Photo Album

Page 4

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Page 1 (62-63)

Page 2 (64-65)

Page 3 (66-67)

Page 5 (70-71)

1968-1969

Tay Ninh(West) Base Camp refuel area for "Hot" refueling. JP-4 was in 200-500 gal "bladders or blivits." Aircraft hovered in to nozzle and continued to run at ground-idle. (68) (Photo courtesy Marvin Marchman, MD)	Santa(WO Charlie Bennett)and Flight Surgeon, Marvin Marchman, MD, headed to Bien Hoa Orphanage(or possibly returning)full of Christmas cheer!! Christmas 1967. (Photo courtesy of an Elf)
"Good Ole' Summertime"CWO Charlie Prather(L) and CWO Bob D'Agostino getting ready for DROS or R & R. at Villa on Cong Ly Street. (1968) (Photo courtesy Marvin Marchman,MD)	Entrance to 145th BN Area of Bien Hoa Air base. Named in honor of SSG James E. Bailey, KIA 09/04/64 while PLT SGT of 1st Platoon of Thunderbirds.(1968) (Photo courtesy Marvin Marchman, MD)
"Stars and Stripes" piece of Mar 12, 1968 reporting on unusual mission for crew of 118th.(68) (Article courtesy Willis Long)	Aerial view of Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport during Tet. Note all the fires from air strikes and gunships attacks on the airfield.(68) (Photo courtesy Don Goodwin)
SGT James B. Lytes 118th Supply Clerk in 68. Later, he became Supply SGT. Reportedly, stayed in Vietnam more than 5 years! (Photo courtesy Robert Johnson)	DROS BOARD on wall in "Thunderbird" Bar in Villa on Cong Ly Street.(1968) (Photo courtesy Marvin Marchman, MD)
Lanny Hansen cleaning his M-60 and M-16 following day's missions.(68) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)	Lanny Hansen after painting the back of his flack vest.(68) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)
Lanny Hansen in the Crew Chief's " Well" with M-60 at the ready. Note the red smoke grenade and frag grenade rack. The smoke grenades were taller and frag's were shorter so they had to be hung with their handle out.(68) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)	One day when at Dong Tam working for the 9th Div, Lanny Hansen ran into a High School buddy Bruce Campbell. (68) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)
Lanny Hansen showing his blood stained clothes (March 23, 1968) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)	Close-up of the back of Lanny Hansen's pants. (March 23, 1968) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)
The "infernal" sand bag crew that Lanny Hensen said he was put in charge of following his being wounded for a couple days.(68) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)	Typical party at the barracks.(68) (Photo courtesy Lanny Hansen)
Some may remember "NDB Mountain" which lay on the N.W. side of Bien Hoa Air base.(1968) (Photo courtesy Jerry Bratcher	Going in on combat assault(CA) to jungle LZ. Note smoke which could be WP or smoke grenades thrown by slicks when taking fire. (1968) (Photo courtesy Joe Michalkiewicz)
The Thunderbirds form-up after inserting the troops.(68) (Photo courtesy Don Goodwin)	CWO promotion party in Thunderbird Officer's Club. MAJ John A. Britton pins on CW2 bars (L to R); Wayne Bates, William John Robertson, Kevin Maloney, Ronny Ross and Bob Clark(69) Note DEROS Board in background. (Photo courtesy Ronny Ross)
On his second Vietnam tour, Thomas Kilpela, SIP for 118th(69) (Photo courtesy Ronny Ross)	Crew Chief SP4 McDowell taking it easy.(68) (Photo courtesy Richard Little)
SP4 Ted Metzner flying as Gunner on slick.(68) (Photo courtesy Ted Metzner)	"Three Amigos" during Tet 68 at Phu Loi. L to R: ?, SP4 Long of 573rd Maint, and SP4 Ted Metzner.(Mar 68) (Photo courtesy Ted Metzner)
Having a party at Honor-Smith Compound. Bill Hirtle getting "cool Bud" out of 1/4T trailer.(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)	Getting ready to cook steaks for promotion party of several CWO's at Honor-Smith Compound on Bien Hoa Air base. Shorter guy far right in foreground is Tom Kilpela(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)
Typical wash day behind Honor-Smith Compound. At least they didn't wash in rice paddies like in early years.(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)	Doug Marchi, .50 cal gunner, pumping smoke fuel into Smoke Ship. Note .50 cal in door. Guy with back to camera is CE ? Hayes who is wearing a "monkey strap" (69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)
Pat Franco, pilot in his very "Homey" room.(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)	Gary Vasko, 1st Platoon Crew Chief with red scarf. Note no pilot doors! (69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)
What! Elephants in Vietnam! You bet. Skull of an elephant found at unknown location.(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)	Brand-new UH-1H, Red 11, in revetment of new Bird Cage and Crew Chief Roger Brockman(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)
Lee Staples, Crew Chief of Red 7, tying blade.(69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)	Wash day for Red 11 and Crew Chief, Gary Vesko. (69) (Photo courtesy Bill Hirtle)
Bill Wieland and Stephen Carlson having a drink in the Thunderbird Lounge.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	Stephen Carlson in a more "serious" mood!(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
Errol Scroggins at the ready with his bunji cord M-60!(69) (Photo courtesy Errol Scroggins)	Thunderbird "Down"!!! Photo of the crash landing that SP4 John Wayne Acosta lost his life! (68)

