Vietnam Helicopter Photographs
Thread Starter
Vietnam Helicopter Photographs
There are some very good unit web sites on line now that have some very interesting photographs and accounts of events. As helicopters came to be a key part of military aviation during that time perhaps we should have a thread showing some of the photos and links to interesting sites.
I found this site to be one of the best I have seen lately.
aircav.html
An example of what I mean follows.
A recon helicopter (known as a Loach) or better as "Bait" was looking for enemy troops. Somehow a White Phosphorus (Willie Pete) grenade (pin pulled and lever gone) found its way to the cockpit floor in front of the pilot, he tried to kick the thing out of the aircraft but only got it a bit closer to the door when it went off and put a bit of smoke and burning phosphorus into the cockpit. The Cobra over head coving the Loach happened to take a photograph just as this happened resulting in the following photograph.
As the excitement occurred....a finger got pulled on a trigger instead of the radio or both....and you can see the mini-gun fire striking the water in front of the aircraft.
Both occupants survived after going for a swim.
I found this site to be one of the best I have seen lately.
aircav.html
An example of what I mean follows.
A recon helicopter (known as a Loach) or better as "Bait" was looking for enemy troops. Somehow a White Phosphorus (Willie Pete) grenade (pin pulled and lever gone) found its way to the cockpit floor in front of the pilot, he tried to kick the thing out of the aircraft but only got it a bit closer to the door when it went off and put a bit of smoke and burning phosphorus into the cockpit. The Cobra over head coving the Loach happened to take a photograph just as this happened resulting in the following photograph.
As the excitement occurred....a finger got pulled on a trigger instead of the radio or both....and you can see the mini-gun fire striking the water in front of the aircraft.
Both occupants survived after going for a swim.
Thread Starter
How many burned out Huey's in the photograph?
The photograph is of LZ Lolo....a scene of fierce fighting during Operation Lam Son 719. American helicopter units supported Vietnamese and US Forces during the operation.
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Those are really good pictures. There are also some links through the Dark Horse web site. The 3/17 must have moved into Phu Loi after we left. Our unit was Troop D(air), 1/4 Cav, 1st Inf. Division (Big Red One) until they rotated the 1st Div out of RVN in April 1970. They renamed our Cav troop C, 16th Cav and sent us to the Delta. Wasn't pretty.
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There are some very good unit web sites on line now that have some very interesting photographs and accounts of events
Thread Starter
Phu Loi Airfield, Vietnam
This site has a good bit of history of the US Army Airfield at Phu Loi, Vietnam and links to unit web sites of units assigned there during the war.
Phu Loi Army Airfield, Vietnam
Phu Loi Army Airfield, Vietnam
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NZ heli's
A few months ago New Zealand retired about 10 or 12 Vietnam era Iroquois's that they were 'given' by the USA during the war. NZ kept most of them going aver the past 40 years but they've now retired all of them.
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WSP,
A story from that web site......about a beautiful woman with a lot of class!
A story from that web site......about a beautiful woman with a lot of class!
A CLASS ACT
passed to us FYI (subject Richard is unknown)
My husband, Richard, never really talked a lot about his time in Vietnam other than that he had been shot by a sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8x10 black & white photo he had taken at a USO show of Ann Margaret with Bob Hope in the background. This was one of his treasures.
A few years ago, Ann Margaret was doing a book signing at a local bookstore. Richard wanted to see if he could get her to sign the photo. He arrived at the bookstore at 12 o’clock for the 7:30 signing. When I got there after work, the line went all the way around the bookstore, circled the parking lot and disappeared behind a parking garage.
Before her appearance, bookstore employees announced that she would only sign her book and no memorabilia would be permitted. Richard was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know how much those shows meant to lonely GI’s so far from home.
Ann Margaret came out looking as beautiful as ever and, as second in line, it was soon my husband’s turn. He presented the book for her signature and then took out the photo. When he did, there were many shouts from the employees that she would not sign it. Richard said, "I understand. I just wanted her to see it".
She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "This is one of my gentlemen from Vietnam and I most certainly will sign this photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for "my gentlemen". With that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on him. She then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met over the years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them. There weren’t too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She then posed for pictures and acted as if Richard was the only one there.
