Intro Hello

[rotorwash]

Vietnam

Hope you don't mind if I get a word in here, I was in Vietnam Jan 67 to Aug 68 as a helicopter crewchief. Our unit hauled the 101 around quite a bit. First at Phan Thiet in Feb 67 then around Duc Pho and the bottom of I Corps later on. This was when just the 1st Bde was in country with little organic aviation. I was there during Tet 68 and have a 30% disability for PTSD. I tripped over your website while browsing the Viet Nam Helicpter Crewmen's Assoc. website. I have enjoyed what I've seen so far.

Hello to the 101 Airborne guys.

Rotorwash

 

[Bombardier]

Hey rotorwash its great to have you aboard, please accept my heartiest of welcomes. Its a great place with friendly people and im sure you will enjoy your stay. If I or anybody else can be of help to you please dont hesitate to ask. :mrgreen:

 

[Drone_pilot]

Hi Rotorwash and welc. to the site,
hope you enjoy your time here.

 

[HighlandSniper58]

Hi Rotorwash and welc.

 

[Doc 2/47]

Greetings!
Just got here myself.
Welcome home, and thank you for your service!

 

[Frisbee]

rotorwash,

Welcome home bro and welcome here from another Screaming Eagle.

Bill

 

[Frisco-Kid]

rotorwash
Welcome to the site, and we encourage you to get ALOT of words in here. There's beginning to become a fair sized contingency of Yanks here, and we are made to feel quite welcome by the good people who frequent this site.

VIETNAM: Jaysus, I could have ridden in one of your birds! I was in Nam with the 101st from 30JUN66-30JUN67. I was in 2/502. I remember going into Phan Thiet for part of Operation Gatling for about 2 weeks. We didn't make much contact there. From there we went to Di Linh, up in the Highlands west of Phan Rang, our main basecamp.

I was part of the original CA into the mountains west of Duc Pho on 11MAY67. It was us and 1/327, kicking off Phase One of Operation Malheur I. The 2/327 came in the next day as a blocking force. The place was crawling with VC/NVA. That first week or so, was some heavy stuff going on. The place was booby trapped so heavy, you were afraid to take a step sometimes. Were you in on any of the relocating of the villages in the Song Ve and Crow's Foot? I was only in on that for a few weeks before I DEROS'd.

WELCOME HOME, BRO! I'm glad to hear that you got some help with the PTSD and hope you're doing well.

P.S. Let me take this opportunity to invite you to check http://www.patriotfiles.com . I'm the Moderator for the Vietnam Forum over there, and can garauntee you a hardy welcome. Alot of VN Vets there. Some of our British friends here check in once in awhile. Several of us Yanks came here through an invitation from the Brits while they were visiting over there. Hope you check it out.

 

[drywall]

Hello rotorwash and welcome. Stop on in the bunker when you have a mind to.

 

[Zofo]

Greetings & welcome - I look forward to hearing some of your experiences if possible!
Zofo

 

[Viking69]

welc. Rotorwash I hope you enjoy all you see vik, viki;

 

[rotorwash]

Well Frisco, you might have ridden with us. Our call sign was Dolphin, the gunships were Shark, big red teeth on the front. Our company has a website, search on 174th AHC, Dophins or Sharks and you will get there. I don't have the address in front of me but it is a good site. It has listed all of the operations we were on. I remember at Phan Thiet you guys were set up on the beach with a 1st Cav unit. We were flying resupply and had just dumped some elephant rubbers into the trees and were picking up speed at about 500 feet when we took a round in the engine. We waddled through the air until we landed on an old air strip. Phan Thiet was an interesting place. My gunner got stung by a scorpion, critter was on his pillow and landed on his chest when he flopped down. Nothing serious. Another crew chief was bitten by a snake when he was crawling under his aircraft, nothing serious there either, fortunately your Bde hospital was next door. I got a centipede in my pants, but that's another story. While my aircraft was waiting for another engine I rode doorgunner on another slick, a weak old bird with the engine about worn out. We CA'd into a hillside at night that had been blasted out of the trees. All we were carrying was a dog team, but they were almost too heavy. We hovered above the sharp stumps and the guys jumped out but the dog didn't want to go. There we were, losing power over sharp tree stumps with a frightened dog running back and forth across the ship. None of us had guts enough to touch the dog, but he finally was coaxed out and the old bird survived another day.
We moved in to Duc Pho with a battalion of the 35th Inf from the 25th Div taking over from the Marines. A unit of the 1/9th Cav moved in with us and we were in a firefight first day. Those guys attracted trouble like hookers to a fat wallet. My aircraft got stitched up the belly and took a tap in the tail rotor from a 12.7. At Duc Pho you guys set up LZ Carentan between the mountain and the beach. We were on the other side of the mountain. That was when Task Force Oregon was assembled around Chu Lai, the bde of the 101 was one of the units temporarily assigned until the 196th, 11th and 20th arrived from the states. When we CA'd you guys to the west of Duc Pho it was one of the biggest lifts that had happened up til then, I think we carried you in a battalion at a time.

