HHT 3/17th
Air Cav History
HHT's
Early History
Message #31.3
(From
Morris Miller's comments on the 3/17th Message Board)
We departed Fort Knox in late September
1967. I flew over with the advanced party but most came via ship. We arrived
three or four weeks ahead of the rest of the Squadron.
So I have no stories about the
boat ride. I spent my time waiting for the unit doing various details -- like
filling sand bags, setting up bunks, KP, and went on a night patrol. I also
went into Dian and picked up the KPs in the morning and returned them at
night.
I was happy to see my helicopter
but not so happy about the hours LTC Sinclair kept. The first two or three
months we had a sunrise departure and a sunset return -- I wasn't accustomed
that. We'd fly to various places, Cu Chi, Dao Tiang, etc. LTC Sinclair would
tell us his meeting should last about an hour and then he'd be gone for five or
six. So it would be just me and the CP (can't remember the name of our CW1)
staring at each other afraid to leave thinking our CO would be back any
minute.
I remember getting some wax so I
could polish the helicopter -- I'd seen other CC ships all nice and polished so
I thought I'd do the same. I made the mistake of asking if I could and was told
no -- the Colonel wants his ship to look a combat vehicle. I was later
criticized for not keeping a clean looking aircraft.
I really liked Colonel Sinclair --
I just got tired of all the people who thought they could do a better job
caring for his aircraft than I.
Message #33.2
(From
Morris Miller's comments on the 3/17th Message Board)
We left from Bowman Field in
Louisville on a charter flight -- a DC 9 but I don't remember the
carrier.
I probably got sent with the
advanced party because I was the CO's crew chief. Being one of the first to
arrive (in the Fall 1966 before we knew the name of our unit) had a lot to do
with my getting the RH 6 crew chief job. Also, WO1 Miller, the maintenance
officer, liked my name. Also, I flew with Mr. Miller from Texarkana (at the
Army Depot) and I could keep the aircraft level.
The night patrol was part of our
training. We weren't expected to make contact, but we did hear weapons fire,
they just wanted us to experience trying to stay awake laying on our
belly.
The ROC's were at Dian when we
arrived. Also the airfield was completed but I don't remember too much about
it. I seldom saw it in the daylight.
I ETS'd 24 Oct 68 -- I extended 20
days to get the 5 month drop. I wanted to be a pilot -- a civilian pilot.
Message #33.4
(From
Morris Miller's comments on the 3/17th Message Board)
I completed AIT (67A10 and 67N20
courses) and went straight to Fort Knox. I'm guessing I arrived around November
1, 1966.
We knew very little about the 3/17th
at the time -- not even the name of the unit. I think we'd heard the name
"Air Calvary" but all we knew was that we wouldn't be riding any
horses. We didn't have anything to do but we reported to the airfield everyday
anyway , mostly just to look at "our company plane" -- a CH34. They
never pulled it out of the hanger so I'm not sure it was airworthy. It should
have been safe to fly because I don't remember any of us having a tool
box.
Sometime after Christmas (I think)
we began to pick up a few pilots and more mechanics. One of the first pilots
was 1LT Moreno, a former WO1 and Vietnam Veteran pilot. Mr. Miller arrived
about the same time. He was a former enlisted man who went to flight
school.
Lt. Moreno was the company check
pilot. Initially, he checked out every pilot that came into the unit. Since
Army policy stated that the Crew Chief was a required crew member we got to fly
plenty. I should have counted the auto-rotations, but I was getting to fly
plenty.
Colonel Sinclair, Red Horse 6, was
a fixed-winged pilot. I'm not sure he had any rotorcraft experience when he
arrived -- must have had some, but he wasn't as good a helicopter pilot as the
rookies coming to us from Fort Rucker.
I think we were the first unit in
the Army to have the C and H model hueys. I don't remember seeing another B
model after leaving Fort Rucker. LTC Sinclair chose a C model for CC. I'm not
sure why, but I'm glad he did because I didn't like flying slicks -- formation
flying was too scary for me.
I have good memories of Fort Knox.
I joined the flying club and when I had a few extra dollars or could find
someone to pay for the rental of the airplane we'd fly around Kentucky. The
club had a Cessna 175 (a four-place aircraft with a 175 hp engine) which about
130 mph cruising speed.
Gold Finger had just came out when
I arrive at Fort Knox. I knew people who knew people (soldiers) who got play
soldiers in the movie. The hanger that kept our company plane is the hanger the
Jame Bond flew through.
Doctor Zhivago also premiered
while I was at Fort Knox. I saw the movie with a buddy -- can't think of his
name -- from Hawaii. We were both depressed after the movie so we went bowling
-- the only time in my life I ever broke 200 (scored 210).
When the OH6's came in we started
to get the picture of what our mission would be in Viet Nam. Air Calvary
started to make sense -- but the aircraft had some major problems. The fuel
control units would malfunction causing engine overspeed leading to engine
shutdown and autorotation. Nearly every occurance resulted in the aircraft
flipping over and rolling into a ball.
I think we lost a dozen or more
helicopters during the summer of 67 before we deployed. Fortunately we didn't
lose a single pilot but a couple had serious injuries.
We departed Bowan Field and changed planes at Travis. There we took a chartered 707. Our flight took us to Hickam (Hawaii), Guam and Ben Hoa. We bussed from Ben Hoa to Dian.
Message #31.1
(From
Morris Miller's comments on the 3/17th Message Board)
Larry Stott was our first
casualty. He died on field exercise in West Virginia in Spring 1967. His fuel
truck rolled off the side of the mountain. Also, I've been trying to remember
the name of the medic from HHT who died in the accident at Fort Knox in summer
of '67.
Three others died on May 22, 1968
at Tay Ninh West. I tell a little about that night in my site. I'd like to hear
from anyone who "was there". I'll never forget how lax we had become
thinking Tay Ninh was a holy city and would never be attacked. No one took
charge of the perimeter before May 22. The grass was 12 inches tall, the enemy
had worn a path between the wire and the bunkers -- first green tracers for me.
I remember wondering why some of the green tracers we going away from the
perimeter. The only enemy killed was the barber from the 187th AHC. We lost
three. We all learned a hard lesson about letting your guard down that night.
I'll never forget!
View Morris Miller's
tribute to his fallen friends in HHT
.
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