Meatco
Member
Did carry M16 & personal .45 auto first tour. 2nd tour aquirred M14 & same .45
Richard
Richard
Vietnam-what would you carry?
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krs
Member
Hey,
Oh, yeah, I knew Phuloi too a bit, and definitely confirm The Big Red One cutting.
I really didn't finish the story. After going home for a while I found I was gonna' still be in the army so they let me extend to go back to RVN. When I looked at stateside duty after being in Vietnam there wasn't any choice as far as I was concerned. I had a very bad attitude for being in the states by then. So I got to chose a unit and I chose to be a gunner with D troop, 1/4th Cavalry, 11th ACR, 1st Infantry Div. who were working from Phuloi. Right across the runway from you, I'd guess, and you had the 1st Aviation Battalion, 1st Inf div next door, right? A bud of mine was crewchief in one of their C&C hueys is why I remember that so well. I'd walk across, or he would, from time to time.
I gunned from the slicks in D troop, 1/4th, maybe two months then a job came up that I wanted. Remember the big helicopter rearming point at Laikhe? Each company that used it was supposed to supply one guy to work there. I had known the previous D troop guy before and saw him in the company area with orders for DEROS is how I knew the slot was open, So I went into the 1st Sergeant and told him I wanted to go. (I'll never forget the look on his face when he said "You Do?" - scared lifer) Ended up spending my last month and a half in the lap of luxury at Laikhe, busting out rockets all morning to keep the bins full and walking down to the vil each afternoon to see all my honeys. LOL!
krs
Member
BTW, Sherwood Forest was what the Robin Hoods called their company area. It wasn't a nickname for Laikhe, but Rocket City definitely was.
I was first to get out to one of the Robin Hood's UH-1D's that had been slingloading a big empty wooden crate. I guess they wanted the wood to improve their hootch or something. Anyway, the box started oscillating, swinging, back and forth on the hook until it hit their tailrotor. They were only maybe 100 ft in the air so they went in hard. The huey burned instantly and all four guys were charcoal even by the time I got there. There was nothing anyone could do but watch them burn.
Remember something about that?
I was first to get out to one of the Robin Hood's UH-1D's that had been slingloading a big empty wooden crate. I guess they wanted the wood to improve their hootch or something. Anyway, the box started oscillating, swinging, back and forth on the hook until it hit their tailrotor. They were only maybe 100 ft in the air so they went in hard. The huey burned instantly and all four guys were charcoal even by the time I got there. There was nothing anyone could do but watch them burn.
Remember something about that?
CH47gunner
Member
I don't remember that specific incident at Lai Khe. I remember a whole bunch other stuff tho. Out of Quan Loi, I watched a Chinook with a sling-load, go inverted & auger in - no survivers. Same problem, sling-load started oscillating and couldn't recover. I was always more scared of mechanical failure/Human error than I was ever scared of being shot.
Yep - I was in the 1st Aviation Brigade, 12th Aviation Group, 11th Aviation Battalion, 213th ASHC (The BlackCats). I was a 67A1F/67N20 gunner/crewchief on CH47C & Super C Chinooks. Flew in support of the 11th ACR many times. Altho we spent a lot of time bailing the 1st Cav. out of trouble. Some days working with the Australian Army out of Ham Tan. A lot of ARVN support also.
And yep - I was just across the active from you guys. We had the big double maintenance hangars 'cause Hooks are so big. If you ever pulled Bunker/perimeter guard, I was always on either bunker 15 or bunker 26.
Exciting times - again, Welcome Home.
Bruce
Yep - I was in the 1st Aviation Brigade, 12th Aviation Group, 11th Aviation Battalion, 213th ASHC (The BlackCats). I was a 67A1F/67N20 gunner/crewchief on CH47C & Super C Chinooks. Flew in support of the 11th ACR many times. Altho we spent a lot of time bailing the 1st Cav. out of trouble. Some days working with the Australian Army out of Ham Tan. A lot of ARVN support also.
And yep - I was just across the active from you guys. We had the big double maintenance hangars 'cause Hooks are so big. If you ever pulled Bunker/perimeter guard, I was always on either bunker 15 or bunker 26.
Exciting times - again, Welcome Home.
Bruce
krs
Member
You know what? I DID do some perimeter guarding at Phuloi, only a few times when I first went to the company and wasn't assigned to a ship. I don't remember any bunker numbers, in fact I don't think that I even knew that the perimeter bunkers at Phuloi HAD numbers but I guess it's typical of the quasi-stateside nature of the place.
BUT I was sleeping on top of one of the bunkers on the only night that I ever heard of Phuloi getting any incoming after Tet! I woke up on the ground, of course, but there was some stupid cement "curb" or something around the bunker and I'd landed on my chest on that thing. Turned out that I'd broken two ribs! F**K!!
The bunker was on your side of the flightline too because I hobbled. all doubled over, back to D troop across it. I remember some AH hollering at me to run and telling him as best I could to FO. That brought him to me I guess to take my name or something but when he saw that I was hurting he took me to the aid station there and they wrapped me up. Damn, I'd forgotten all about that whole thing until you mentioned guard at Phuloi.
Welcome home back, Bruce!
BUT I was sleeping on top of one of the bunkers on the only night that I ever heard of Phuloi getting any incoming after Tet! I woke up on the ground, of course, but there was some stupid cement "curb" or something around the bunker and I'd landed on my chest on that thing. Turned out that I'd broken two ribs! F**K!!
The bunker was on your side of the flightline too because I hobbled. all doubled over, back to D troop across it. I remember some AH hollering at me to run and telling him as best I could to FO. That brought him to me I guess to take my name or something but when he saw that I was hurting he took me to the aid station there and they wrapped me up. Damn, I'd forgotten all about that whole thing until you mentioned guard at Phuloi.
Welcome home back, Bruce!
thebear101
Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2008
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- 51
we were still using the M1 Garands
DMK
Member
I'd go with what I was issued:
And try to pick up one of these:
And try to pick up one of these:
DMK
Member
Vern H. or any of you other guys that scrounged M14s in SEA, didn't you find the long rifle ungainly and difficult to maneuver in thick jungle?
rdoggsilva
Member
I carried a Thompson and a 1911. Have a 1911, wish I had the Thompson.
jhco
Member
ak47/delta elite 10mm
but id rather have an m60 and a platoon with the other two behind me
but id rather have an m60 and a platoon with the other two behind me
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
Me too. AD4N actually. You will need the radar at night
Here I am in front of one; many years and more pounds ago than I care to remember This belonged to a friend of mine. I spent lots of hours in this thing......
No the rockets bombs and tanks are not all correct for the AD, I borrowed those from a couple of other guys just for the photo.
The 20mm cannons were DEWATS from another Skyraider and the linked ammo is .50cal.
Hey I was 18, the details didn't matter.
What I wouldn't give to be able to wear a size medium flight suit again though.....
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