THE WALL OF FACES

Radio Research Units (RRU’s) operated in Vietnam under the direction of the U.S. Army Security Agency and conducted classified missions. Their work included intercepting radio communications of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, then forwarding the captured intelligence to division commanders in pursuit of their tactical war-fighting operations. The airborne platforms for RRU’s included Project Left Bank UH-1H helicopters configured with radio direction finding equipment. The ships were unarmed except for personal weapons and maintained a crew of four, two pilots and two Radio Intercept Operators. They tracked the enemy via radio transmissions intercepts and fixed their locations with triangulation. This required slow flying with many turning patterns. During one such radio direction finding mission on November 29, 1969, a Left Bank flight from the 11th General Support Aviation Company at Phouc Vinh flying in support of the 371st Radio Research Company was brought down by enemy fire six miles northwest of Song Be in Phuoc Long Province, RVN. The helicopter went low, purportedly to treetop level to drop a smoke grenade on the enemy position for the “Pink Team” hunter-killer aircraft covering them, when they were caught in the crossfire of enemy .51 caliber machine guns; however, it was a rocket-propelled grenade round through the chin bubble that brought the aircraft down. There were no survivors. The lost crew included aircraft commander CW2 Jack D. Knepp, pilot WO1 Dennis D. Bogle, and Radio Intercept Operators SP4 James R. Smith and PFC Henry N. Heide II. The post-crash fire destroyed the helicopter and made identifying remains difficult for the aero rifle team sent to secure the site. A Pink Team AH-1G Cobra (#68-15188) aircraft B Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, covering the flight was also shot down in the hail of fire, resulting in further casualties. WO1 Kenneth A. Luse and CW2 Lawrence J. Babyak died when their Cobra crashed after sustaining .51 caliber hits while trying to suppress the enemy fire near the downed Left Bank flight. Luce was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. U.S. Air Force jets were scrambled and napalmed the area to keep the classified out of enemy hands. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and vhpa.org]

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. Your Silver Star citation attests to your courage and devotion to your fellow soldiers. May you rest in eternal peace.

Dennis, you are in our thoughts and prayers still. Your funeral gave me motivation to work hard to stay in college and pursue my love of performing arts,. Your dad and my step dad had a hard dad to sons talk at your funeral that the three young men there took to heart. Bless you and thank you.

Warrant Officer Dennis Dean Bogle, Served with Company B, 229th Assault Helicopter Company, 11th Aviation Group, 1st Cavalry Division. He was temporarily assigned to the 11th Aviation Company (General Support), 11th Aviation Group, 1st Cavalry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

DEAR WARRANT OFFICER BOGLE,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN UTILITY/OBSERVATION HELICOPTER PILOT WITH THE 1ST CAVALRY. MIKE WAS ALSO 1ST CAV KILLED IN PHUOC LONG. SAY HI TO HIM. IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG FOR ALL OF YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE. YOU ARE ALL IN OUR PRAYERS. IT IS EASTER WEEK, AND PASSOVER - GOD'S BLESSINGS ON YOU.