Viet Nam 1968 - 1969
SIMMONS Ladder An Hoa Jan-Feb 1969
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Last Updated: January 26, 2019
These photographs were from 1st Force Recon Company at An Hoa, practicing the use, what most called the SIMMONS Ladder (got it's name for Major R.E. Simmons our CO). I called it the "flying ladder" but in truth it was it was the "life saver from the sky" when on January 12, 1969, on a nasty mission all my Team Forefather made it out alive, due to ladder, my friend Sgt. Robert Buda (who received his third PURPLE HEART from that trip) from 1st Force Recon who rigged the ladder and came along to assist CH-46 chopper pilot Capt. Laurence Adams (for his actions received the NAVY CROSS second only to the Medal of Honor), his co-pilot 1stLt Gerald "Gerry" Balckbird and his crew chief Cpl. James H. Tyler (awarded the Silver Star). They (and all the others that assisted including one great Patrol Team and Operations Officer Andy Finlayson) were the reason I am here today! We were the first team from 1st Force Recon to use the ladder under combat conditions, Cpl Carver shown in a photo below was the second to use the ladder, but we would not be the last.
Sgt. David B. "Tom" Thompson, Patrol Leader 11th Platoon "Forefather"
And on behalf of the team: PFC Richard Fleming, Private Grant, PFC Jon Pierre "Frenchie" Greene, PFC Glenn Griggs,
PFC Robert Thurman, PFC Robert Marr and HM3 'Doc' Welch"
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Photo-01 A CH-46 Chopper Photo-02 The cable rigging up from the bottom hatch
Photo-03 Improvement of the rolled up ladder on the tail Photo-04 Aluminum cross-rungs and cable uprights
Photo-05 Mounting and snap in with rapel seat & clip Photo-06 Then up & away - under fire adds other elements
Photo-07 Here you wonder about cable strength Photo-08 A eight man recon team
Photo-09 Sgt THOMPSON, Cpl CARVER, Major SIMMONS Photo-10 LtGen Buse, Sgt THOMPSON, Major SIMMONS
explaining the ladder to Lt.General Buse