| home
Page 6
From 25th Lightning-April 67
Able Ready Alert
Story and Photos By PFC Joseph Moore
“Since Arriving in Vietnam in April of '66 we've participated in every Major operation of the 25th Division, and many of the minor ones.” Such was the claim of Captain Walter H. McLendon, Atlanta, and Information Officer of the 25th Aviation Battalion. The men of the two 25th Avn. Bn. Companies are best known by their nicknames, the “Little Bears”, and “Diamondheads”.
According to WO-1 Dale W. Martin, 20, Milford, Conn., the mission of Company A Little Bears is to provide tactical air movement of combat troops, supplies, and equipment in airmobile operations, and within the commission the Little Bears utilize UH-1D (Huey) helicopters. Several of the ships are on constant stand-by alert, ready for any short notice emergency mission.
Commenting on the type of equipment and supplies the Little Bears have lifted into the field, CW-2 Jimmy D. Bright, 28, Bessemer, Ala., remarked, “We've handled everything from ammo to pots and pans. Anything a Huey can haul, we haul.” Bright emphasized that most of the day-to-day missions are resupply and courier flights. Food, water, barbed wire, ammunition, and weapons are a few of the essentials carried to the troops on a resupply flight. The courier flights are made daily, transporting personnel and paperwork to various locations within the division. When asked where he's made resupply and courier flights, Bright quipped, “Where haven't we? We've flown missions to Tay Ninh, Dau Tieng, and just about every section of the 25th Division area.” Still another daily task of the Little Bears is providing Command and Control (C & C) helicopters to transport the division commander and his subordinate commanders.
 |
(Left) The crewchief of a gunship prior to making another gun run. (Below) The “Stars and Stripes” are offloaded at Cu Chi.
|
As a gunship heads for a trouble spot, the door gunner scans the terrain.
A “Little Bear” supply ship prepares to land and resupply the troops
The ordinary day-to-day missions of the Little Bears often become quite turbulent. W-1 Ronald D. Hall, 20, of Franklin, Ind., was piloting a resupply mission to Fire Support Base Burt when his Huey came under heavy VC fire. “We were at about 2000 feet, when the VC opened up on us with .50 cal. Fire,” said Hall. “Our gunship escorts sprayed the area with rockets and machinegun fire, and we made the drop.”
A “Diamondhead” gunship circles a Viet Cong hideout just east of Hoc Mon.
In a lighter vein, Hall explained that sometimes when USO show people are touring the area, the Little Bears are called on to provide air transportation for them. “I've hauled Charleton Hesston, Jonathan Winters, and the Miss America troupe,” inserted Hall. “When military VIP's visit the division, we're also called to carry them.” One of Hall's military passengers was General William C. Westmoreland, commander U.S. Forces, Vietnam.
While the Little Bears transport people and supplies, the Diamond Heads of Company B have a primary mission of killing the enemy. Company B provides armed UH-1C helicopters, or “gunships” to the battalion. The gunships are equipped with M-60 machineguns, M-5 grenade launchers, 7.62mm mini-guns, and rockets.
In addition to flying escort for the Little Bears, the Diamond Head gunships are used to support infantrymen on combat assaults into hostile areas. Before our troops are dropped or moved into an area, the gunships will shower the terrain with numerous rounds. The Diamond Heads often provide aerial suppressive fire in support of ground operations, thus enabling our troops to reposition themselves during a firefight. The gunships will pin down the enemy with a blanket of fire, while the troops maneuver.
Manning the armed helicopter is a standard crew of four (pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, and gunner). A single pilot can fly the gunship, but in Vietnam, two pilots are required in the event one should become disabled.
Crew chief Specialist 5 Todd J. Frye, 20, Honolulu, Hawaii, described an incident where both pilots were wounded by enemy fire. “We were supporting division troops just east of the Phu Cuong Bridge. On our second run we took a hit up through the nose of the chopper. Shrapnel got my pilot in the left arm, and co-pilot in the leg. Both could still control the aircraft, but it shook me up seeing them both hit.
Responsible for the maintenance of the helicopter and the safety of the crew and passengers, is the crew chief. As Frye put it, “I keep the chopper flying.” The crew chief makes the final decision as to the ship's readiness for flight. While in flight, the chief mans the M-60 machinegun on the left door. The gunner, while responsible for the M-60 on the right door, also performs the care, cleaning and installation of the guns.
Both the crew chief and the door gunner are constantly alert for enemy ground fire. If the helicopter comes under ground fire, and the source can be identified, the crew chief and gunner return the fire. Extreme caution is taken however not to fire upon friendly forces or civilians.
The Diamond Head gunships have a distinguished reputation throughout the division for being extremely proficient when firing their rockets. Pilot WO-1 Robert E. Hayner, 20, of Wichita Falls, Tex., cited an example. “I got a call from a ground commander asking me to lay in rockets 15 feet from his own men. Shows the confidence they've got in us!”
