When I first go to Naha I would be out working --or whatever on my plane (C-130 A model) tail number 56-475, while the acft crews were practicing their LAPES drops between the active runway and the taxi way . Some of the time they used old surplus battle damaged Jeeps from Viet Nam . I think most had gear down, but it was neat to watch. Later on in Jan 68 (Tet), I talked the flight crew into letting me tag along on a days missions out of Cam Ranh Bay. I had no idea what to expect, but I got in on one LAPES drop at Katum and several moving off-loads at several other bases . Just lowered the ramp and pushed the pallets of 105's w/fuses off on the run while taxiing. I didn't know it then, but that day was the start of the historic Tet Offensive and everywhere we went was under attack. The last mission of the day was back at Katum going in for an assault landing to off load more ammo the normal way. We got hit with 13 rounds of 30 cal. ammo that I saw coming out of the jungle which was pretty common, but this time a round went right through one of the main tanks on the left wing. We landed and got off-loaded while JP-4 was running on the ground. My crew chief and I plugged the hole with some dowels we stole from the fuel cell shop , and then had to transfer fuel from the other side(wing) to level the plane. Of course we had to run the GTC (gas turbine compressor) for power. Six hundred degree exhaust blowing over a huge pool of fuel made it way more interesting. Anyway, the last mission of the day was flying back to Cam Ranh Bay and get the fuel leak fixed for a one time flight back to Okinawa. Again, I apologize for getting so long winded, but the things that happened in my 33 months over there didn't scare me a bit then, but after all of these years, it is good to talk to somebody about what I did that might have an idea what I am talking about. Thanks for listening, Ken
One of the evolutions of the war came to pass with the onset of the Spring Offensive in ‘72. The nature of our ops changed dramatically and the maneuvering that led to AA traps was replaced with full blown in-your-face use of AA and AAA throughout SVN. 12.7, 23 & 37mm augmented by SA7 missiles was the new deal. If you came home without green stains in your skids you were flying too high.
One of my buddies took out a ZSU23-2 on his own with an OH6 and a minigun. Any of you fellas that know anything about the ZSU’s capability will understand that what he did was impossible. At least that’s what Nguyên thought.
Gutsy move Cloaking device ?
You better be afraid of a ghost!!
"Woody you were baptized in prop wash"..crossfireoops
Ken, I was maintaining SAC aircraft at Kadena from early 1970 to late 72. My daughter was born there. It used to rattle her cage when I told people I had a kid made in Japan! It's possible we might have been on Okinawa at about the same time. Just a bit of Okinawa trivia- - - - -my grandfather's younger brother died on the beach there in 1945- - - -caught a piece of shrapnel in the forehead. I got there 25 years later. Jerry
Yep. My unit had quite a bit to do with that fracas and we lost some good boys in the process. I rotated back to the states just about the time it reached a full boil.
Thank you for your service Dan. My dad was on Ripcord with C/2-506th and always spoke highly of the air crews that supported them...
My younger brother used to parachute into Laos as part of a two or three man observation team. He was the communication component. After bailing out of a C119, they would spend a week or longer watching the roads and trails. If something significant came along, they would call for a B52 strike. Extraction was usually by helicopter. Sometimes by a Fixed wing craft. Exciting times.
For those not up on weaponry, the ZSU23-2 was a towed anti-aircraft weapon sporting two 23mm cannon with a normal rate of fire of 400 rounds per minute, each. It could be deployed from towed to firing in less than a minute, and had a range to two kilometers - or surface to about 6,000 feet altitude. Deadly. We called it "The Golden Hose" because the tracers formed a near solid stream of yellow-orange fire in the sky.
To get one with a helo, you'd have to zoom in from behind and pop up to shoot before they could swing the guns around. IF they hadn't heard you coming.
When I took my AIT at Fort Rucker (67A10)they told us that a basic helicopter mechanic was nothing but a door gunner in Nam..It horrified us and the stories told were no better..Glad I never had to go.
Yep. My unit had quite a bit to do with that fracas and we lost some good boys in the process. I rotated back to the states just about the time it reached a full boil.
Thank you for your service Dan. My dad was on Ripcord with C/2-506th and always spoke highly of the air crews that supported them...
Small world hey? Your dad had a better seat, trust me. The view from the top was spectacular.
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain
Woody, he had bullet proof balls We called him The Baby Killer, only because he never had to shave. He was special, and I mean that in a good way. There might have been more deadly scout pilots during his tour but I never heard the tales.
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain
Yep. My unit had quite a bit to do with that fracas and we lost some good boys in the process. I rotated back to the states just about the time it reached a full boil.
Thank you for your service Dan. My dad was on Ripcord with C/2-506th and always spoke highly of the air crews that supported them...
Small world hey? Your dad had a better seat, trust me. The view from the top was spectacular.
The first few minutes of this video is artillery on Ripcord softening up Hill 1000 on 08Jul1970. A little while later in the day, my dad and what was left of C/2-506 went up the hill and things didn't turn out too good for them...
Dan one of my pilots I briefly flew with had similar talents, a LTC who was reactivated for the gunship program early on.during R&D ...Having flown C-47's during Korea we always kidded him about his John Wayne style of flying and didn't have to remind him the "A" proceeding C-47 meant attack. One night shortly after takeoff we had an engine overheating but he pressed on,we dropped flares,hung around long enough for help to arrive then diverted to Pleiku with a feathered prop.
You better be afraid of a ghost!!
"Woody you were baptized in prop wash"..crossfireoops
One of the evolutions of the war came to pass with the onset of the Spring Offensive in ‘72. The nature of our ops changed dramatically and the maneuvering that led to AA traps was replaced with full blown in-your-face use of AA and AAA throughout SVN. 12.7, 23 & 37mm augmented by SA7 missiles was the new deal. If you came home without green stains in your skids you were flying too high.
One of my buddies took out a ZSU23-2 on his own with an OH6 and a minigun. Any of you fellas that know anything about the ZSU’s capability will understand that what he did was impossible. At least that’s what Nguyên thought.
DEADLY for low fliers. Hopefully Pugs (or resident ECM expert) will chime in, but it's millimeter-wave radar makes it almost impossible to Jam...
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
