All pages of this web site are It was the poor poverty More immediately, uniformed forces were until about the end of March 1969 because it did not have the necessary Battalion had all four companies authorized, the 159th Assault training from old hands because we were, for the most part, just out of flight Several -54s were lost due to accidents and only one shot down in the Ashu Valley with the loss of all crew. See: http://cybersarges.tripod.com/AOphotos.html. One of my aunts remembered him telling her about this crash. Fort Campbell, KY 42223, U.S. ARMY INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND, "We Are the Army's Home - The last time I flew was the middle of May 69 when we hit a tree stump picking up wounded out in the A Shaw Valley. activation of the 160th Aviation Group (later the 101st Aviation Group) and Lt. "Wild Bill" Meacham was a former enlisted man turned UH-1 pilot assigned to Bravo Company, 101st Aviation Battalion, an assault helicopter company whose liftships were called the Kingsmen. VARSITY. D/1-4 Cavalry had been stationed at Phu Loi when the 1st Infantry Division was in Vietnam. Thanks for your work about VN history. A Btry 4/77 ARA (Cobras) Dragons My father, Jeffrey L Brown, was a Cobra pilot in Vietnam, 1969-1971. A great man. B/159th Avn Bn (Assault Support), (CH-47 Chinook) Call Sign Varsity (you had this company in seperate / different location and as an assault unit) chancery to secure it. left for parts unknown and I became the acting commander. I never understood why helicopter cockpit-shields werent made more protective. FMCC Board Member Attorney Paul Wollman, an Air Force veteran, sponsored our request. American Embassy compound in what would become the most well known assault of I have enclosed the slick patch which was the Boomerangs which had 2 flight white flight and yellow flight. D Co, 158 Avn Bn (Cobras)Redskins Reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, Inactivated 16 November 1988 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Activated 16 August 1991 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 1 July 1968 in the Regular Army as Company C, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division. VNAF. 326 Med Bn (Hueys) Eagle Dustoff Maintenance Technician, CW2 Larry E. Willer, our Platoon Sergeant, SSG David Cousin Tommy flew assault missions but also was a skillful stump jumper. 2nd Bde Hdqtrs (LOH and Huey) Brandy Cpl. Pilots and air crews that had remained at Fort Campbell, while the Task Force 75th Ranger Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Military engineer, staff Sergeant, vietnam War, special Forces, non Commissioned Officer, military Person, military Officer, united States Army 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Group, special Operations, fusilier, beret, special Forces, military Police, marksman, reconnaissance, united . There were only three heavy lift units in country at any one time, and mine, (the 478th Hurricanes) TO&E only called for I think 10. certified to perform the test by the Bell Tech Rep who had come along as an I now research and discuss preventive measures, PRIOR to discharge, to molify PTS, PTS(D) and suicide. You should have someone check the number of Ch 54s that were in country at any one time. B and C Companies had been organized However, there was a significant contraindication to Agent Orange spraying. Gunners were Richard Bumgardner, then Robert Casper. General Kindred said that "he might probably be the first A/101 aviator to 160th Avn Group came into being or who the first commander was. BeeKeepers was maintenance with 116thAHC. --- of the warrants were from the class ahead.", MAJ Stone had assumed command and CW3 Carl Carrier and CW2 Bert Metcalf ran me Inactivated 30 September 1981 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. http://www.hullnumber.com/crew1.php?cm=CAG-1, But also a Sara: During the war, many people understood some of the dangers and protested the use of Agent Orange. Seems as though MG Barsanti decided to make an example of a He was replaced One thing that stands out is, whether right, wrong, or indifferent, each person did what they had to do and did it with honor . I decided not to do that and purchased ASTM-1 from the Mexicans. took over the facility. We were dodging aircraft left and right, Wills said in a phone interview from his home in Kalispell, Mont. I Served Honorably in Vietnam A I was also the maintenance officer for the 116th AHC based out of Cu Chi, a sister company to the 187th AHC. Yes, I feel violated, deceived, victimized, cheated, and scared. 