My M151A1 in VN 1968

[toptiger]

I was looking through my VN unit's website today an recalling the 32 members who never came home.

By the way its a good website should anyone want to browse it.
http://68thahc.com

To my surprise, I found this photo of my jeep,there. Actually I had several to use but this one was actually assigned to the unit, legal, and not the reward of a midnight acquisition.
I have no idea what the radios were, I never used them, and there was no need to have that extra jerry can as we never left the base.
Oh!, Yeah, I just figured it out, that big left rear antenna took up the normal mounting area for the can so it was relocated up front.
The blue axe head may have been 'borrowed from the USAF as we were based at Bien Hoa which was an major AF airbase, 22 Klicks north east of Saigon, not far from Long Binh. It would not be there if that jeep ever left the base. None of the others we had had them or the shovel- must be thousands still in VN, JohnFal?
The building was our ops shack, where all pilots met before missions in the early morning everyday for briefings. Afterwards a M-274 Mule would take us out to the flight line to our aircraft.
the canvas top has split windows.

[mrdibbles]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that picture and narrative.

[miljeep]

Its a Forward Air Control A1 they mounted the Jerry Can away from that HF antenna because of the RF it would generate when the radio was transmitting Scott O&O

[frenchman]

like the door stop!
frenchman

[rickf]

OK, Now show us pictures of the hootch! Maid, bar, A/C, Hot tub and all.

Rick

[raymond]

Doesn't look quite as luxurious as described

[moose53]

Doesn't look quite as luxurious as described

compared to a foxhole in the jungle it was way plush...lol

Jim

[toptiger]

Moose, In all my 364 days in country I never spent the night in the jungle. 2 times max as I recall I had to bum a bunk somewhere at another base, but I did almost everything I could to get back to 'home plate' every night.
In spite of a shot out hydraulic system in a Bell UH-1D, I flew it 20 minutes back from a bad place called Xuan Loc, a really stupid move that almost got me and my crew and the pax in back killed as it was barely controllable. Before Horst or the other rotor heads here jump on me, yes we practiced hydraulic fails in flight school, but we did that by shutting off the pump. When it gets shot out, all the fluid is gone and it ain't the same. Like driving your dad's 1960 Oldsmobile down hill with the ignition off, but much worse. It took me and the copilot to keep it level. The running landing was ok, though.
I'll have to look for photos of my hooch at Bien Hoa and post them, some time.

[rickf]

I can verify that the chopper guys do NOT like to be on the ground and especially walking behind the lines. Nervous bunch they are!

Rick

[WC Matt]

Think I've seen that photo posted before over on the G503. I remember referencing it in another post about pioneer tools because of the blue ax head. Didn't occure to me that it might have come from the USAF supply side. Thought it was a commercial item purchased locally to fill a void.
Matt

[rickf]

I just happen to have come across a couple of super classified photos of a BOQ belonging to an as yet unnamed officer. A wet bar and hooch maids. Onsite boot polishing also.
Not so sure if I should put them up or not.

Rick

[toptiger]

that sounds familiar.

[rickf]

I am not mentioning any names here.

[toptiger]

Now those gals are really familiar!
Too bad my full BOQ set of rooms didn't show up on the photo, Rick, it was the penthouse on the top floor at the back of the building.

[rickf]

What Top is not telling you guys is that was his BOQ, The whole damn building! I have pictures of the dance hall downstairs.

Rick