the june 2010 issue of "the swash plate"--volume 5, issue 6

Issue #: [Date]

•“Remembering…” byRickRoll•“Pilots,WOCsTrainTogether” byEmilyBrainard•“DearLou…” byCWOJohnD.Sarviss•“Blaise‘N’aTrail” byCW3MichaelClarke•“TaipanJoe—FlyinginVietnam” byJoeRalph•“ArmyAircrews.com” byKevinAllen

Presenting!

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Howdy Y’all! Well, we’ve got another month down and plenty going on. We should have the final touches completed any day now for our New Orleans convention! It is shaping up to be a great time! If you haven’t experienced our after-hour lie-telling sessions, (um, I mean hospitality suites), then consider this my personal invitation for you to come drink all my alcohol! Haha! In all seriousness, I really hope to see each of you in New Orleans!! Meanwhile! It is important that you make your reservations now for the CHPA annual meeting at St. Christopher’s, because the deadline for the CHPA special rate is August 23rd. Remember, this is a Saint’s home-game weekend, so the Big Easy will definitely be buzzing. Call 800.645.9312 or email [email protected] to square away your reservation. Oh and, invite a friend! By now, many of you have heard of the passing of CHPA member and Army Aviation legend, Louis J. “Rocket” Rochat, Jr. Lou will be missed greatly! Later in this issue, we have included a tribute to Lou, as well as information on how friends can donate through CHPA to a fund established to defray funeral expenses for the Rochat Family. Rest in peace, Lou. Before I get any farther, special thanks for renewing your membership! We really appreciate your support, and it saves us a ton of work when our members lean forward in the saddle and get their renewals in. Also, many of you have recommended CHPA to your friends and buddies, and that means so much to all of us! Please continue to reach out to others and spread the word about CHPA. You can do this by forwarding your issue of The Swash Plate or you can go to www.chpa-us.org and use the handy “Tell Your Friends” tool. We keep track of how many people are referred and by whom. I think super-member, Larry Shatto, is the man to beat right now! Haha! The VHPA Reunion in San Diego is right around the corner: June 30th to July 5th. Please make a point to come by and say hello to the CHPA crew and be sure to bring a friend! I’ll go ahead and throw out a personal challenge while I’m at it: The person who refers the

June2010CHPAPresident

Sponsor CHPA!

HaveyouconsideredsponsoringCHPA’sprograms?

Youmaymaketax‐freedonationstosupporttheBlaise‘N’aTrailForEducationScholarshipProgram,HolidayBoxesForTheTroops,ortheassociation.

ForfurtherinformationpleasevisitSponsorshipatwww.chpa‐us.org.

Thank You!

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Volume 5, Issue 6 CHPA • The Swash Plate

Reunions and Gatherings …

The1‐24thAHBVipersarehavingareunionOctober15th‐17th,2010inSavannah,[email protected].

most friends will walk away with one of our coveted CHPA hats! Woo-hoo! Recruit away!

In fact … why stop there? Think you have what it takes to beat Larry? The next member to recruit five additional members can have their choice of something from our CHPA store!

I’m still down here in the Gulf Coast region, flying in support of the oil spill response. Despite the serious nature of this disaster, I have to admit I’m really enjoying the missions and seeing the beautiful Louisiana wetlands and coastal region. It is great to see the Gulf Coast community come together once again in the face of adversity. If for some reason you are trying to get in touch with me, be patient. The days are sometimes long and the cell-phone service sporadic!

Thanks again for all the fantastic suggestions and emails! We are always looking for ways to make a difference! We love hearing from our members, and if you have questions, concerns, or ideas on how to make CHPA better, we’re definitely interested! Duty • Honor • Courage -Lori.

CHPA President, Lori Gaff, flying in support of Operation Deepwater Horizon oil spill respons, on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

Does your group have a reunion coming up soon? Let us know and we’ll mention it here!

If you will be attending the VHPAreunion,stopbyourboothforavisit.We’d love to have you drop by toshakehandsandletusknowifthere’sanythingwecandotomakeyourorganizationbetter.Remember!TherewillbeaCHPAcapawardedtothepersonwhorecruitsthe most members, and let’s face it — VHPA is a very target‐richenvironment!Thanks to Chairman of the Board, Jay Brown, and CHPA Director, RustyBourgoyneandhislovelywife,Lynn,forsupportingtheCHPApresence!

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“Platypus” of helos. It’s as ugly as sin, has a T-53 turbine, no tail rotor, and, believe it or not, sports wooden rotor blades. No swash plate or pitch change links at the hub for this baby either. A control rod runs down the center of each blade and actuates a small aileron attached to the trailing edge of each blade to control blade pitch, cyclically and collectively. I’m sure glad the Army didn’t buy any.

