INTO ACTION: As Yankee Papa 13 approaches the landing zone, Farley opens fire with his M-60 machine gun at Vietcong positions (bottom). Burrows took this picture with a camera mounted outside the copter on a special rig attached to the gun. As the gun swivelled, so did the rig, thus keeping the camera always pointed directly at Farley. Burrows triggered the camera by remote cable while squatting out of sight behind Farley. Yankee Papa 13 touches down and Farley holds his fire (top left) as South Vietnamese soldiers scramble out past his machine gun to join their comrades (top right), who were jumping out of other copters for an assault against Vietcong hidden along the tree line in the background.
“On our next approach to the landing zone, our pilot, Capt. Peter Vogel, spotted Yankee Papa 3 down on the ground. Its engine was still on and the rotors turning, but the ship was obviously in trouble. ‘Why don’t they lift off?’ Vogel muttered over the intercom. Then he set down our ship nearby to see what the trouble was.”
TRYING TO SAVE A LIFE: Farley, unable to leave his gun position until YP13 is out of enemy range, stares in shock at YP3’s copilot, Lieutenant Magel, on the floor (top left). He opens a first-aid kit (top right) to apply to Magel’s wound as Hoilien watches Owens, YP3’s wounded gunner (with dark glasses), slumped in the rear. Moments after Magel has died, the two men bandage Owens’ shoulder wound (bottom).
