Dan Heller 
Name: Steven Morris Hastings
Memorials: Find a Grave Vietnam Wall Wall of Faces
Rank/Branch: Staff Sergeant/USA
Unit: 240th Assault Helicopter Company 214th Aviation Battalion 12th Aviation Group Song Be Airfield South Vietnam
Date of Birth: 11 October 1948
Home of Record: Baldwin Park CA
Date of Loss: 01 August 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 114856N 1071107E (YT467986)
Status in 1973: Missing in Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH-1C “Iroquois” Serial No. 66-15154
Other Personnel In Incident: Donald R. Fowler and Peter J. Russell (both missing); William Fernan (remains recovered)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: By early 1967, the Bell UH-1 Iroquois was already the standard Army assault helicopter, and was used in nearly every “in-country” mission. Better known by its nickname “Huey,” the troop carriers were referred to as “Slicks” and the gunships were called “Hogs.” It proved itself to be a sturdy, versatile aircraft which was called on to carry out a wide variety of missions including search and rescue, close air support, insertion and extraction, fire support, and resupply to name a few. It usually carried a crew of four.
On 1 August 1968, WO William Fernan, aircraft commander; 1st Lt. Peter J. Russell, pilot; then Sgt. Steven Hastings, crewchief; and SP4 Donald Fowler, door gunner; comprised the crew of a UH-1C armed helicopter, call sign “Smokey Top 19,” in a flight of two that was scrambled at approximately 1915 hours to go to the aid of a 12-man Special Forces Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) which was under fire from a much larger NVA unit. The lead Huey, call sign “Danger Hawk 36,” was tasked with the responsibility of recovering the endangered ground patrol while Smokey Top 19 provided air cover for them. The weather in the Song Be area was marginal at this time, and based on a weather report from the on-site Air Force Forward Air Controller (FAC), the Hueys’ mission had to be cancelled. During the return flight to the Song Be airfield, the two helicopters became separated due to the extremely low cloud ceiling and very heavy ground fog. Further, 1* Lt. Russell reported to base that they had lost visual contact with the ground and with the flight leader, and they were climbing to an altitude that would provide them terrain clearance. He also reported that they were turning south to attempt to fly to Bien Hoa Airfield, Saigon area, in order to land by radar control, if necessary. Their plan was also the recommendation given by the aviation officer in charge of the operation who was monitoring events from Song Be.
A few minutes later 1st Lt. Russell radioed that they were turning back towards Song Be, but did not explain why. About the same time the pilot of the lead aircraft also radioed that they had entered severe thunderstorm turbulence and were also turning back toward Song Be. Within a few short minutes all contact with the lead aircraft was lost. The ground aviation officer attempted to provide a homing beacon for Smokey Top 19 who had by now descended through a break in the clouds and was flying at tree top level at night trying to home in on the signal. 1s Lt. Russell radioed an “On Course” reading, but the aviation officer questioned the reliability of that while flying at such a low level. The last radio contact from 1st Lt. Russell’s aircraft was received at 2025 hours when the aircraft was believed to be 10-15 miles southeast of Song Be and 45-55 miles northeast of Bien Hoa, Phuoc Long Province, South Vietnam.
The next morning at first light, an official Air Force search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched. It continued non- stop for 72 hours, and involved dozens of aircraft sent from all parts of III Corps.At approximately 1000 hours on 2 August SAR personnel heard emergency beeper signals from the crew of Danger Hawk 36, the lead aircraft. All four crewmen were alive and safely extracted. The remains of the aircraft were to be destroyed, but because of the dense jungle, the exact location could not be found again even though several aircraft were continually over the spot where the crew members had been hoisted out. All search efforts then focused on Smokey Top 19. When no trace of the aircraft or its crew could be located, William Fernan, Peter Russell, Steven Hastings and Donald Fowler were listed Missing in Action.
