Hill shares story of bravery with Campbell veterans

‘Our four-man long range patrol team was looking for trouble and found it’- Dave Hill, Vietnam Vet

Last week, Hill visited Campbell County, speaking at a veteran’s breakfast, sharing the story of survival that unfolded June 18, 1968, in Vietnam.

LAFOLLETTE, TN. (WLAF)- Because of the actions of one man, Dave Hill has lived a full life, raised a family, and greeted his new grandson eight months ago.

Last week, Hill visited Campbell County, speaking at a veteran’s breakfast, sharing the story of survival that unfolded June 18, 1968, in Vietnam.

WLAF’s Charlie Hutson shares his photo gallery HERE.

Everyone came to their feet when Dave Hill was introduced.

That night Hill, a 20-year-old Army Infantry solider, was part of a four-man long range patrol team “who was looking for trouble,” he said.

“And that night, we found it,” Hill said.

Just northeast of Saigon, Hill and his team found themselves pinned down with little ammunition left. The only option was to call for help- in a whispered “signal.”

You could have heard a pin drop as well spoken Dave Hill addressed Thursday’s vet breakfast crowd.

The man answering that call was 25- year -old First Lt. Larry Taylor of Signal Mountain.

Coming in piloting a Cobra Helicopter, Taylor and his wingman expended 152 rockets and 16,000 mini machine gun rounds, Hill said.

A slide show of the pilot, First Lt. Larry Taylor, who rescued the four-man long range patrol team

After a 30-minute firefight with the Vietnamese Military, Taylor was out of ammunition and almost out of fuel, but he intended to extract the four man team, according to Hill.

Cobra Helicopters aren’t passenger helicopters measuring only 36 inches across, which meant the four men had to ride on the outside of the chopper. With the team riding on rocket-pods and skids the helicopter took off in “ink well darkness,” Hill said.

U.S. Army Colonel Marvin Bolinger, retired, (left) presents Dave Hill with a mug. Hill also received a bottle of wine, a coffee mug, a cap and a plaque naming him as an honorary member of Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1148.

The chopper reached a height of 1500 feet during the 12-minute ride.  “To us the alternative was so far worse,” Hill said.

To Taylor’s credit, there were no fatalities or injuries that night. Years later, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

A crowd of upwards of a hundred, many veterans, attended Thursday’s breakfast.

Hill went on to marry his wife, Loretta, have a son and now a grandson. His career spanned jobs from working as an economist to being a logistics director.

Today, he lives in Mainville, Ohio. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 3/11/2024- 6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)