Believe it or not the pilots were pretty mechanical when they got to Nam and everything was the "school solution" even if it sometimes did not make sense. The old heads taught us and the survivors made damned good pilots and mechanics.
Once, Maj Don Youngpeter (CO 545th) came in and saw me disassembling a fuel control for an L-11 engine. At that time, the books had blanks in them re the interior of the fuel control and the adjustments, it stressed a lot of it was "Depot level" (where the manufacturer charged the US army a flat rate of 16000 dollars per control to make them like like new). I had it apart and was looking at the mess of levers, cams and screws to determine exactly what each adjustment did. he was a bit upset until I told him the army neglected my education and they paid the same whether the fuel control was in pieces or fully assembled. I kept notes and put it back together and then contacted the engine rep and told him I intended to make an adjustment on a certain screw (I think it was "ground idle")that we were told to never touch, so I could correct a surging problem at top power. the tech rep said if I did, it needed to be "green run" on a load again. we did not have that equipment (it was at Depot back in the states). I was short of engines so I made the adjustments, grabbed a brave tech inspector, then flew the damned thing for an hour at high altitude, high power etc and signed if off. Never had anymore problems with that engine. I did that to engines for for two tours. after the war I attended engine factory schools and discussed my technique with the instructors. They said I really should have had a "water wheel load" to test it on. but the fact is, it worked. A case of not knowing but learning then passing it on to others and making it work in spite of the army training system. You are right about training in 1965 and 66. The army took 9 months in 1960 to school train a aircraft airframe mechanic. About the same length of time it took to train a pilot. At Ft. Eustis the students built a helicopter from parts. including fabrication of some sheet metal parts. But the expansion of force as a result of Nam greatly reduced that time. like early expansion inother wars ,we learned or died. I think the fact that you and so many of the others have been so successful shows the calibur of the young men selected for aircrew duty, either in the cockpit or in back. We were able to improvise and make it work. Army aviation today was built on the backs of you guys. I was a bit older than most of you, and had a bit more training and education. I tried to teach but mostly I learned on that first tour.