On 6 August 1971, a Montagnard woodcutter found the unburned wreckage of Smokey Top 19 approximately one mile east of Duc Phong, 13 miles east-southeast of Song Be, 51 miles north-northeast of Bien Hoa and 74 miles northeast of Saigon, Phuoc Long Province; and was positively identified by its tail number. The crash site was also close to the area where it was believed to have impacted. On 21 August 1971, the first of two SAR teams examined the crash site. The area was extremely remote and heavily wooded. The team found the aircraft in an inverted position lying mainly on its right side, which was also the side that sustained the most damage. Apparently the aircraft severed a tree on the way down as a piece of the main rotor blade was found embedded in the severed tree next to the Huey. The main rotor itself was found approximately 40 feet west of the aircraft. The SAR team also found a part of a skid approximately 35 feet east of the wreckage and a portion of the tail section in some nearby trees. Further, they found some human bones. As a result of this search effort, plans were made to return to the site in the near future.
On 19 September 1971, a second search team returned to the crash site. This team was comprised of SAR specialists, identification experts and engineer personnel. This search resulted in the discovery of more human bones. These bones, plus the bone previously found, were later identified as the remains of Warrant Officer William Fernan, the aircraft commander. These remains were found in and around the right side of the cockpit. They also found the right cockpit seatbelt was in the buckled position which indicated that WO Fernan apparently died instantly. The team continued to excavate and sift through the area, however, no other remains or graves were discovered. Photographs of the crash site were taken and furnished to the crewmen’s families. During the searches, five flight helmets were found, all undamaged, which indicated that the crash impact was survivable. Only one of the helmets bore a printed name on it. It was “1st Lt. P. J. Russell.” No trace of the other three crewmen was found which indicated to the search team that they survived the crash and exited the aircraft. Several first aid packets were found opened and used. All the seat belts, except for WO Fernan’s, were found in the unbuckled position.
The area is remote and covered with extremely heavy vegetation. One of the team members attempted to survey the area around the crash site and had to craw on his hands and knees to maneuver. The difficult terrain coupled with the distinct chance that one or more of the men may have been injured in the crash reduces the possibilities of survival unless captured. The SAR team determined that because weapons and ammunition were found at the crash site, communist troops did not reach the actual crash site itself.
In April 1969, a CIA intelligence report, which was generated by DaNang Regional Intelligence, compiled a very detailed description of the Viet Cong’s Hung Thuy District (South Vietnam) committee headquarters, along with details of a communist prison camp. This camp was located approximately 20 miles south of Hue/Phu Bai and 40 miles northwest of DaNang. The document included maps of the facility as well as information on many of the communist staff, including names, backgrounds and jobs performed. Also included in this document was a list of 22 American POWs by name who were positively identified from pre-capture photographs.
An additional list of 32 Americans tentatively identified was also attached. The source stated that following the 1968 Tet offensive, prisoners were transferred from this camp to either North Vietnam or to an agricultural camp at an unknown location near the border of Laos. Steven Hastings was named as one of the 22 positively identified POWs. There was no indication if Peter Russell or Donald Fowler were also being held at this same camp. None of the families of those listed as positively or possibly identified Prisoners of War were ever told of this report until it was declassified in 1985, 17 years later.
In April 1991 the US government released a list of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action who were known to be alive in enemy hands and for whom there is no evidence that he or she died in captivity. This list, commonly referred to today as the USG’s “Last Known Alive” list, included all three of the missing crewmen from Smokey Top 19. Steven Hastings, Peter Russell and Donald Fowler are among nearly 600 Americans who disappeared in Laos. Many of these men were known to be alive on the ground. The Laotians admitted holding “tens of tens” of American Prisoners of War, but these men were never negotiated for either by direct negotiation between our countries or through the Paris Peace Accords which ended the War in Vietnam since Laos was not a party to that agreement.
Since the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE America Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Pilots and aircrews in Vietnam and Laos were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