We have over 30 restored warbirds on display at the museum plus a lot of other really interesting exhibits. If you ever travel in this vicinity, please contact me and it will be my pleasure to provide you with a personalized tour of our fine facility that serves, especially during the Memorial Day weekend, as an opportunity to remember those from all wars and branches of the service that served our beloved Country so gallantly and selflessly.

Keep your rotors in the green and best regards, Rick Roll CHPA Director

One of the great things about retirement is the opportunity to do exactly what I want and when I want to do it. Golf is great exercise and a mental and physical challenge, but my volunteer work at the Air Mobility Command Museum, www.amcmuseum.org, at nearby Dover Air Force Base is what I enjoy the most. It is a way for me to personally remember my comrades who didn’t make it home from Vietnam.

At the museum, I recently had the opportunity to appear on camera and narrate a brief segment that later aired on our local television station over Memorial Day weekend. You can see the segment by accessing the website: http://www.whyy.org/news/first.html and then clicking on “Restoring History.” This was my first opportunity to publicly express my love and appreciation for the more than 2,700 brave fellow helicopter pilots who lost their lives in that terrible war so many years ago.

Although the museum is funded by and dedicated to the USAF, it has one Army helo on display though it’s painted in Air Force colors. It’s a UH-1H, SN 69-15475, and my research disclosed that it was flown by the 201st AHC out of Nha Trang from 1970-1973. I’m hoping to assemble a restoration team and restore it to its U.S. Army paint configuration as soon as possible.

The only other helo we have on display is a HH-43B which is, in my honest opinion, the

Give Back! Do you have a special skill or ability that you could share with CHPA? We are always on the lookout formembers who are interested in pitching in here and there or lending a hand on special committees.Photographers,editors,organizers,networkers,computerorweb‐savvyindividualsarejustafewofthepeoplewearelookingtotapfor“specialmissions!”

Drop us a line at admin@chpa‐us.org if you are interested in getting involvedwith CHPA projects! We arelookingforwardtohearingfromyou!

[GetInvolved!]

RememberingtheHelicopterPilotsWhoDidn’tMakeitHomefromVietnamRickRoll

Retired Army Aviator and CHPA Director, Rick Roll

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St. Bernard, LA – A Louisiana National Guard, UH-60 Black Hawk provided Governor Bobby Jindal and local officials flyover support near the Chandeleur Islands to view the oil spill and the containment operations around the islands on May 7th, 2010. (U.S. Air Force Photo by MSgt. Toby M. Valadie, Louisiana National Guard State Public Affairs Office/Released)

Morgan City, LA – Louisiana National Guard's UH-60 Black Hawk provided flyover support to Governor Bobby Jindal and local officials to view the oil spill and the containment operations on May 13th, 2010. (U.S. Air Force Photo by MSgt. Toby M. Valadie, Louisiana National Guard State Public Affairs Office/Released)

Pleasefeelfreetoforwardthisissueof“TheSwashPlate”toyourcolleagues,potentialmembers,andotherinterestedparties!

As the crisis on the Gulfintensifies, the Louisiana NationalGuard has been joined by aviationassets from several other states.Louisiana’sStateAviationcommandextended the call for help throughthe Emergency ManagementAssistance Compact (EMAC). Fouradditional Black Hawks and twoChinookswereaddedtothefighttoprotectLouisiana’sfragilewetlands.

These National Guard unitshave seen multiple combat toursoverseas in support of the GlobalWaronTerrorism.

Share the Swash!

A Louisiana Army National Guard Soldier watches a Black Hawk helicopter drop a cluster of three sand bags, each weighing between 1,500 to 4,000 pounds, on one of the several gaps on Pelican Island, south of Venice, LA. Guard Soldiers from around the U.S. are joining Soldiers on the Gulf Coast to combat the oil spill. Special thanks to the Louisiana National Guard for permission to reprint these photos!

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CH-47 Chinook pilots dropped off dozens of Warrant Officer Candidates at Tactical Training Base Freedom Tuesday as part of the new “WOC Freedom” joint training effort.

The budding exercise is conducted by Flight School XXI instructors, Chinook student-pilots and Warrant Officer Candidates.

“They’re getting real-world experience. This is how the mission is (in Iraq and Afghanistan). This is as real as we can make it,” said CW4 Sam Baker, B Company, 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment executive officer.

WOC classes act as infantry-like units, allowing student-pilots to plan picking up, transporting and dropping off troops, Baker said. This simulates what pilots will be performing in combat as well as allowing WOCs to maneuver around post to get to their necessary training locations.

Instructors flew the mission earlier this week that students helped plan and will soon take over flying the missions themselves, Baker noted.

A week’s worth of planning, coordination and meetings takes place leading up to the actual mission execution, he said. WOCs explain to flight school students what support their classes require, and student-pilots determine how to best conduct it. Because of the

detailed planning required, all parties involved gain leadership and tactical experience, Baker said.

“We try to give them the best support possible,” he said.

