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CH-47 CHINOOK DELIVERING CAPTURED RICE IN REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CONTROLLED RURAL AREA
[engi]neering equipment (272 bulldozers, 54 backhoes, and 41 road graders) as well as all 155-mm howitzers into (and out of) the operational area. They moved bridge sections and recovered $7,315,000.00 worth of downed aircraft. During the Cambodian Campaign, this company flew 2,486 sorties, or, as a logistician might put it, 177,688 ton-miles.
On the final day of the operation, in the actual crossing of the border by all U.S. troops, every possible precaution was taken to insure success. Troop ladders, smoke ships, pathfinders, and recovery aircraft were available to cover any contingency. The crossing proved uneventful with the last CH-47 aircraft leaving Cambodia at 1523, 29 June. The honor of being the last U.S. Army aircraft out of Cambodia went to B Company of the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry whose screening "Pink Team" reported reentering Vietnam at 1728, 29 June.
The 1st Squadron, 9th Air Cavalry proved again during the Cambodian Campaign how invaluable this capability is to any airmobile operation. During the period 1 May 1970 to 30 June 1970