Where helicopters took center stage: Vietnam
This Vietnam story is with compliments from Kenneth Reeder. To sponsor an individual story, submit your idea to robertmford@aol.com.
Helicopters have always fascinated me.
Imagining the ability to hover and fly like a bird in the late 15th century, you would have to be a visionary genius.
Leonardo da Vinci designed his “aerial screw” centuries before engineers could use his drawings as the basic concept for developing the modern-day helicopter.
A lifetime ago, I was working with True Davis in the oil and gas business. True’s father had been the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, giving us credibility and access to big European money to invest in the United States.
Heading to Houston to meet with potential JV partners, they suggested I take the helicopter taxi service from the airport to their office.
“The top of our building is the taxi's second stop.”
Sounded good to me!
Getting there was a breeze and seeing the city from the air, fantastic. After listening to geology, I didn’t understand and a mediocre cold lunch, it was time to go back. This trip, the taxi was full.
As we struggled to lift off, the pilot hovered, then took the chopper to the end of the roof and dipped for a split-second, gaining speed, then quickly leveling out. In that second, I saw my dead grandfather! Trying to remain cool and not overreact, I was glad everything stayed inside.
The man seated across was wearing a wry grin, obviously seeing my rookie facial expressions, he yelled, “Pilot flew in Vietnam!”
The Vietnam War made billions of dollars for the helicopter industry, right technology, right place, right war.
Maneuvering troops by 'copter is the best and safest way to deploy in a jungle.
The Viet Cong were ferocious fighters. There is no more motivated army than one fighting on its own soil against a foreign invader, like the Confederates, the Russians in WWII or the Ukrainians today. Never underestimate an enemy that is backed into a corner with everything to lose.
There were a myriad types and sizes of helicopters that performed different duties. Along with transporting troops, smaller, faster 'copters were used in “search and destroy” missions.
OH-6A’s were small observation helicopters that would fly low and quiet over the jungle canopy, conducting reconnaissance in an effort to locate, analyze, and if able, direct trailing Cobras to the target.
These two-man choppers were so stealthy, they could locate smoke coming from the jungle, detecting where the enemy was cooking. Being so low many times seeing the enemy's eyes looking up with astonishment, then dropping a colored gas canister pinpointing the location for the Cobras to seconds later rake the area with horrific fire.
Many OH-6As would return from duty with branches and leaves from tree tops embedded in their landing skids.
In one such instance, 2 OH-6As were out on patrol with trailing Cobras when one discovered a group of Viet Cong crossing an old abandoned US Army base camp in the open. Some of the enemy scattered, but several raised their AK-47s and unloaded a barrage, striking the pilot and bringing down the craft.
Distress signals went out for the bigger Huey to rescue the wounded and now pinned-down crew. Scrambling to get on the scene from base camp, they estimated to be 15 minutes out. As the ditched and injured men took fire from the enemy now in the tree line. The other OH-6A, one of a few that had a 7.62mm mini-gun attached, decided now was the time to act, not waiting. Hopefully, they could lift their mates out of harm's way without being shot down themselves.
Weight was a concern; these were small crafts, with this one having the added heft of the gun and ammunition. The pilot unloaded as much covering fire as possible, 4,000 rounds per minute into the tree line, jettisoning weight and keeping enemy heads down.
Taking and now returning fire, the copter tried to land close to their downed buddies. Feet from the ground, their whirling blades whipped up an old roll of barbed wire left at the deserted base. Uncurling like a snake around the main propeller, then the rear prop, destroying the main shaft and bringing the ship crashing down yards from the other OH-6A.
Now both choppers and crew were on the ground taking fire as the Cobras took turns scraffing the tree line, trying to give the men as much cover and time as they could. Fire intensified as more of the enemy rallied to the fight.
The VC had to be salivating, 2 helicopters with crews down in the same spot. As the firefight escalated, the men were running out of ammunition and time…then they heard it.
The distinctive whoosh whoosh of the approaching Huey. With the support of the Cobras and the fearlessness of the Huey pilot. The rescuers landed and managed to extract their downed comrades.
Several crew members were shot up, but all survived.
There are a thousand similar stories coming out of Vietnam that many times go untold.
This War changed society and propelled the questioning of government action and inaction by citizens/voters like never before. For the first time, the media covered a conflict “live,” for all to see on the nightly news.
I remember friends coming back from the war, hearing their stories and becoming more and more disenchanted with what our government had gotten us into.
Next week, more on the men and women who served our country so gallantly in Vietnam.
My appreciation to Kevin Drewelow, Director of the Combat Air Museum in Topeka and the book Low Level Hell by Hugh Mills Jr.
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Bob Ford’s History will appear in each edition of the Midweek, Weekender and Corner Post. You can see more of Bob’s work on his website bobfordshistory.com and videos on YouTube, TikTok and Clapper. Donations are appreciated via Venmo @bobfordshistory.