Every Chinook student-pilot will participate in these future missions. Training is scheduled to be conducted within the first month of each CH-47 FSXII course, Baker said. Students must still maintain regular academics and

flight time during the weeklong segment. This adds extra responsibilities on students because another unit is counting on them to make training a success.

Some Warrant Officer Career College instructors said they find this up-and-coming training useful to their candidates and are grateful for its implementation.

“In a combat environment, your main mode of transportation is air, especially in Afghanistan. (WOC Freedom) incorporates

the real-world environment into training. You should train as you fight,” said CW3 Michael Noerr, a WOCS training, advising and counseling officer.

He noted every candidate will be going through the joint training exercise during their third or fifth weeks here, depending on which warrant officer course they’re attending.

After WOC class 10-13 members were dropped off at TTB Freedom Tuesday, they began their weeklong field training exercise, including warrior tasks, battle drills, urban operations and more, according to class historian WOC Karl Kelly, from Ewing, NJ. He said he believes the combined effort benefits everyone involved.

“It’s an excellent operation for flight school students and warrant officer candidates,” Kelly said. “It gives pilots a chance to participate in live training exercises using candidates. For candidates, it provides a jump into leadership and breaks up regular training.”

As a former sergeant and UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief, WOC Dallas Garza, from Fort Leonard Wood, MO, said he was especially excited to work with the student-pilots. He plans to attend flight school after graduation and said the joint training helps him

Pilots,WOCsTrainTogetherEmilyBrainard—FortRuckerArmyFlierStaffWriter

Continued on Page 6

“In a combat environment your main mode of transportation is air, especially in Afghanistan.”

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The Swash! We hope you enjoy your newsletter! We work to find articles of interest for our very diverse membership ranging from human interest to humor, and wonderful war stories of helicopter pilots and crewmembers’ and their “daring do.” Our most entertaining and informative stories come from you, our membership. If you have an idea for an article, or if you have an article you’d like to submit, it’s as easy as emailing us. The story can be about anything from flight school to real life, TINS, or there-I-was stories. We’ve published several stories over the years ranging from tales of flight school a long, long time ago to real life “war stories” that we’re sure most of you can identify with.

We look forward to hearing from you so, take a moment to lay fingers on keyboard or just put pen to paper and send in those stories. You can email them to [email protected] or through the U.S. Post Office to:

CHPA • PO Box 15852 • Washington, DC 20003

[CallForArticles]

integrate into life here. He assisted with the coordination and organization of the exercise for his class.

“It’s a good feeling to know I’m giving them this learning experience,” he said. “This is how we fight today. It’s a great way to learn and train how we fight.”

Transforming from a noncommissioned officer to warrant officer gives Garza new responsibilities, which he said he eagerly awaits. He added this training helps him prepare for his upcoming leadership roles.

“As a crew chief, I followed orders,” he said. “Now, as a (future) warrant officer, I implement (plans) as a leader.”

WOC Katrina Jones, from Pennington, AL, said she appreciated the training because she works in human resources and doesn’t often get to interact with pilots or perform on-the-ground training. Field training helps her brush up on skills she doesn’t use frequently.

“It’s preparing us if we go out to war,” she said. “Now we know the techniques. If (certain situations) come across us again, I can help someone else who’s never done it before.”

A CH-47 Chinook flies over Tactical Training Base Freedom Tuesday as warrant officer candidates conduct field training. CH-47 pilots dropped off students during “WOC Freedom.” Photo by Emily Brainard.

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Dear Lou,

I received a phone call from Ann yesterday saying you had passed away. Well Lou, I just can’t find it in my soul to believe that.

Yet, I knew it before it happened. You know how we would always say to one another when you or I called, “I was just about to call you … ” Premonitions, I guess. Perhaps clairvoyant...

I have only been back home three weeks from seeing you. You were in and out of consciousness, but you knew the minute I walked in. You even mustered enough strength to talk for a few brief moments and asked how I was doing with my injuries. The nerve of you!

Ann had called four weeks ago to say you wanted to see me before you left. I dropped what I was doing, took a week’s leave, and drove from LA to San Antonio almost non-stop. That was the pact that we had from day one. No one gets left behind. Not ever.

You had two favorite quotes that you used. “Bury the dead; they only smell up the place” and “Opera non Verba” (Deeds, not words).

I think I’ll address your life’s quotes individually.

You see, number one, you’re not dead. You’ve only beat some of us to the punch once again. Bodies are only vehicles on earth to give tangibility to mere mortals to

DearLou…CWOJohnSarviss

Continued on Page 8

convey and cement their true intentions in life into eternity. It’s a test. You live a good life, do good by others … you get a good eternity. It’s that simple. When you pass the tests, you get chosen. It, this thing we know as life, had to be put into a tangible context that we could comprehend.

You were tested more than anyone I know. Loss of a father at an early age, nearly mortally wounded in combat; putting your own life at risk to help save Steve Ellis and his crew from certain death and flying his crippled Loach back to Lai Khe. That’s one of only a few that I can think of. I need not mention the 44 surgeries, years with prosthetic difficulties, wheelchairs and the like. For you, you handled that in stride.

