50 years ago, he saved a team in Vietnam. Now, he’s trying to find them.

Where were you on February 8, 1973? If you were a member of an Air Force Combat control team that was rescued by a C-130 from Tuy Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam, we would like to find you. Why? Let me tell you the rest of the story.

My husband, Courtney Brye, was flying off the coast of South Vietnam that day. He was a 1st Lt and a copilot on a C-130 attached to the Blue Tail Flies (The 37^th Tactical Airlift Squadron) based at Langley Air Force Base. In preparation for most of the Forces pull out in March 1973, many bases, including Tuy Hoa, had been shut down. So, Courtney and his Aircraft Commander, Captain Jack Frost, were surprised to hear a radio distress call from Tuy Hoa Air Base. An Air Force Combat Control Team was pinned down and in danger of being overrun. They were asking for rescue.

The situation was very complicated. There were no navigation aids remaining and the weather was terrible. But in a split-second decision, the crew decided to try to get in and save this team. They were familiar with the outline of the base’s location and proceeded to use old style navigation to center in on the runway. They were able to get to 50 feet above the water and had some clear visibility. My husband said one of his biggest concerns was hitting a Vietnamese fishing trawler. At one point he looked right to see they had just flown under the deck of a boat that missed the wing by a few feet.

They were under fire as they landed and taxied to turn around. They deployed the ramp while still taxiing and the Combat Control Team all made it onboard successfully. Everyone was very relieved when they were finally over the South China Sea again.

Fifty-plus years have gone by, and life takes its toll. Courtney was diagnosed with Agent Orange presumptive metastatic prostate cancer 18 months ago.  A diagnosis like that can make you reflect on your life. One of his regrets was he never got to talk to the team they rescued. He recently connected with his Aircraft Commander and he expressed the same regrets. So, I decided to make the effort to try and find any of the survivors. If you know anyone who fits this description we’d love to connect with them. It’s not an experience someone would forget. If you or someone you know was part of this rescue, please email us at editor@wearethemighty with the subject line: BRYE RESCUE.