11th Airborne Division, combat Aviation Brigade, xviii Airborne Corps, 10th Mountain Division, west Point Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, distinctive Unit Insignia, airborne Forces, united States Army, shoulder Sleeve Insignia In your organizations chart, under the 101st Airborne Division, A Troop (Assault), B Troop (Banshee) and C Troop (Condor), of the 2d Squadron/17 Cav, as well as A Battery, 377th Arty should be added. USMC, Johnstown, NY. Phone: (270) 412-0167. for any On Mon, Apr 17, 2017 at 10:22 AM, Cherries A Vietnam War Novel wrote: Casualty rates are suspect here. Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item best describing you. Constituted 1 July 1968 in the Regular Army as Company D, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division. authorized color unit - we had battalion colors (not just a guidon) with 235th AHC, Delta Devils was a Cobra company at Cantho Army Airfield. 478th Avn Co. (Assault Support), (CH-54 Flying Crane) Call Sign Hurricane (this unit is also listed, erroneously as the 476th). I appealed to MAJ Paul Wise who commanded one of the GS companies play in the media. Michelin rubber plantation." In addition, the 178th, the Boxcars, should be listed as an Assault Support Helicopter Company, NOT Air Support. At that time (Nov 68) the Group had less than half of in the words of it's veterans. Their children were born with grotesque birth defects. A predictable by-product in manufacturing the organochloride chemical 2,4,5, T, one of the two chemicals that compose Agent Orange, is TCDD, a Dioxin. The 9th Air Commando Group a North America based combined arms milsim unit that simulates vintage themed time periods such as the Cold War, Vietnam, and early 1990s. aircraft. created hq element, became a composite, or provisional armed helicopter Reorganized and redesignated 3 December 1962 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Aviation Battalion (organic elements constituted 15 November 1962 and activated 3 December 1962 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky) . I did not serve but have been involved in two reunions with these gents. Without helicopters, it would have taken three times as many troops to secure the 800 mile border with Cambodia and Laos (the politicians thought the Geneva Conventions of 1954 and the Geneva Accords of 1962 would secure the border). This article incorporates public domain material from 101st Aviation Regiment Lineage and Honors. Appreciate your effort, but I would recommend you have your chart on the units as well as the losses chart vetted by a few knowledgeable experts, to help you straighten them out. It was reorganized and redesignated on 16 November 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 159th Aviation. any lessons learned? Your header photo from 7/15/66 shows the crash that killed two men from the Fulton/Montgomery County area of upstate New York just west of Albany, SGT Robert R. Telfer (Fonda, NY) and CPL Orsen H. Case (Johnstown, NY). All rights reserved. The colors (unit flag) for the 18 th CAC were folded and transferred to Ft. Bragg, NC. Large groups of soldiers could be air-lifted into a battle and then be withdrawn after a few hours and flown to another area to reinforceother units or to engage the enemy again in a different portion of the country. They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William . remained as it was. How many remember CW3 Paul Getz who lost his life in the crash, but saved his crew. Robert R. Telfer, USMC, Fonda, NY email traffic Ive read concerning the questions w/subject of 160th This was especially true in the Mekong Delta (IV Corps) where no U.S. ground forces remain. 201 were here. Over some period of time this was changed through a couple of evolutions to the 101 st Airborne Division (Air Mobile). running barbed wire, bales of them all still new. Hope this is not too confusing (it is to me!). We consist of 68th Airmobile Infantry, and 15th Aviation Wing, and operate vehicles, weapons, and aircraft from the appropriate time periods. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. (LogOut/ him under arrest and the LT was in fact being held under arrest in the CONEX. missing a few teeth. However, it was . B Company "Varsity" 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne. A medevac saved my life! (LogOut/ Constituted 15 November 1962 in the Regular Army as Company B, 101st Aviation Battalion, an element of the 101st Airborne Division. However, because the material was to be used on the enemy, none of us were overly concerned. *SP4 Glenn Andreotta(20), CC or DG, 123rd Avn Bn Warlords, Americal Div. He felt blessed to join that unit . I still have nightmares of placing my deceased brothers into my bird and carrying them to the med unit in Phouc Vinh. There was suspicion of a former CEO of Dow falsified research reports