The Rescue of Bat 21: A Dangerous Mission to Save One of Their Own

When Lt. Col. Hambleton parachuted down into enemy territory, the military did what they could to bring him back to safety.

Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton (L), whose call sign was Bat 21 Bravo, was rescued by Lt. Thomas Norris, in one of the most complex rescue missions during the Vietnam War. Public Domain

Hopes were fading in the middle of the largest air and ground rescue mission of the Vietnam War. Several attempts to rescue downed airmen had failed. However, the courage and persistence of Lt. Thomas Norris ultimately allowed Lt. Col. Iceal Gene Hambleton to see another day. After completing the mission successfully, the military used much of what they learned to conduct future battlefield search and rescue missions.

Taken Unawares

On Easter Day, on April 2, 1972, during a brutal assault, in an area occupied by around 30,000 North Vietnamese troops, Lt. Col. Hambleton was the navigator of an EB-66 aircraft, with a call sign of Bat 21, which was flying as escort for a group of B-52s. The Bat 21 was to defend against surface to air missiles (SAMs) while the B-52s were attacking the enemy from the air.

Douglas EB-66E Destroyer in flight. Aircraft of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 41st or 42nd TEWS based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base over Southeast Asia, on March 30, 1970. US Air Force photo. Public Domain

However, as the planes flew north, they realized too late that the North Vietnamese troops had already pushed the South Vietnamese troops south and set up SAM sites further into South Vietnamese territory than they initially thought. The planes immediately started taking fire from every direction.

Multiple SAMs were fired and soon Hambleton saw one heading straight towards the Bat 21. The pilot tried to cut south thinking the gunfire was only coming from the north when he steered straight into a missile. With the plane on fire, the pilot signaled to Hambleton to eject. Right after Hambleton ejected from the plane, he made eye contact with his pilot just before another missile struck the plane and disintegrated it in front of him.

As Hambleton slowly parachuted down, he noticed that he would be completely surrounded by enemy troops once he landed. He landed in a rice paddy and later hid in a bamboo thicket in an area swarming with enemy troops.

Hide-and-Seek

Meanwhile, Hambleton’s fellow soldiers knew that the enemy troops would be looking for the officer, hoping that he could give them valuable information. Knowing time was of the essence, several aircraft were sent on search and rescue missions to find the missing aviator who had been in contact with his fellow soldiers via radio while parachuting down.

Over the next several days, Hambleton remained hidden among enemy troops. He watched as several planes got bombarded with SAMs and machine gunfire attempting to rescue him. By April 9, eight aircraft had been destroyed, 14 American soldiers had died, two had been captured and two more were missing in action—all in attempts to save Hambleton. During one rescue mission, 1st Lt. Mark Clark also needed to be rescued after his plane was shot down trying to rescue Hambleton. Gen. Creighton Abrams then issued a halt to any further helicopter rescue attempts.

Instead, Lt. Norris was tasked to launch a ground mission to pull Clark and Hambleton out of the enemy zone. Norris’s team consisted of South Vietnamese SEAL Petty Officer Nguyen Van Kiet and four other Vietnamese commandos.

Knowing that the North Vietnamese soldiers were listening to communications, Hambleton and Clark were given orders to head toward the Mieu Giang River in code. Since Hambleton was the furthest away, giving him directions proved difficult. But knowing that he was an avid golfer, who had memorized the layout of famous golf courses, Hambleton’s fellow soldiers guided him through an abandoned village in code by instructing him to “play” certain holes that he would remember to get him to the river.

While trying to secure a free meal, he was stabbed by a villager. This added to the injuries he'd sustained during the ejection. Yet Hambleton eventually made it to the river by relying on his colleagues’ instructions.

Since he was closer, Norris and his crew first snuck out into enemy territory and rescued Clark after a few close calls. But Hambleton had been surviving in enemy territory for over a week, and his health was fading. Norris wasted no time and headed back into the trenches with just Petty Officer Kiet as the other Vietnamese commandos had started to lose morale.

Lt. Norris (R) and Petty Officer 3rd Class Nguyen Van Kiet. The pair went behind enemy lines, disguised as fishermen in a sampan, to rescue Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton. Norris was awarded the Medal of Honor and Nguyen was recognized with the Navy Cross for their actions. Public Domain

Norris and Kiet disguised themselves as local fishermen and headed in a boat up river towards Hambleton’s position. They traveled for nearly two miles. After passing his position once and backtracking, Norris and Kiet eventually found the stranded Hambleton hiding in a clump of bushes.

They put Hambleton in the boat and covered him in bamboo for their journey back. With a little help from air forces to squash attacks from enemy troops, Hambleton finally made it to safety after being stranded in enemy territory for 11 and a half days.

Once he returned to Dong Ha, Vietnam, Norris was bombarded by reporters. One, guessing how hard the mission had been, said, “I bet you wouldn’t do that again.”

“An American was down in enemy territory. Of course I'd do it again,” Norris replied.

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