Jan. 3, 1963 - The White House has ordered a full report on U.S. helicopter losses in South Vietnam. The demand went to the Defense Department after officials were jolted by news dispatches yesterday saying at least eight Army-flown choppers had been brought down by Communist guerrilla ground fire while ferrying South Vietnamese soldiers into battle. The Army was understood to be preparing a “fact sheet” for President Kennedy, recapitulating the record of its helicopter operations in South Vietnam. The U.S. now has committed about 120 helicopters to supporting the South Vietnamese army in its drive to suppress the Communist guerrillas who have been trying to overthrow the pro-Western government in Saigon.
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