Later at dinner, Richard was very quiet. When I asked if he’d like to talk about it, my big strong husband broke down in tears. "That’s the first time anyone ever thanked me for my time in the Army, " he said.
I will never forget Ann Margaret for her graciousness and how much that small act of kindness meant to my husband.
passed to us FYI (subject Richard is unknown)
My husband, Richard, never really talked a lot about his time in Vietnam other than that he had been shot by a sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8x10 black & white photo he had taken at a USO show of Ann Margaret with Bob Hope in the background. This was one of his treasures.
A few years ago, Ann Margaret was doing a book signing at a local bookstore. Richard wanted to see if he could get her to sign the photo. He arrived at the bookstore at 12 o’clock for the 7:30 signing. When I got there after work, the line went all the way around the bookstore, circled the parking lot and disappeared behind a parking garage.
Before her appearance, bookstore employees announced that she would only sign her book and no memorabilia would be permitted. Richard was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know how much those shows meant to lonely GI’s so far from home.
Ann Margaret came out looking as beautiful as ever and, as second in line, it was soon my husband’s turn. He presented the book for her signature and then took out the photo. When he did, there were many shouts from the employees that she would not sign it. Richard said, "I understand. I just wanted her to see it".
She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "This is one of my gentlemen from Vietnam and I most certainly will sign this photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for "my gentlemen". With that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on him. She then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met over the years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them. There weren’t too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She then posed for pictures and acted as if Richard was the only one there.
Later at dinner, Richard was very quiet. When I asked if he’d like to talk about it, my big strong husband broke down in tears. "That’s the first time anyone ever thanked me for my time in the Army, " he said.
I will never forget Ann Margaret for her graciousness and how much that small act of kindness meant to my husband.
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Darkhorse30
334th Aerial Weapons moved from Bien Hoa in to your hootches at Phu Loi when you left Apr '70, then in Nov '70 other assets were moved in to redesignate the combined operating entity as E-troop, 3/17th. We were opcon to 1/9th and did pretty much everything they did not have time to do, which included a lot of night VR FOB with INFANT, etc., out of Quan Loi, our forward operating base/home. It was all interesting.
WIII
334th Aerial Weapons moved from Bien Hoa in to your hootches at Phu Loi when you left Apr '70, then in Nov '70 other assets were moved in to redesignate the combined operating entity as E-troop, 3/17th. We were opcon to 1/9th and did pretty much everything they did not have time to do, which included a lot of night VR FOB with INFANT, etc., out of Quan Loi, our forward operating base/home. It was all interesting.
WIII
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Viet Nam era lifestyle.
A few months ago I put out a series of sequensial stories on JH site of the way things were during the VietNam war for high school graduates cerica 1968.
I thought the stories were fairly good, but most of the responses were more than negative. The Current RVN post has come acrossed with positive responses.
Any body interested in the stories I put out on another site??
Let me know, it is "real time" and no BS.
S L Gray
I thought the stories were fairly good, but most of the responses were more than negative. The Current RVN post has come acrossed with positive responses.
Any body interested in the stories I put out on another site??
Let me know, it is "real time" and no BS.
S L Gray
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Thank you Sasless for that story.
Very moving.
Gray 14, if it's not to much trouble I for one would love to hear your stories. You want get anything but admiration from me.
Very moving.
Gray 14, if it's not to much trouble I for one would love to hear your stories. You want get anything but admiration from me.
Thread Starter
For a very interesting story about a very quiet Hughes 500 doing night FLIR and NVG flights into North Vietnam in the 1972......
http://www.vhpa.org/stories/AAblack.pdf
Air America's Black Helicopter | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine
http://www.vhpa.org/stories/AAblack.pdf
Air America's Black Helicopter | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine
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A Troop, 3/17th Air Cav - A Troop Silver Spurs, 3/17th Air Cavalry
photos page - Spur Photo Index
My dad flew with them.
photos page - Spur Photo Index
My dad flew with them.
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Mmmm ...
The 135 EMU's were a bunch of Aussie Navy Pilots I believe some of which were trained by the US Army.
A VERY close friend of mine won his "Silver Star" with them!
The 135 EMU's were a bunch of Aussie Navy Pilots I believe some of which were trained by the US Army.
A VERY close friend of mine won his "Silver Star" with them!