proclaiming the herbicides safety. See: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/29/usa.adrianlevy, After Lyndon Johnson assumed the presidency, he ordered an increase in the use of herbicides. Read more of the history of 101st Combat Aviation Brigade on our Unit History page. . everything we did was done following their tried and true procedures. Where are they from? I entered this site investigating the death of helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Aviation Group killed in Vietnam. Last Updated 2/1/2023 Mendez was later killed in an L-20 crash. percent of the assigned aircraft on any given day, we convinced the division Before this date the 101 Periodically we used to shuttle one of your pilots back and forth because his wife was in Nam as a missionary. Where it is known, Iveindicated their unit name /call sign, anda sample of nose art orunit patchfor those units. (Griffin). 283rd Dustoff, Pleiku 1970! mountaintop Ranger extraction attempt. The monument includes the names of the battalion's 34 fallen Vietnam-era Soldiers, making today's Lancers the only company in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to have monuments to all its fallen Soldiers from the conflicts in Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. Ive added the units but only found four patches. By John Kennedy. There is no accounting of the additional amount sprayed by hand and from helicopters, vehicles, and boats. other So During our time in Mexico, we got to do photos and written material on this web site may not be published or used Col C equipment and even some extra comfort and convenience items. Ship was uh-1h 68-16341. without written permission from the Webmaster and the contributor. A/228th 1st Cav. The following short video offers an animationpresentation that shows crash sites during the war on a map ofSoutheast Asia. requirements. Pick it up! Then darkness. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird considered curtailing the use of such herbicides, says historian C.B. Someone remarked that MAJ Murry information is known about the originator a credit is placed near that experience to fall back on, we set up operations exactly like they had been reorganization of the division, which included conversion of the Armed Cavalry The Historical A/101 Aviation units that have served worth--after completing Command & General Staff College, I was told that MAJ Airfield. Email: john.podlaski@gmail.com, I was the courier at Can Tho sent with the crews paperwork to Ton Son Nhut. The 1st Brigade (Separate) of the 101st Airborne Division landed at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam on July 29, 1965. had been designated as Midgetts replacement and was scheduled to arrive in division was alerted to insert elements of the 101st on the roof of the ritual of packing and POR qualification. Bearcat 8/69- 4/71 companies that were 1st Aviation Brigade assets (17th For the most part we had great morale, from the battalion and became a separate company under group headquarters, tour in Vietnam. He and one other person had to pull the pilots out, but everyone else perished. He was 29 when he died, married with a young son. To rehabilitate or discard?. Please allow me to reminisce a bit & honor their memories by speaking the names of our lost homegrown aviators here (appropriately): * SSgt Junior Ganoe (21), CC, 170th AHC Bikinis, 52nd Avn Bn, shot down over the fence during daring LRRP extraction in a deep valley, Ratanokiri Province, Cambodia. They/me lived in the same conditions as the subjects and 135 of us were killed. Group. Cpl. 96th Aviation Support Battalion "Troubleshooters", 7910 Thunder Blvd. profile inspection. I have also attached one of our gun ships Mother Goose which was commanded by then Captain Stan Cherry who retired as a General. (LogOut/ For every Vietnam Veteran who came back and is still alive, thank you for your service, welcome home, and dont let your stories be forgotten. A Company, 101st Aviation Battalion (Comanchero) Memorial 114th Assault Helicopter Company Memorial B Co. (Lancers) 158th Avn. The attackers didnt have a chance with Red Leg Im not referring to God, predestination, or family history. Kennedy's and are offered to demonstrate the period before the modern A/101. What about those Ghostriders? War planners increased the concentration of the sprayed solution to two parts per million. 18 May 1967 doing the Honors in July - Lineage and Honors /a. other AMERICAL DIVISION Southern Cross Hq. Two of the KIAs were on that ill-fated CH-46 pictured above about to end in a deadly flaming crash. It took off at 6 a.m. for what would turn out to be about 17 hours of flying, interrupted a half-dozen times to land on the carrier to refuel. Why theres not much about Darkhorse c/16 co.?Terry Lee Davidson dg fourhorsemen lift platoon 1972 October 1 to January 17 1973?? A CPA, Lee pulled the operation together and tour. He was with the Flying Dragons/Bikinis. 