Dong Hoi. To minimize exposure crossing Mugia Pass, the aircraft flew line abreast as fast as possible. They also went radio silence and used a series of football-based code words to communicate, hoping the enemy monitoring their radios wouldn’t understand.

Upon arriving in the general area guided by the Pave Nail, Sandy 1 and Sandy 2 began searching for the survivor while Sandy 3 and Sandy 4 escorted and protected the vulnerable Jolly Green helicopters. Sandy 2, David Blevins, was the first to pop over a ridgeline and locate Woody Clark. Woody Clark’s memorable reaction upon seeing the A-1 was, “God damn, that’s a Sandy!” to which David Blevins replied, “Yeah baby, this is Sandy, you’re going home now”.

Even after locating the survivor, the Sandys had to assess the threat level before bringing in the Jolly Greens. While Sandy 1 was trolling in a low valley assessing the area, a SA-2 SAM was launched from Dong Hoi airfield. Sandy 1 executed a defensive maneuver by turning into the missile, causing its radar tracking gimbal to fail, and the missile hit the ridge behind him. Shortly after, a second SAM was launched from the same area. Sandy 1, being lower in the valley, tried a different maneuver, “bunting” the airplane over a low ridgeline; the missile attempted to follow but hit the top of the ridge, blowing trees off. Both Sandy 1 and Sandy 2 independently fired their rockets at the SAM site after experiencing the threats, which was the last missile attempt they faced during the pickup.

Once the threat was assessed as manageable, Sandy 1 called in Sandy 3, Sandy 4, and the Jolly Greens. The first Jolly Green located the survivor (after David Blevins had Woody Clark pop smoke), hovered, dropped the jungle penetrator, and successfully picked up Woody Clark. During the hover phase, the A-1s typically fly a defensive “daisy chain” pattern around the vulnerable helicopter. The mission utilized two Jolly Greens for redundancy; the second was a backup in case the first was shot down.

The return journey was also hazardous, crossing Mugia Pass again and another critical route structure known to have enemy presence. The Sandys and the Pave Nail returned fire against ground threats. On the way back through Mugia Pass, Sandy 3 and 4 made additional passes, attacking enemy supplies and personnel they spotted. They successfully crossed Mugia Pass again without taking battle damage.

After the mission, the pilots received a deeply moving letter from Woody Clark’s parents, thanking them for rescuing their son. This letter became a very valuable memento. Debriefing was crucial after each mission to learn from the fluid and unpredictable nature of CSAR.

This mission was particularly memorable for Sandy 1 (Bob Carlson) as it was the only time he was Sandy 1 on a successful, significant mission. While the Cosmic 1-6 Bravo mission was complex due to the terrain, weather, and opposition, another notable CSAR involved rescuing 14 crew members from a downed AC-130 gunship, which was an unopposed rescue in southern Laos where multiple helicopters worked simultaneously to pick up survivors quickly. Another challenging experience involved supporting troops at An Loc, facing significant ground fire, SA-7 heat-seeking missiles (which were initially disbelieved by intelligence), and being attacked after expending their ordnance.

The veterans reflected on the importance of maintaining composure in stressful situations by staying focused, thinking clearly, and actively trying to improve the odds, a lesson learned from experienced mentors. They still stay in touch through an active network and share a strong bond, ready to help each other if called upon. The A-1 pilots had great respect for the Army helicopter crews they worked with, despite differences in flying styles. Many of the A-1 pilots were drawn to flying the A-1 due to its combat role and ability to fly single-seat aircraft, contrasting with pilots who preferred multi-engine or larger planes.

Ultimately, the “Silver Bar SAR” was a successful mission despite immense challenges from weather, terrain, and a determined enemy, highlighting the bravery and skill of the CSAR crews.