"ESCAPE FROM HAPPY VALLEY"
Covert Team Extraction
by U.S. Army Combat Artist Frank M. Thomas (LTC)
Original 11" x 15" Graphite Drawing
Found in the Collection of Major Fred Edens (US Army Retired) Johnson City, Tennessee
Background:
Retired Army Major Fred Edens, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was a member of the 75th Rangers in Vietnam, in 1972. He was also a three tour, twice wounded veteran of that conflict. As a young enlisted Sp4, he became part of a six-man "hunter-killer" team. These small, highly trained, covert teams were regularly inserted by helicopter into enemy held locations where U.S. soldiers were least expected to be. Their mission: to inflict unrest and fear in the enemy.... through set ambushes, hit and run tactics, secret assaults against individuals and small groups of Viet Cong guerillas or NVA soldiers (specifically the type action loved by "Rambo" movie script writers).
Fred's team had been inserted into a valley in the coastal mountain range south of the 1st Cavalry Division's base at Tuy Hoa. A large marshy shallow lake covered the floor of "Happy Valley," edged by jungle extending up into the mountains.
With no clearings available, the chopper hovered over water and the men waded to shore, and safety in the dense trees. Five days of tracking and attempts to ambush the local force Vietcong guerillas resulted in no contact. The VC were eluding this small U.S. team.
Finally an extraction helicopter was called to get them out. It cautiously approached, across the lake and the team began wading out to climb aboard. Suddenly the Vietcong force attacked, firing upon the aircraft and vulnerable men in the water. Edens spun and fired a long burst of ammunition from his M-16 rifle, to hold the VC at bay, while his buddies got aboard the chopper. In seconds, as he struggled to reach the hovering HU-1D helicopter, the door-gunner was killed; the pilot, concerned about his aircraft and its load of men, took off! Fred Edens just managed to throw his leg over a skid, as the huey chopper dropped its nose and powered across the water, into the sky...to safety.
Laser Art Print Offering:
11" x 15" (signed by artist - ready to frame)......................$25.00
flat package shipped.............+$8.50
*Please note*: Artist Frank Thomas' studio lithographic art print and giclee' canvas art print sales have now been resumed as of November 1st, 2008. He and his wife, Patreecia, have completed an eighteen month mission in the Ohio-Cleveland Mission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Kirtland Historic Village Sites, Kirtland, Ohio. He was asked by LDS Church General Authorities to paint early Church history scenes of 1830's Kirtland.
He has now returned home to his art studio at 206 North 100 East, Holden, Utah 84636 and is producing LDS historical paintings and Old West paintings at that site. His art prints may be purchased online by credit card or by personal check.
Call Frank at his Studio" (435) 795-2206 or (435) 406-9526, or contact directly by email wildgoose@crystalpeaks.com.