2 short stories from a 1st Cav helicopter pilot in Viet Nam in 1967 & 68

SCOUT PILOT

One of my assignments was as a scout pilot, one of our unit's mission was to provide 2 scout teams on a daily basis to our brigades infantry companies. Each team consisted of 2 H-13 helicopters and each had a pilot and observer/gunner onboard. Each helicopter was armed with 2 M-60 machine guns, on the pilot controlled and the observer had one also.

On a mission to support an infantry platoon moving cross rice paddies to a tree line and suspected enemy position. we were flying about 1/4 mile in front of the troops and noticed a suspected bunker (fox hole covered with brush) as we suspected there was an enemy in the bunker an he started firing a us, we both engaged him and radioed our other ship and that helicopter started to engage as we made or out bound turn, on my 2nd or 3rd turn outbound at about 100 kts and 30 ft above the paddies we felt a hit and began losing engine power.

I knew we had to slow up and had to land but, as I flared to kill off airspeed the tail of the helicopter hit the ground and we nosed into the patty and crashed. We both took inventory of ourselves and as we were standing outside o the wreck the water started splashing up around us. The guy in the bunker was still shooting, we ran and dove over a dike to safety.

As we were crouched down behind the earth dike we noticed we had both been cut up and were bleeding from injuries and I felt my right foot was getting warm from blood running into my boot, I had been nicked in the leg as we were running, I also had a tooth knocked out in the crash.

Now what to do, we both had only our pistols and we could hear people coming towards us so I said I'll jump up and shoot as many as we can before they get us, I stood up and they were Americans.

"You've never lived until you almost died, and for those who have fought for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know" - anonymous 

NIGHT RESUPPLY

On a dark and rainy night in late January 1968, I believe the 24th, as our pilots sat around our tent bs'ing about the day our Captain came in and said one of our platoons were pinned down on an island in the middle of some rice paddies about 20 minutes west in the valley, they were surrounded and were running low on ammo and feared they would be overrun if not resupplied soon. Capt was looking for volunteers and as one of the most senior/experienced pilots I told I'd go if he would.

the back of the helicopter was quickly loaded with ammo boxes and each one had a flashlite taped to it so when we kicked them out the troops could find it. We took off with our two gunners in the back with an extra crewman to kick out the ammo and Captain and I flying. We also had two gunship helicopters to escort and cover us.

As we approached the area I radioed the lieutenant on the ground and asked him to give us a lite, he said every time they used a lite they received heavy machine gun fire and he was reluctant to as the enemy was only 1-200 yards away and they were surrounded. I asked if he had a lighter and he lit his trusty zippo and we spotted it in the darkness, As we slowed to hit a hover over the top of them, we went past the spot, Now picture this, black rainy night, no moon, the only lights are the red and green tracers going toward a helicopter with the cargo compartment lit up by several dozen flashlites sitting 30 feet above the ground as they kicked the ammo out.

We could feel the impact of several bullets hitting the ship, Captain took one in the helmet that nicked him on the neck and spun his helmet over his eyes and knocked him out, I felt a hit on my upper leg that felt like some body hit me with a baseball bat. The noise of our gunners firing out the back and the gunships unloading rockets and mini-guns right next to us. What seemed like an eternity, probably all of a minute or two we started back.

Capt is still out and I start to do the pilot stuff, as I look at the engine gauges I see "0" oil pressure and then Max oil temperature, not good, I radio this to the gunships flying along side us and tell them I will fly till it quits, Capt comes around and he's ok. Our radio calls were being monitored at base camp and soon the artillery started shooting flares to light our path home.

The helicopter continued to run and we made it back and were met by our commander who said we'd saved the platoons lives and he personally thank us, we were taken to the base aid station and treated for minor wounds.

Next morning we inspected the helicopter and counted some 29 holes, one bullet went thru a wire bundle from the engine to the cockpit and shorted out those gauges plus others. The helicopter had to be air lifted to be shipped back to the states for overhaul.