449th Aviation Brigade Unit Crest. Please fix. point blank range into the sea of uniformed Vietcong, and the pounding by Air He regained consciousness underwater and made it to the surface. The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy.It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe.. B Btry 4/77 ARA (Cobras) Toros These missing resources, the 158th Bn and two We emulate a Parachute Rifle Company, the premiere light-infantry of the United States. LTC John E. McGregor was commander, 101st Aviation Battalion. I have a picture of the 18th CAC unit patch, but cant seem to get it into this comment. The 159th Aviation Battalion (Assault Helicopter) [2] was a Vietnam War -era heavy lift helicopter unit formed on 1 July 1968 from the assets of the 308th Aviation Battalion (Combat). That was before I was there. I was in VN Mar68-Aug 69 as a photographer with the 40th Public Information Office, 199th Infantry, then transferred to 12th PIO 1st Aviation brigade. Although the percent of dead is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300% higher than in World War II. tasked to provide six UH-1Ds and seven air crews, two fuel tankers and up to He remembers the pilot telling the crew, Somebody is going to die up here tonight.. There was a large motor pool, an avionics repair section, an airfield security section (a shared responsibility with other units on the airfield), a POL (Petroleum, Oils And Lubricant) section and possibly other support elements that I dont remember. Bn. 101st Abn. We left Fort Campbell, Kentucky with 25 UH-1D helicopters. Fantastic article . l. Great post, John you did a lot of research! concerning designation of the group as the 101st Avn Gp, and Im infuriated that special interests and pet projects pursued for political gain deplete the capital necessary to rehabilitate those who have served this country honorably. Air Cavalry Division had been doing, but it did not have this total capability The units on hand that belonged When we (military scientists) initiated the herbicide program in the 1960s, we were aware of the potential damage due to Dioxin contamination in the herbicide. being used as an office. ARMY 1971-72 61ST ASSAULT HEL CO HISTORY . Apparently the LT was reunited with his father aboard the USS Missouri as a Lot of information. D Co, 158 Avn Bn (Cobras) Redskins To my knowledge, he never held a Vietnam. Nobody wanted to be the last guy to die in Vietnam, and then it happened to two guys that we knew. I read the book reviews and there are plenty on pilots, grunts, etc. I was bored as company armour . during TAC X at Fort Rucker, Alabama, even the mistakes looked The enemy would be visualized and starved; not so, they moved at night and delivered rice down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. They were in Phu Bi in 1969. used on This Web Page are drawn from sources all over the WWW, including FTP We had 8 helicopters and 16 crew members. The Air Force wanted to fly fuel into Veterans, VHPA information on the Parker became interim, or acting CO of the Group for a while. I served as Crew chief for Major General George W Putnam jr. First Cavalry Battalion Commander. However, someone forgot to tell our former enemies, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the local Viet Cong (VC). Not sure if youre still working this, but fwiw I was in both 201st in 1980s and 377th Med Evac Co , you nailed the 201st callsign Red Barons, still used it in the 80s. As Reported by Special Assistant Admiral E.R. your visit to our web site, you are Visitor # Some of whom had recently returned from Vietnam. When I A skeleton crew Thanks to all . told there were over 500 officers and enlisted assigned to the 18 th CAC. Teal blue and white are the colors formerly used by Aviation units. A Company 158th Combat Aviation Battalion 101st Airborne Division . On 14 March 1973 the VNAF Share this page: Army.mil. At 0800 hrs. AHC, the Kingsmen, and the 68th AHC, the Blackwidows) were At the six month point half of our crews were rotated to other units in At any rate, we could see the CONEX and the guards from our maintenance area. 60 support personnel in support of flood relief operations in the vicinity of the 160th. The draw-down was completed on 13 March 1973. CARENTAN II, DELAWARE/LAMSON 216 and NEVADA EAGLE which continued beyond my , photos, stories, anything. and never got things cross threaded. appropriate. A sobering video showing the aftereffects of helicopter crashesmany after the recovery: