Re: we more then likely rode the same bird
rotorwash said:
Hello James, yes, I imagine we rode the same airspace more then once. When you guys moved to Duc Pho, the 176th AHC (call sign Minutemen and Muskets) was working directly with your brigade, but we usually participated in the CA's. We were direct support for the 3rd Bde of the 25th that later was redesignated 3rd of the 4th. We did provide a lot of logistical support when you were in the mountains west of Duc Pho. I don't remember which battalion had a recon platoon nicknamed Tiger Platoon, but on one occasion we were asked to drop off ammo to Tiger which was in a valley below the bn CP. We dropped off the ammo without incident and later found out that people on the CP were taking bets on whether or not we would make it. Seems that other aircraft that day had been driven off by ground fire. That night Tiger platoon got overran. My pilot that day was a CPT Campbell, heir to the Campbell Soup fortune. For a rich kid he was really OK. He put us in for the DFC. When HQ figured out who he was (he kept getting in trouble because he would forget to cash his paychecks or something) they moved him to Americal in Chu Lai where he took over the CG's mess. After that, we could sneak in the kitchen door, chew the fat and get some really good food.
Ah, the god old days!
RW
Tiger Force--that was our Battalion Recon--you may have read of them lately, evidently they did some "Mopping up" that people got shirty about. Ive just re established contact with a buddy of mine that was in the Tigers, he was called as a witness in the investigation..
I think what youre talking about is Tiger Hill, that happened just before I got there as did Mother's Day Hill--I was the first replacement for a platoon that had been almost wiped out--this was not a huge morale builder for yours truly, I was the Old Pro from Day One, OJT
There's another buddy of mine thats in that platoon picture, he comes to patriotfiles now and then. We just met in Memphis in May while I was on my annual Yankee Victory Tour (lol!) through the South. He lives in Winston Salem--what part NC you? Sure remember Ft Bragg and FayetteNam as we called it then.
By the way, I have a 60% rating for PTSD--with loss of hearing and tinitus it gets me 70% which gets me 100%
Campbell the pilot reminds me of another friend. I enlisted with a buddy from the block--he became a cook. We ran across each other in Anh Khe when we were staging patrols in Mang Yang Pass. It turned out he was the night baker for a HHQ company--he'd come in at night and bake all the pies, cakes and goodies for the next day (he's a lawyer now) MAN this was HEAVEN!!! this was the best eating in the war for us. He'd save us the officer's steaks and when we came in from patrol it was chow DOWN!!
We'd fire upa bowl or 2 and then munchy down on the best goodies ever.
The officers ate good, lemme tell you.
Tom (friscokid) and I went back there last year, all over II Corps, Ban Me Thuot, Pleiku, ANh Khe, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang. Also Saigon and Cu Chi which was the first for me. I can post pictures if you like. Also have a bunch of pictures from Normandy I took when I was there last Fall, walked Omaha the whoile length
James