Humor during times of imminent danger seemed to be a forte of yours. Like the time we had the hydraulics failure in the Huey and you looked at me and said, “You got it, Bud.”

Thanks, Pal. I needed that.

You said after I landed, “That’s the most perfect landing I have ever seen.” I have to be honest Lou. It was either Luck or Divine Providence. All I did was raise the nose a few degrees and lower the collective a bit and add a touch of right pedal. The controls locked up right after I did that. You and I were just ballast at that point.

We touched down, ran

about two skid lengths, slightly rocked up on the toes of the skids and as I was rolling off the throttle and it rocked back gently on the heels. I said “Cool it off; let me see what the hell just happened.” I jumped out, ran back and shimmied up the hell hole. Then the farmer (whose backyard we landed in) came out of his house, saw my legs sticking out of the bottom of the helicopter and he ran over and asked you if you landed on someone and you said “Yuuup.”

We laughed for years about that. Laughed ‘til we cried. I’m still laughing, Lou.

So on to number two. “Deeds, not words.” Opera non Verba.

Hmmm … Doing what you say you’re going to do instead of endless dialogue. Oh, if only the world and its “Leaders” could pay attention to that mantra and live the life, walk the walk, and talk the talk. Good deeds without

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ulterior motives. They say mismanagement and corruption starts at the top. ‘Nuff said about that. Pay it forward works. They just don’t get it.

The world would be a different place then, huh?

Well it is a different place without you. There’s a void that can’t be filled.

CAV, Buddy, plain and simple. We can’t change it, so FIDO. That’s how we roll …

When you came home from the hospital, you said to your wife, “Ann, I’ve done all they’ve asked me to, and Honey, I don’t know what else to do.” Well, Lou, there wasn’t anything else.

You met the challenges with grace and dignity and I am one of the world’s fortunate few to share with you our challenges of surviving and coming back from LOH-crumpled messes and metallic tastes in the back our mouths from being scared to death but never admitting it. Those who’ve been there know what I mean. Those that haven’t, never will.

Now if you don’t mind, I must run along, for I must work on my own challenges and tests in life.

I only ask just one last favor, Lou. May I share this with the world?

Thanks, Bud. I knew you’d understand.

Standing on the Edge

of Forever with you, CWO John D. Sarviss

Louis James Rochat III UNIVERSAL CITY, TX — Louis James Rochat III, 60, retired CW3UnitedStatesArmy,diedMay29th,2010. His interment is9amTuesday, August 31st, at ArlingtonNational Cemetery in Virginia.Hewillbelaidtorestwithfullmilitaryhonors. HewasbornJuly20th,1949,atFortKnox,KY,inamilitaryhospitaltopost‐WorldWarIImilitary,DepressionEra‐experiencedparents.HewasthefirstsonandoldestsiblingofLTCLouisJames(Rocky)Rochat,Jr.andHermia(Johnnie)TylerJohnson.

HisparentscouldnotmakeitbacktoTexasintimeforhisbirth but he considered San Saba, Texas, home, where hisgrandparents, Louis James (Gaga) Rochat, Sr. and Linnie (Mimi)Floyce Taylor owned and worked a ranch and farm unit that hedearlyloved.HislittlebrotherisretiredArmyLTCLarryLeeRochat(an Airborne Ranger and aviator) and his sister, Mary MadelynRochat.

Louis is survived by the love of his life for 33 years, Ann;twodaughters,AmyHuffandCelenaHendrix,andtwosons‐in‐law,James Huff and Michael Hendrix; and grandchildren, McKenna(LittleMiss)Huff.CadeHuff,TristanandGabriellaHendrix.

CHPAhasonceagainestablishedafundfortheRochatfamilytohelpcoverthecostsassociatedwithintermentexpenses.

If you'd like to donate youmay do so by contacting CHPA at800.832.5144oryoucansendacheckmadeouttoCHPAwith“RochatFuneral”inthememofieldto:

CHPA•POBox15852•Washington,DC20003

All donations will be used to help the Rochat family defrayfuneralexpensesandaretaxdeductible.

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August 5th, 2005: The graveyard was cool and quiet in the early morning sun, just the way they are supposed to be, I guess. It was the small town of Shelbyville, MO, where five faithful riders, and a few others, came together at the burial site of a fallen warrior, friend, husband, and son. Just before us lay the remains of CW2 Michael T. Blaise of the 101st AB, 2/17 CAV, who lost his life when his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior crashed near Mosul, Iraq in what seemed like such a short time before, on January 23rd, 2004. We were there to pick Mike up, and take him to Sturgis.

