...On the Side of My Chinook, just forward of My Window...I painted this Name along with a M-16 Rifle with a Bright Red Rose stuck in the Muzzle (as seen on a News Report of Protesters back in the World).
It was My privilege to Name My Ship (the) 'CAMBODIAN CLEARWATER REVIVAL'
Trying to Locate a Photo. A modification of a Rock Band Name CCR. Caused Many Pilots to Smile and Soldiers of My Generation to shoot Me the 'V' Peace Sign.
Just a few 'short' missions, not worthy of a Long Chapter.
(1)
...Many have heard of the phenomenon of Being 'Scared to Death', not so much that, as the Myth of being SO Scared that Ones' Hair turns White!! IT's NOT a Myth!! I am here to testify as a Witness to the Fact! Read On.
We were Ordered to the Cambodian Border, turned out, we were to Extract the Lone Survivor of a Viet-Cong (VC) Ambush. We were 'slow' to get there, a Huey Ship beat us, there. As we arrived and set down, Two Crewmembers were just bringing a Young Soldier, not yet 20, dressed in jungle fatigues, out of the Jungle-Line, and past My side of our ship...on a Stretcher! I got a Good Look at the Victim. He was Alive, but suffering in Shock. Odd, a Full head of Hair, No Hair-cut!? His Entire head of Hair was Pure White!! White as 'Driven SNOW'!
(2)
Another very odd 'Sortie' to Cambodia...was This for real?? In Flight to Cambodia, My ship is Empty, no supplies to deliver, Only a Single Person. To be dropped-off at a specific location. Not a Soldier? He was dressed...all I could see he was wearing was a 'Trench-Coat', NO Hat! He looked exactly like the Character of 'Inspector Gadget'! The Pilots found the drop-off point and landed, not 30 feet from the Edge of the Jungle. I lower the steps and the Man crawls out under My Gun-Mount, onto the ground and walks into the Jungle and Disappears. No Hat, NO Weapon that I could see. With his hands in both pockets, he is Gone! I never figured out what he was all about...A 'Secret Agent'. A Covert Operator. CIA. Special Ops? "Ours is Not the Reason why! Ours is but to Do Or Die". I never knew! I know he was NOT the Soldier who survived the VC Attack.
(3)
...again, we have just set down at Chu-Lai, our Staging Point for all Rescues. One of the pilots walks down and out off the ramp of our chinook. He was a 'New Guy' Lieutenant, must have enlisted 'for life' in order to qualify to go to Flight Training. He immediately spots a interesting device laying on the ground. It's the warhead of a 2.75" Rocket...Completely taken Apart! It is a type of anti-personnel. The warhead has a Proximity Fuse that causes it to Explode 10 Meters Above the Ground. It contains 2000 'Flechettes' wrapped in Two Bundles around an Explosive, I am Guessing C-4...and tied with String around each of 2 bundles lengthwise in a column. One of the strings had broken, and the Flechettes had spilled out over the concrete slab. The entire bundle was Caked with a RED Powder, for marking a Pilots Last Impact. A Flechett is...Imagine a Needle Sharp, Nail 1-1/2" Inches Long, Hardened and with 4 Fins Forged into the tail, forming an 'X'. These have been Known to Penetrate a Engine Block. The Flechettes had spilled out, covered with the Red Powder Dye and Beside the Fuse Head.
...Remember what I said previously about Booby Traps! This new guy Pilot was Kneeling down, he was going to Touch It, Pick it Up, Examine it...NOT on My Watch! Dumb Ass!
As a Spec-4, I Immediately ORDERED the Officer, Do Not touch it, get back and Away! He listened and learned something that may save his life. New in Country! He is going to have a Long Year ahead of him.
(4)
I wanted to find the picture of another net load of Explosives sitting on the Ground, there, waiting to be picked up by us. Getting the load on the hook, works like this. The Crewchiefs Job. As soon as I took the picture out of My Right Window, we have Lifted-Off and we are Hovering at approximately 12-15 feet, over the ground and to the load, in front of the ship and centered. I Hear the Pilot over the intercom..."Where's My Eyes?!" I am Late to My Posting. I Jump to it.
