“Rush Act”, The Last Extraction

Que Son Mountains, South Vietnam, November 1970

The jungle doesn’t whisper, it swallows.

Rain clawed at the canopy, fog pressed low against the ridge, blanketing the Que Son Mountains in a choking silence. Somewhere up in that mist, seven Marines from 1st Recon Battalion, call sign “Rush Act,” were cold, hungry, and out of time.

They had been inserted on 10 November 1970, as part of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Operation Order #1187-70, issued 12 November, directing Bravo Company’s Team Rush Act into a haven deep in the Que Son Mountains, roughly 22 miles south of Da Nang. Their mission was clear, conduct reconnaissance and surveillance to detect VC or NVA movements and infiltration, and be prepared to call and adjust air or artillery strikes on any targets of opportunity.

The men of Rush Act:

Cpl John Frank Stockman, Patrol Leader
HM2 Russell Glen “Doc” Daniels, Navy Medical Corpsman
Cpl Randall Paul Manela
Cpl Fernando Villasana
LCpl David Vincent Delozier
LCpl Charles Alfred Pope Jr.
LCpl Robert Eugene Tucker

These were young men trained for the impossible, sent into thick jungle on a mission of silence and shadows.

But nature fought back.

Shortly into the mission, two Marines became debilitated by FUO, the Fever of Unknown Origin that plagued many in the Vietnam bush. “Doc” Daniels tended to them the best he could until a fall on a slick mountainside left him with a broken leg. Suddenly, the team’s strength and hope teetered on the edge.

Their extraction was scheduled for 19 November, but the situation had turned. With Daniels incapacitated and the others weakened, a request was made for early extraction.

Two attempts were launched, but both failed. The weather in the haven was relentless. Torrential rain, thick fog, zero visibility. Team Rush Act, now three days overdue, was out of food, out of water, and hanging on by sheer courage.

But the Thunder Chickens of HMM-263, the CH-46 helicopter squadron out of MAG-16, weren’t about to leave Marines behind.

Da Nang Airbase, 18 November 1970

Major Ted Tobin lifted off in a CH-46 with a loaded manifest, onboard were none other than LtCol William G. Leftwich, Commanding Officer of 1st Recon Battalion, his operations officer, and several extraction-certified Marines. At his wing, Lt Curt Rogers flew CH-46 Bureau #154837.

As they neared the team’s location, Tobin’s aircraft experienced serious RPM fluctuations and was forced to land at LZ Baldy, several kilometers short of the pickup zone. The essential SPIE rig—used to extract Marines from terrain too rugged to land—was offloaded and transferred to Rogers’ bird.

Lieutenant Colonel William G. Leftwich Jr., commanding officer of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, personally accompanied the extraction mission, adhering to his practice of being present during such critical operations. After successfully extracting the first two teams, the helicopter returned for the third team, utilizing a SPIE (Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction) rig due to the difficult terrain.

Tragically, as the helicopter ascended with the team suspended below, it crashed into a mountainside, resulting in the loss of all those aboard.

The Loss

The following day, in a grim retrograde search, the wreckage was discovered. The CH-46 had turned into the mountainside in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) conditions. All 15 aboard were killed instantly.

The Roll Call
Team Rush Act
Cpl John Frank Stockman
HM2 Russell Glen Daniels
Cpl Randall Paul Manela
Cpl Fernando Villasana
LCpl David Vincent Delozier
LCpl Charles Alfred Pope Jr.
LCpl Robert Eugene Tucker

Helicopter Passengers
LtCol William Groom Leftwich Jr., CO 1st Recon Bn
1stLt Cleveland Ray Harvey, Operations Officer
LCpl Gary Duane Hudson, Recon passenger

HMM-263 Aircrew
1stLt Orville Curt Rogers Jr., Pilot
1stLt James Edward Stolz Jr., Co-Pilot
Sgt Robert A. Donnell II, Crew Chief
Cpl Enver Bajin, Gunner
LCpl Richard Russell Buttry, Gunner

The Legacy

Every November 18 at 1800, those who served raise a glass in silence. It’s not just a tradition; it’s a ritual of remembrance. In barracks, bars, and kitchens, names are whispered, and the mountain speaks.

These Marines were not lost in vain. They were not forgotten. They were warriors, bound not by ambition or reward, but by duty.

Three years ago, another name was added. Rick “Troop” Burkmier, a decorated Crew Chief who volunteered that night to fly yet another mission. He later fell to the slow ghost of Agent Orange. His brothers remember. His mission was complete. He returned to base.

Team Rush Act wasn’t lost. They ascended.

Semper Fidelis. Never Forgotten.

Source: POPASMOKE