As we stood around his place of rest, each of us was fighting our own demons, and our own battles, but many of them were the same. We had come together as friends and strangers, with a common bond: To honor and remember our fallen and to come to terms with the loss that each of us felt. Although this is where the trip began, it was not the beginning. Just a short time after his death, Mike’s good friend CW2 C.D. Foster decided we were going to ride to Sturgis, and we were going to pick up Mike on the way to take him with us. He and Mike had talked about one day going together in between deployments and hardship tours, and C.D. was not going to let him down. Among those five riders were Mike’s father Terry Blaise, who rode Mike’s Springer Softail,

Blaise‘N’aTrailCW3WilliamMichaelClarke

Continued on Page 10

and his widow, CPT Kate Blaise, who had just completed a book about their lives together entitled, “The Heart of a Soldier,” and who also rode her own Softail Standard.

On this first trip, we packed a lot into a few days. We traveled through the pioneer countryside of Nebraska and up through Bad Lands National Forest with our final destination and meeting place in Sturgis, SD. We spent four nights there camping under the stars and spending the days riding through Black Hills National Forest where we viewed the Crazy Horse monument, Mount Rushmore and also took time to visit Devil’s Tower, WY. The scenery was spectacular and being on the highway with thousands of other bikers was an amazing experience.

There was a lot of healing that took place on this trip. I believe that for most of the people involved, it can only be described as a “Spiritual Experience.” We had participants from a few different states, and from all walks of life. We were all-weather road warriors, rain or shine, from temperatures of 55 to 109. Through it all, I believe that each of us would agree on this: It was not where we came from, what we did for a living, or even the sights that we saw. What made this a “Spiritual Journey” was the Purpose, the People, and God!

Since the publication of

the above article in the 2006 edition of Rolling Thunder magazine, we have continued the tradition of honoring our fallen.

In 2006, as you might have guessed, we rode to Washington DC for Rolling Thunder in honor of CW4 Matt Salter. Matt lost his life while flying an Apache in Iraq on December 26th, 2005. We rode with Matt’s brother-in-law, some of his close friends, and believe it or not — they brought Matt (that’s another story).

In 2007, we rode to Daytona Beach, FL for Bike Week in honor of CPT Matt Mattingly who was shot by small arms fire while flying his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior outside of Mosul, Iraq on September 13th, 2006. Matt’s fiancé, Alicia, and her father Mike rode with us that year.

In 2008, we rode to Milwaukee, WI for the 105th anniversary of Harley-Davidson and the opening of their museum. We rode in

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honor of CW3 Dave Stanley, who lost his life while flying his UH-60 Black Hawk over north Alabama. Dave’s wife, Kristy, braved a whole new world, with a group of people she did not know at all. We picked her up in Clarksville, TN, and she rode most of the way to Milwaukee. Several of our riders had the honor of carrying their two sons, Tyler and McGwire for a short ride in the morning as we left Clarksville.

In May 2009, we rode to Branson, MO, for their 8th Annual Motorcycle Rally. This was the first year that we rode in honor of a National Guardsman, CW3 Brady Rudolf. Brady was on his third deployment when he lost his life in Iraq, while flying his CH-47 Chinook. His widow joined us on the ride along with many other family members and friends of the crew of Brady’s aircraft.

EVERY year we will continue, by riding to a different location to honor those who have given of themselves in the service of their country, and more specifically, an aircrew

member who has sacrificed his or her life in the name of freedom. If you are a patriot, you are welcome to join us. Meet us in

Shelbyville, MO each year at Mike Blaise’s resting place or meet us at the

resting place of any of the service members that we are honoring, or have honored in previous years. Or simply ride straight to our destination and meet us there. Trailer your bike (we’ll probably give you a hard time, but it’s really okay). Find a group near you and ride with them all the way, or give them some extra company for part of their trip. We welcome anyone’s participation in whatever capacity they are able. In closing, I am proud to introduce to you the soldier we have chosen to honor in 2010 as we BLAISE A TRAIL to the Niangua River, MO. CW2 Earl R. “Scotty” Scott III was born on December 24th, 1984 to Earl Scott, Jr. and Sandra Lee Scott.

From a young age Scotty loved to fly and always dreamed of being a pilot. He loved the freedom of the air and translated that into a love of motorcycles when he found himself on the ground. Earl was on his second tour of duty in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom when his OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Helicopter

crashed on November 8th, 2009 in Tikrit, Iraq. He is survived by his parents and one brother, William Scott, all of Jacksonville, FL.

We hope that you will join us in honoring our fallen this year, or in the years to come. For more information visit the Combat Helicopter Pilots Association (CHPA) website at www.chpa-us.org, or feel free to contact us at [email protected].

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

BLAISE ON SCOTTY!!!

The first trip to Sturgis in 2005. For more pictures like this visit www.blaisenatrail.com

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When the news of a crash or shoot down is heard, it has become a sad tradition amongst Army aviators to patiently wait for the identities of our fallen. In the past, the wait for details or even just the names of the victims could be lengthy.

