For some reason we do not have any history of 1968 to 1969. One of the things which I have been doing the past few years is put together some type of order to those years. The following is what happened in general during 1968.
The end of January 1968 brought to an end our tour at FOB II with SOG missions over the fence in Cambodia and Loas. We jumped right into TET and spent the next month dealing with that. The start of Febuary we again took up our primary mission of supporting the 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry at Dak To. Because of mission requirements any extra ships we had were farmed out to support units once the primary mission was taken care of. Artillery units were the first to receive support. At times we were also sent to help fill support needs of the other brigades of the 4th if the primary support helicopter company was unable to fill the needed amount of ships.
Febuary, March and April were spent doing combat assaults in the tri-border area and many LRRP team operations. Enemy activity damaged several ships and caused the loss of three slicks. Even resupply of the firebases proofed to be hazardous for many of our ships.
May and June saw the arrivial of the 101st ABN into the Dak To, Dak Peck area. For the next sixty days we continued combat assaults in the tri-border area. During May we lost one gunship to enemy fire during a LRRP extraction near Ben Het.
Because of the monsoon season being at its worst in July, the second week of the month part of the company is sent to the coast just north of Nha Trang and work with the ARVINs. Large twenty ship LZs and some time off at the beach is a welcome change from Dak To. After ten days we return to Holloway to begin another tour with SOG.
August and September which is the end of the monsoon season finds us working Alpha and Bravo missions. Alpha being Loas. Bravo being Cambodia. The flight platoons trade each week to become familar with both operations. During this time several ships are damaged but none loss.
Oct. finds us back at Dak To and most of us are pulling three and four day RONs. The brass has decided to get the most time possible out of the ships during day light. They gain about two extra hours a day from each ship that remains over night. During this time between Oct. and Nov. several ships are damaged and we loss four slicks. The middle of Nov. also sees the arrivial of units from the second brigade of the 4th Infantry arrive from Ban Me Truot. We are tasked with helping the 170th AHC to get the units of this brigade deployed into firebases west of Kontum in the northern ridgelines of the Plei-Trap valley.
Dec. finds part of the company again TDY to the coast. This time we are at Lane Army Airfield and supporting the ROKs north of Qui Nhon. During this time several replacement ships are brought into the company and also new faces start to fill the ranks of the flight platoons. The time spent is used as training in a not so hostile area for the newer crews. The Christmas truce finds part of the company moving into the new company area which was built near the X-Mas tree on the other side of Holloway. We say good-by to our old company area as the New Year begins.