Contest Entry: Bud’s First Gunship And The Origin of the BoB

Via avordvet

I was living in Lai Khe, South Vietnam and working as a crew chief/door gunner on a Huey helicopter with an Army Assault Helicopter Company. I did this from January, 1966 to September, 1968.

In the words of one my pilots, years later, “it was the best we ever were.” . . .

I started out on slicks, the UH-1D which were used as the troop transports. I spent my first six months flying in formations of 5, 10, 20 and sometimes even more helicopters carrying troops into landing zones which resulted in frequently coming under fire.

Sometimes, a particularly highly motivated group of Viet Cong would have the landing zone pre-plotted for mortar fire which always resulted in some memorable moments of incredibly intense fear. It only took the sight of what happens to a helicopter when an 82mm mortar explodes alongside while it’s just touching down to learn that what we were doing was really scary.

But it did have its moments and we usually got to take a shower every night.
After six months of risking my life daily ferrying troops, I decided I really wanted to shoot back a lot more and I was allowed to transfer to the armed platoon in exchange for an additional six months in Vietnam. So, after six months in country, I only had eighteen months left in my twelve month tour.

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