Camp Holloway Discussion Forum Archive 05 - 02/12/06 to 01/21/10

Re: Hotel 9
In Response To: Re: Hotel 9 ()

I learned quite a bit from Jr. He was the smoothest pilot that I flew with in that country and he taught me to respect the power in the aircraft and to not spill the rotor capability by moving the cyclic too much.

My first mission across the county line was with Jr., I was exchanged at Dak To, cause Jr's co-pilot had the runs or something so I got to go with him. As we headed West out of Dak To, he was pointing things out to me, the road, Bien Hept, and the end or the road at the French Fort. About four or five minutes after we ran out of road, he announced to me that we were just South of the Laotion border, and that we had crossed the county line at the French Fort. We kept going West from there. Things went down hill from there. We were the bird that was supposed to pick up the team on the ground. We circled for what seemed like an eternity with me on the Dark side of the activity, and then we started to decend. Jr. told me to get close to the controls, but not to touch them unless he got killed, if that happened it was my job to get back to Dak To. As we continued the decent I was told to use the foot mike if I had to say anything. Junior reported the LZ in site, of course being fresh from the world, an LZ is about one football field wide and about eight fields in length, and of course my first comment was, "I don't see the LZ". Jr. told me to just shut up and watch the gages and to keep an eye on him. I spoke again and he said shut up (again). Then this huge tree passed my window, I spoke, Jr. said shut up again. Then there were trees on both sides of us and we were flying down a little valley, I still didn't see the LZ. Jr. came to a hover above some tall grass and started to settle down. The grass bent over and we continued to go down till I thought that the blades were going to start hitting the grass (Tall stuff that elephant grass). Then the aircraft jolted to the left, I looked back and there was a little oriental guy climbing into the aircraft, next came a rasping sound and a large thump on my aircraft seat. The kid was petrified and now watching Jr and the gages too scared to join in the rapid conversation between Jr and the Crewchief and Door Gunner. Then a large OD plastic bag was dragged into the floor of the aircraft, rapidly followed by five more people. When I looked back the CE was standing on the skid with one hand on the sissy pole. The next thing i saw and heard was "We got em, can I get him" and Jr said "Yea". Seconds later there was something bouncing all over me and since I had never heard a machine gun being fired from an aircraft in flight, I was petrified by the noise. Suddenly something started stinging on my back, and I started shouting "I'm Hit", the sitinging continued as I jumped in the seat, then it started stinging at my lower back on the right side, I knew that I was dead or dying, and I was screaming. By the time that we had reached an altitude above the surrounding terrain, I saw Jr. laughing, and so were the rest of the people in the aircraft. The piece of hot brass that went down my neck left a couple of burn marks on my back for years.

I learned a lot from that flight, but I learned a lot more from Jr. in the next couple of months. I give credit to him, John Carrigan, and Animal for being my mentors and teachers. I learned more from those men than I did from any others. Jr. was special, I think that I flew with him the most.

I too miss Junior, he was a great man, I just wish that I could have known him here in the states.

Dave

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