Each pilot flies all the types of aircraft assigned to the company. According to first Lieutenant, Steven D. Sanford, 26, Columbus, Ohio, “the change in aircraft increases the proficiency and morale of the pilots.” Sanford explained that the outstanding reputation and record of the Diamond Heads is due primarily “to the 110% effort put forth by every man in the company.”
When talking to the men of the 25th Avn. Bn. One gets the impression that the Little Bears and Diamond Heads will haul everything, anywhere; and attack anything at anytime. It's their job!
June 67
Avn Bn Major Gets Silver Star
MAJ Danny L. Romig, operations officer of Co A, 25th Avn Bn, was recently awarded the Silver Star by MG John C. F. Tillson III, 25th division commanding general.
Romig was decorated for his action March 18 while under intense fire on a mission to extract an element of the 2nd Bn, 27th Inf, “Wolfhounds.”
Romig was the flight leader of eight “Little Bear” choppers and while picking up a load of men with his ship, he directed the movements of the other ships.
Boi Loi Bath
Two Viet Cong soldiers had their Saturday bath rudely interrupted recently when they were spotted in a water-filled bomb crater near the Boi Loi Woods northwest of the 25th Inf Div base camp.
The frolicking bathers were having such a good time that they failed to see a 25th Avn Bn “(Huey)” helicopter hovering high overhead.
Co-pilot WO Randy Cartier, Baltimore, Md., dropped the chopper down for a closer look. When the VC finally saw the Huey, they first tried to play possum, then decided to go for their weapons. Pilot CWO Phil Timlin, Eaton Rapids, Mich., gave the order to fire, and the helicopter's door gunners opened up with their machine guns, killing both VC.
SP4 Richard Oglesby, Oakland, Calif., one of the gunners, said that these two VC made a total of 18 confirmed enemy killed by the “Little Bears” this month.
July 67
Stealthy Snake Trapped
An elusive snake, slithering around the controls of a helicopter, prompted a 25th Div aircraft commander to radio in that as far as he was concerned, his aircraft should be grounded.
While flying a mission for the 25th Avn Bn, CPT Thomas Fickle of Meeker, Colo., felt a snake crawling across his right foot. Pilot WO George Harrison of La Grande, Ore., took over the controls allowing Fickle to rid himself of the snake.
Moments later Fickle regained the controls of the aircraft, because it was Harrison's turn to chase the four-foot long snake from his feet.
As the aircraft neared Ben Hoa, the snake “broke contact” by slithering under the floor plates. After landing, the crew removed all the inspection plates from the fuselage, found the snake, but couldn't reach it because of all the small compartments.
Fickle resumed the flight, and while over Long Binh, the snake reappeared by poking its head out of an opening in the left door.
At this point Fickle radioed to battalion operations stating, as far as I'm concerned this aircraft is down,” and immediately returned to the Cu Chi Airfield, where they picked up another helicopter.
Ground crew personnel worked four hours with tools, aerosol sprays, and fire extinguishers before capturing and destroying the snake.
BEATEN BANANA SNAKE - PFC Donald Hogan of Jamaica, N.Y., holds the elusive banana snake that prompted Aircraft Commander CPT Thomas Fickle of Meeker, Colo., to temporarily down his aircraft. It was not known whether the snake was poisonous but at the time nobody wanted to take any unnecessary chances. (US Army Photo)
CREW CHIEF FIDDLES WHILE PILOT BURNS - PFC Kelly Jones of Nevada, Mo., is apparently holding up a helicopter mission, to the chagrin of WO pilot Gordon Oxford of Gordon, Ala., as he practices his fiddling. Jones is a professional Country and Western fiddler now in Vietnam serving as a crew chief with the 25th Avn Bn, 25th Inf Div.
Colonel's Chopper Hits Fleeing VC; Kills Five
3RD BDE - In a blazing exchange of gunfire, the gunners on the command helicopter of COL Leonard R. Daems Jr., CO of the 3rd Bde, killed five Viet Cong fleeing across a rice paddy.
The five VC killed were credited to SP4 Louis R. Beam, Jr. of Lufkin, Tex. and SP4 Tony Grosso of Derby, Pa.
The 20 minute engagement with an estimated force of 50 VC took place 30 kms northwest of Saigon. It was part of a day long action by elements of Task Force Daems, which netted 183 enemy bodies.
The task force consisted of the 4th Bn, 9th Inf; 4th Bn (Mech), 23rd Inf; and the 2nd Bn, 34th Armor.
On a reconnaissance flight near the village of Bao Tre, COL Daems and crew members of his command ship spotted the enemy force. The door gunners of the “Little Bear” chopper of Co A, 25th Avn Bn, opened fire on the enemy, as the pilot, WO Clay Maxwell of Midland, Mich. and aircraft commander WO Alan E. Gould of Stroudsburg, Pa., maneuvered the ship into position.
The VC answered with volleys of small arms fire and RPG rockets, while racing toward jungle cover nearby. Numerous tracers whizzed by the command chopper.
While the enemy force fled in the direction of the jungle, COL Daems called in a cut-off force from the 4th Bn (Mech), 23th Inf, in an effort to head off the VC.