Sorry to be so long winded, I know this site is run by Brits, but any cold ones at the bar?

Rotorwash

 

[Frisco-Kid]

I remember the Shark gunships.

Yeah, alot of creepy-crawlies around Phan Thiet. Had an encounter with a cobra while there, and I don't mean the gunship :shock: . Glad we only stuck around for a couple of weeks.

There's a friend over on the Patriot Files [39mto39g] that was with the 35th Inf. of the 25th Div. that went into Duc Pho when we joined up to make TF Oregon. I'll introduce you if I see you over there. They got changed to the 4th Inf. Div. when they went to Duc Pho. Had 'em change their patches and told them "Now you're in the 4th." :shock: TF Oregon was them, us, and the 196th LIB. It was the 198th and 199th that came over later. The rest of our division came over from Ft. Campbell in late '67, also.

You're right about the CA into the mountains: It was HUGE. The biggest one I was a part of. Duc Pho was a dangerous place when we first got there. The first week after the CA my company had 3 KIA and 12-14 WIA. After we "secured" the mountains to the west, we moved down into the Song Ve, and other valleys, to relocate the villages. The whole place was going to be a free fire zone. I was only in on this for a couple of weeks. Like I said, I left the end of JUN.

Glad to see you here, Bud. Looking forward to reading more from you over on the VIETNAM thread in the MILITARY TOPICS forum whenever you feel up to it.

Welcome Home, Bro.

 

[Paul]

Welcome mate Enjoy your stay.

 

[rotorwash]

Americal ob

Sorry Frisco, we both missed it, it was the 196th, 198th and 11th Bdes that finally made up Americal. I remember the 11th well, they arrived in Dec 67 and immediately began screwing up.

This was the brigade of My Lai fame. Imagine my chagrin when the My Lai story broke in Life magazine and right there on the cover was a picture of aircraft from my unit dropping off Calley's troops.

Maybe we should start another thread on this.

Rotorwash

 

[Bombardier]

A new thread on this subject would be great, I look forward to reading it.
Perhaps I could suggest a new thread within the Military topics section?

Thanks rotorwash.

Hey rotorwash I notice you have no avatar, well for a most esteemed member like your good self that just wont do, that wont do at all. have you an image in mind that you would like to use and I will sort it out for you good sir?

 

[Bigbird]

Hi rotorwash and welcome, I look forward to seeing your pics and reading your posts. :mrgreen:

 

[rotorwash]

avatar???

I must be too close to the backwoods of NC, whats an avatar? If it is that cool device under your handle on the left of the screen, I am all for it.

On my old unit website 174ahc.org if you could bring over a Shark patch that would be incredible.

I have add that it is both humbling and exciting to be on a forum with knowledgable people from such places as jolly old England, Scotland and Spain, all places I want to visit someday. Hello Poland! An early ancestor named Gerrish migrated from Plymouth in the 1630's arriving just in time for the Salem witch trials.

Rotorwash

 

[Bombardier]

I hope this is the patch you were refering to, if not I will change it for you. In any case I will be looking for a better image as this one is a little fuzzy.

Glad to help and glad you are enjoying your visits with us.

Up the Allies roc;

 

[Derrick Stephenson]

Rotorwash, this gives you some idea of the quality of our Webmaster. Nothing seems to be too much trouble for Him to go to for His Members.

Bombardier, can I have two blondes and one brunette, a King Prawn Curry with Chicken and chips, and a side order of Viagra delivered at about 9 p.m. tonight?
Derrick.

 

[Bombardier]

Jeeeesus derrick thats a tall order, 9pm ?, Ill get it to ya by 9:15pm