** Now Cambodia was a different story. **

You were probably there when the ARVNs blew up 834 in an lz, Dennis?

That was my ship. Another crew rolled it in an lz, I think in Happy Valley, when I was on r&r in May 69. Tail rotor strike that turned uglier fast, I think. I came back from r&r I was short and since the ship was gone they broke up our crew. I ended up flying my last 6 or 7 weeks with cherry ACs and gunners; I just knew I was gonna die stupid somewhere and almost did. The bastids wuz sending us into Dak To and Ben Het when I had less than 2 weeks left, and they were heating up pretty good about then. I think it was Ben Het they shot down at you from a mountaintop on yer way in, you couldn't elevate enough to shoot back without hitting the main rotor.

Anyway, 834 was back when Mixer arrived in Sep or Oct. Then a couple of years ago I heard that the ARVNs blew the damn tail boom off with a 105 round in an lz somewhere west of Duc Co.

Almost like losing a pal.

Bob