But in recent years, word of a new website devoted to memorializing our Army aviation fallen has made the rounds. Nowadays, the website ArmyAircrews.com is the first place most people check when tragedy strikes.

Here is the story of Kevin Allen and how his website, ArmyAircrews.com, came about.

My stint in Army aviation was short, serving only four and a half years, all stationed at Fort Hood, TX. I departed the Army shortly after the stop/loss was lifted in 1991. I maintained contact with several comrades from my unit. In 1995, I received a call from one of my friends that my former roommate was killed in an Army aviation accident. I wanted to find out more information about the accident and was not very productive in my search. Eventually I found some information, but it was too vague to satisfy my curiosity.

I began searching the internet for any Army aviation accidents and began making notes and copies of the news clippings on the ones that I

ArmyAircrews.comKevinAllen

could find. Sometime in 1997, I began compiling the information by the accident date, airframe type and names of the victim(s).

While searching I also found that there was not a good central website for the information I was looking for, excepting the period of the Vietnam War. This gave me the idea to start a website strictly for Army aviation accidents, since I was certain that I would not be the only person who may be looking for similar type information. I thought that not only would the website serve as a research and reference tool, it would also serve the purpose as a memorial to those individuals who gave their lives while serving their country.

While maintaining the website and exhaustive research is sometimes cumbersome, I feel compelled to continue with the project. I have received information not only from friends and families of the victims, but from some survivors as well. It is sometimes difficult to respond to the families and close friends of some of those individuals listed, but it is important that people remember them for the sacrifice they paid.

CHPA’s Corporate Sponsors

•MarpatAviation

•RobertsonAviation

•GreaterLasVegasPropertyManagement

•M1SupportServices

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Thank You Sponsors!

I continue to dedicate ArmyAicrews.com to my two friends, Joel Meints and Kevin Jenkins, whose deaths inspired me to develop the website.

Photo taken June 1989 at Hood AAF in front of UH-1H #704

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George Edward (Joe)Ralph, hails from Australia(near the Sydney suburb, ofRedfern) and he joined theAustralianNavyinJuneof1964.Later he spent a year flying inVietnamwith the 135thAssaultHelicopter Company as a doorgunner and a crew chief onslicks, and later he crewed onthe Huey gunships, known asTaipans.

The ExperimentalMilitary Unit (EMU) was acompanysized, helicopterassaultforce,createdwhenJoe’sunit, (formed as the RoyalAustralian Navy HelicopterFlightVietnamorRANHFV)wasincorporated into the U.S.Army’s135thAssaultHelicopterCompany. In 1969, Joe’sRANHFVunitconsistedofpilotsandaircrafttechnicalpersonnel,andwasleadbyLtCdr Farthing.Two units ofRANHFV hadalreadygonetoVietnam. Thefollowing isexcerpted fromsome of Joe’swritings abouthis experiences while trainingandflyinginVietnam. Before shipping out wewere sent to Amberly inQueensland,wherewe learnedescape and survival practices.We were given a few days ofclassroom lessons on how to

TaipanJoe—FlyinginVietnamJoeRalph


build a parachutetent and how tolive off the land,plus ideasonhowto escape andevadeifnecessary.The next dayswere spent in theswimming pool,where, come tofind out not many of the RoyalAustralianAirForcepilotscouldswim, so thecoursestalled longenoughtogettheRAAFpilotstofloataroundthepoolabit. Next,we foundourselvesin the field, being chased byRAAF airfield guards and usingmaps to find hidden spots forfood and water. That wasfollowed by aweek of living offthelandandmakingacamp.Allthis was done only using whatwehadbeengivenasifwewere

in an actualaircraft crash.Our suppliesconsisted of a24‐hour rationpack, flight suit,parachute and amap pluscompass. Theinstructorsweresure to search

us to make sure we had nohiddensupplies. On return to the HMASAlbatross, we carried out flyingdrillsandlivefireswiththeM60machinegunsfixedtotheUH1BHueys of 723rd Squadron. We

also did many drills createdespecially for the aircrews.After a while, we had enoughpractice under out belts toworkwiththeAustralianArmyonfieldexercisestothewestofHMAS Albatross. It was therethat we conducted troopinsertions and extractions inreadiness for our deploymenttoVietnam. At that time we didn’treceiveNavyaircrewwings,asnosuchqualificationexistedinthe Navy training manual. Soalthough there were to be nowings for us, it could be saidthat we wrote the book onNavy aircraft crews firingweapons on troop insertionand armed helicopter gunshiptactics. Weflewoutona707togreet the war in Vietnam onOctober 8th, 1969. On ourway,weweremetbymembersof the outgoing RANHFV. Iparticularly remember SubLt.Bob Kyle who told me of thejoys of being in Vietnam, allsuntanoil,hammocksbetweencoconut trees and surfboard

“Bob Kyle told me of the joys of being in Vietnam … suntan oil, hammocks and surfboards.”

