The first time they used a daisy cutter in our area we tried to make an assault as soon as the dust cleared. The crater was big enough to make it almost impossible to land. The ground was so hot that the boots of the grunts started to melt. After that first RF we would wait 24 hrs before using those landing zones.

In 1969 the 57th AHC were assigned to FOB II for the better part of the year. Our tour with them was suppose to start in May but by the time we got out of the Plei-Trap we were pretty beat up. Then the 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry moved to An Khe and we followed soon afterward. During most of the inserations we tried being quiet about it. Didn't prep the landing zones. Just drop the guys in and away we go. We did one drop off in Cambodia. Guys went down the ropes. We pulled the ropes up and no soon started to leave and they were on the horn. It seems we dropped them right into the middle of some type of truck park. Lots of bad guys. Some real good Intel that day. Coming out was a different story. Seems like they were always in trouble and it was always getting dark or was dark. Spent many a trip watching the strobe lights of our passengers flashing as they were swinging two hundred feet below the ship as we headed back to Kontum.