Laying flat on my belly peering just over the edge of the central 'Hole', facing forward. Looking Over the Hook and below the Nose of the Chinook, I Guide the Pilot with ONLY what He needs to Know!
Sir! I have the Load in sight.
Hover height is good, Man is On Load.
Come Forward 25 Feet, 20 Feet, 18, 15, 12, 10, 5 Feet, 3,2,1
HOLD Position! (the man standing ON the Load 'Slams' the 'Dough-Nut'* On the Hook, and Jumps off the load)
Load is On Hook...Load is On Hook.
Man is Off Load. You are Clear to Come UP!
Lines are coming Tight...Lines ARE Tight!
Load Breaks ground.
Load is Off Ground...1 Foot, 2 Feet, 3 Feet
You are Cleared for Forward Flight!!
* The dough-nut is made up of Many wrapped, 10 or more layers of 3" Wide Aramid Belts. it is about a foot in Diameter and 2"+ Thick. The reason for it, We Must Never have Metal to Metal, on the Hook! The net is square with a Line to each of 4 corners, All joined together at a Large Steel Clevis. The Dough-Nut separates the Clevis from the Hook.
(5)
Another Incident with 'The Hook'. We were warned in Training about 'the Hook-Up Man', who will think he is helping to align the ship with the dough-nut. He will actually Think He can PULL the Ship Closer, on his own! A Very Very BAD Idea!! This Other, one time it Happened! It is SO Noisy at the 'Hole', I cannot give a Verbal Warning to this young Inexperienced Soldier, who had NO Business hooking up ANY Load. I always wished I had a Sign Made up that Read....'DO NOT TOUCH HOOK!! 250,000 VOLTS!!'
That is correct, the (6) 27 Foot rotors, whipping through the Air, Will Charge the Ship with 'Static' Electricity, as a 'Graftenburg (sp?) Generator'. A Chinook can and will Store upwards of 250,000 VOLTS. And the Amperage of the Discharge, would be in the Milliamps. If I am correct on the Electrical Engineering. Back to the Hook-up Man...
...To My dismay, I am Guiding the Pilot and Ship forward, we are just about there, say, 2 Feet to go, when Mister 'Never done it before'!! Reaches Up and Grabs His Left Hand Around the Nice Polished Hook!
INSTANTLY, A Flash of 'Lightning', and I may have heard a 'Crack'! The young man is Knocked Back off His Ass 25 Feet!, onto his back, On the Ground! NO Exaggeration!!
The Load is STILL, Not On The Hook. I see a Helper, Help the Soldier Up off the Ground and lead him out of the scene with his Left ARM Dangling, Hanging DEAD by his side! He will Never be able to use that arm again for the rest of his Life!
"Hold Position!"
...Another Soldier appears, Scared 'To death', jumps up on the load, grabs the Dough-Nut, up and SLAMS/THROWS it onto the Hook, turns around, jumps off and gets the 'Hell Outta Dodge'. Good Job!
"Load is on Hook, Man is off Load, Sir, You are Clear to Come Up......"
I never told the Pilots what had transpired. I was Very Happy the Lightning did Not set OFF the Explosives!!
...Some folks inherit 'Star-Spangled-Eyes', 0oh, They send You Down to War, Lord! And When You ask 'em "How Much Should We Give?" OoH, They Only Answer "MORE MORE MORE!", Y'all
...It Ain't Me, It Ain't Me, I Ain't No Military Son...It Ain't Me, It Ain't Me, I Ain't No Fortunate Son. 'Creedence Clearwater Revival' CCR 'Fortunate Son' 1969
...200 Million Guns are Loaded, Satan Cries "They Came!!" 'Run Through the Jungle' CCR 1969
John Fogerty is a Vietnam Veteran, He was There.