The author, Joe Ralph, pictured here with a Taipan gunship.

13



riding. It was a great little 20‐minute story, none of whichcame true of course! I bet hehad a good laughgetting on thatflight home toAustralia! Next it wasoff to the baseBEARCAT to jointhe 135th AssaulthelicopterCompany, whichfell under thecommand of the145th AviationBattalion. (ThoseArmy unitsseemed to have avery long chain ofcommand!) Uponarrivalwecollectedourclothingand bedding — a very skinnymattress and a thinly coveredpillow. Then began the sortingoutofsleepingquarters.Mostofthebedsweremadeoutofusedboxes (previously home to 2.75inchfoldingrockets). The building we calledhome was two stories tall andconsisted of a big open spacewithwire beds and footlockers.No mirrors or windows, justthin, old pinewood. The toiletwas a very friendly affair,consistingofjustalong,woodenplank with about eight holes.Under each hole therewas halfofa44‐gallondrum.Thedrumswere later emptied by fillingthem with diesel and burningthecontents.Asthoseofuswhoweretherecanattest,thesmokeandsmellcouldbediscernedformanymiles! Thereasonfortheabsence of mirrors andwindows was to reduce theeffect of flying glass during

attacks, which to me seemedmorelikeagoodexcusefornotsupplying them! The showers,

located under a water tower,consisted of five shower heads— again, very friendly — andwater straight from the watertowertoaddpressure. BEARCAT was a largebase located a fewmiles downthe road to thenortheast ofLong Binh, justoff Highway 1and to thesoutheast ofSaigon. Wewereco‐locatedthere with afew otherassault helicopter companiesincluding the 240th AHC andthe350thAHC.The240thguyslived next to us and had theirhelicopter gun ships next toours. Artillery guns wereplaced all around for firesupport. The VC (bad guys)usedtofiremortarsandrockets

into BEARCAT on a regularbasis, and we all soon gotaccustomedtobeingunder fire

inthecamp.Therewerenosafezonesexcept in thebunkers. Nottoolongafter we receivedour main missiontasks, we wereintegrated into the135th Assault

HelicopterCompany.Manyofus were assignedjobs in themaintenance areasof electronics,radio, ordinance,engines and

airframes, as we learned to dothings the U.S. Armyway. WewereallowedtowearU.S.Armyflight uniforms and rank so asto be recognized by U.S. Armypersonnelonthebase. I started flyingwith2nd

platoon ontheir slicks, in

November.Melchor

Batistawasmycrew chief andwhat a veryfine and

professionalone he was,

too. Slicks were the troopcarryingUH1HHueys,socalledbecause the seats were besidethetransmissionwellinsteadoftheboxcabinlikeagunship. Ifelt like it was a good start toflyinghelicopterflightmissions.

Our missions consistedmainly of troop transport,

“I Would be happy if I could remember a few more names of those brave pilots and crews.”

14



single‐ship resupply missions(outtoveryremoteanddifficultto reach outposts) and alsodustoff missions. The dustoffswere the hardest, because wewereworkingwiththedeadandwounded. Acrewinthe135thAHCwas made up of fourcrewmembers. Thepilot’smainroles were as both pilot andhelicopter captain. The copilotwassecondincommandandthemain navigator, which was arealchallengewithjustthebasicArmy ground maps. Next wasthe helicopter crew chief, who,wasinchargeofthehelicopter’sbasicelectronicsandmechanicalpieces. Lastly, the gunnermanned the starboard M60machine gun on slicks and theport M60 machine gun on ahelicopter gunship. He alsohelped the crew chief performfield maintenance. Cleaning,refueling, and rearming was alldone by theenlistedcrewmembers. In termsof armor, thehelicoptercarried just twopilot seats withsliding sideplates and full‐harness seatbelts. The crewchiefandgunnerhadcanvasseatswith just a lapbelt and theywere each given a heavyfiberglassplatetowearontheirchests. Most just sat on them.The M60 machine guns had amakeshift ammo box thatusually held around 1500

rounds. The slidingcabin doors wereoften removed asthey got in the wayandwereveryrarelyused.

Slicks were agoodtrainingsteptoprogress to the 3rdplatoon, (known asthe Taipans) forbothpilotsandcrew.Thesegunshipcrewshad to betrustworthy andreliableastherewasno time forinstructions underfire. They kept aconstant lookout forreplacementsincasetheir existing crewmemberswere wounded, which theyinevitablywere.MygoalwastojoinaTaipancrew. My first helicoptermissions were mainly a lot of

firing and beingfired on, both onthewayinandonthe way out. Inslicks we hadother helicoptersflying informationnearusas well as troopson the ground,not to mentionour own rotorblades. Therewas a lot to keepan eye on!Mostly it was so

hectic, with so many thingshappeningatoncethatitwasn’tuntil wewere finally out of theLZthatwehadtimetoreflecton

what had just happened andwhat we could expect on thenexttriptothatsameLZ. Onlylater in life do we think aboutthebravetroopsweleft inthatfield of fire. Thewinking littlelights hidden in the tree lineand the green glowing flasheswere the only reminders thatwe had even been there. Werepeated this scenario daily, atdifferent LZ’s and extractionpoints. Myhelicopterabout thistimewas tail number 244, andthesemissionssetthestageforthe next several months. Wewere flyingmostly all day, andsome after dark. The unit hadhelicopters in the operationarea every day of the week …regardlessofwhatdayitwas. Inmy free time Iwouldsit on the hooch landing stepsand watch the machine guntracerbulletsripintothejungle

“Only later in life do we think about the brave troops we left in that field of fire. The winking lights and green glowing flashes were the only reminders that we had been there.”

Joe painted his wife’s name on the rocket pods. “They wore out quickly but it meant something to me.”

15


aroundthebaseandwritetomywifeBonnie. Thegunships flewoverhead with the occasionalshortburstsofbrightredtracerstreams from minigun fire. Iwrote home as often as I couldbecause we never knew whenwewouldgetback tobase. Mylovely wife kept each one. Ifound the letters to be a veryimportant part of my ability tocopewithbeing inahighstressarea. Having letters fromhomein my pocket made me happyand helped me face the rest ofmytour. My first real aircraftcrash came in early December1969,whileflyinginaUH1H,tailnumber 67‐17109, with crewchief Harris MacGough. Wewere on a single‐ship resupplyofpersonnelandammunitiontoa fire support base deep in the

delta.Wewereat2000feetwitheight soldiers and a full load of105mmartilleryammo,whenweeither took a sniperhit orhad amechanical failure of the shortshaft.

Itmaterializedintheformofa loudbangonmysideof thehelicopter behind the exhaustpipe. I saw a dark object fallfromjustinsidetherotorarcandthe helicopter lost tail rotor

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control. We started a verysteep, spiraling decent, but notmuch was in my mind at thattime about crashing, as I wastoo busy checking all the stuffwe had in the helicopter. Thesoldiers on board couldn’tunderstandme,andmyhelmetwas full of the sound of voicesshouting MAYDAY. My mindwas racing… wonderingwhatto do with the 105mm ammo.Itdidn’ttakelongtoglidetothegroundas the tail rotorhadnodrive. Wehadthe luckto flareoutintoafullricepaddy,whichbroke thehelicopter intomanypieces. I never thought toomuch about being hurt — myjob was to disable thehelicopter radios and to keepchecking for VC sniper fire.Fortunately, anotherhelicopterin theareaheardourMAYDAYcall and swooped in to pick usup. Huey gunships destroyedthehelicopteras itwasinsucha bad place and therewere allthose 105 rounds, so wewatched our beloved Huey getdestroyed as we were flownaway.

In another letter to mywife,Bonnie,Ididmentionthatbeingshotatmakesapersonsitup and take notice, becauseflying is so peaceful and thescattered white clouds hidereality. Despite the surrealsurroundings I was able tomeet some fantastic peopleduring my tour. LarryLinebargar,wasoneofmybestbuddies and a crew chiefmateofmine.Iflewwithslickpilotslike LT Dick Marum, LT PeterClark, SubLt Eric Wile, SubLtAndy Perry and SubLT Clive

“Not a single one of the crew was an American citizen, although we were flying an American helicopter in an undeclared war in Vietnam.”

16


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Mayo just to mention a few.The U.S. Army pilots and crewchiefs were great to fly withtoo.Ihadthepleasureofflyingwith CPT Miller, CPT Ditton,Tim Noyes and LT Moses. Ionly wish I could remember afewmore. The 135th AHC was areal mix of personnel becausebesides the Australian Navy,the U.S. personnel were madeupofdifferentnationalitiestoo.One day I was flying with mybuddy Melchor Batista and herelated to me this interestingtidbitaboutthediversityofourcrews:“Therewasthisonedayflyingslicks,whenthepilotwasAustralian, the copilot wasGerman,thegunnerwasachapfrom Columbia and I was thecrewchieffromCuba!”

This meant that not a

single one of the crewmemberswas an American citizen,although we were flying anAmerican helicopter in anundeclaredwarinVietnam.“TheGerman, the Columbian and Iwere studying or residing in theU.S. and were drafted into themilitary service. Rather thanreturning to our countries wechose to serve in the U.S. Armyandsogainpermanentresidencein the U.S. and be able to study,work and make a living there.Later,whileinVietnam,ItookanRandRtriptoHawaiitovisitmysister and took the oath ofcitizenship there, becoming aproperU.S.citizen,”saidMelchor.

Iwouldbehappyifmaybeone day I could come toremember a fewmore names ofthose brave pilots and crews Iservedwithbackthen.

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the june 2010 issue of "the swash plate"--volume 5, issue 6

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