Jeffrey Bernard and Keith Mearns enjoying a drink at club.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	Bob Rich with friends at unknown location.(68) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
Thunderbirds in "trail" on approach to LZ. Note door gun out and ready and landing smoke in distance.(68) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	Thunderbirds in right hand break from trail for landing at unknown location.(68) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
Crew Chief Dennis Surop sitting on barracks steps. Shoulder with 1st Inf Div. patch belongs to Gunner Gary E. Schindler.(69) (Photo courtesy Dick "Teeny Bopper" Rissman)	Gritting his teeth is Crew Chief John Ferrara.(69) (Photo courtesy Dick "Teeny Bopper" Rissman)
Armorer Mike "Lefty" Lafever(68) (Photo courtesy Dick "Teeny Bopper" Rissman)	WO Jeffrey A. Bernard(68) (Photo courtesy Dick "Teeny Bopper" Rissman)
John Longfield putting a "bead" on the camera. (69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	Jon Bradshaw and Warren Rudy in mess hall.(68) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
L to R: John Longfield, Glenn Hands and Charles Rampey "hamming" for camera.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	L to R: John Mack, paying unidentified Vietnamese waitress with bar "chit" and Mike Jollay.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
L to R: Joe Lemieux, Richard Slaton and Layton waiting for the show to start.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	Typical view showing just how much water there was during the wet or monsoon season.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
Typical before sunrise take-off to the East from the Bird Cage.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)	Thunderbirds in trail and on approach to Xuan Loc airfield following before sunrise take-off from Bird Cage.(69) (Photo courtesy Bob Rich)
Front of matchbook cover for the Enlisted Men's Club on Bailey Compound at Bien Hoa Airbase.(68) (Photo courtesy Willis Long)	Back of the matchbook cover. Note union logo and "close cover for safety".(68) (Photo courtesy Willis Long)
A $1.00 bar chit cover for the Gunslinger's Inn, the EM club of the 118th. (Photo courtesy Willis Long)	No doors for Lawrence B. Smith while sitting on the beach near Vung Tau.(69) (Photo courtesy Lawrence B. Smith)
Lawrence B. Smith at Song Be with kids trying to sell him souvenirs and the fella in black, hopefully, is a member of the local RFPF (Regional Forces -Popular Forces)and not the VC!(69) (Photo courtesy Lawrence B. Smith)	LT Joe Lemieux at Lai Khe(69) (Photo courtesy Joe Lemieux)
"Short Final" on a CA north of Dinh Quan "City of Rocks" area. (69) (Photo courtesy Joe Lemieux)	Vince Galenis flying right seat and no door.(69) (Photo courtesy Joe Lemieux)
118th Thunderbird compound beside Spartan Heliport. Note: "NDB Mountain" in the distance.(69) (Photo courtesy Joe Lemieux)	L to R: Dale Moore and Gunner Hirsheman following a tough day.(69) (Photo courtesy Lawrence B. Smith)
Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh City.(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)	On final approach to the soccer field just short of the lone tree in front of the temple at Tay Ninh.(69)
Sprawling Base Camp called Cu Chi. Home to the 25th Division plus many support units.(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)	New "wobbly one", Dennis Gulich shutting down the aircraft.(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)
"Instant LZ" created by 10,000 lb bomb. Location was N. of Xuan Loch in Jungle.(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)	Nui Ba Dinh mountain with top obscured by fog and cloud layer.(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)
Red Tail 3 on approach with load of U.S. 3/9th troops somewhere S. of Saigon in Delta area. Note--the slightly smaller diamond on the tail-boom. It is behind the horizontal stabilzer instead of in front!! Why?? Per Clay Hinderliter, Thunderbird 11/Bandit 36: "When I became an AC, there was not an aircraft for me in the 1st Platoon. About a week later, we got back an aircraft that had been on long-term loan to the 334th--they had used it for a lightship for night ops. Our maintenance guys went through it, painted the vertical fin red and slapped the #3 on it. If you check out pics of the 334th aircraft, they positioned their diamonds aft of the horizontal sabilizer--and that is what they did with 886, when they had it. When it was returned to the 118th, our maintenance guys just repainted the diamond center(red)-without repositioning the diamond."(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)	Raging river in area N.E. of Bien Hoa in the area of Dinh Quan "City of Rocks"(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)
On stand-by at Can Giouc and buying Coca Cola. L to R: WO Robert Zwink, SP4 Vasko(Crew Chief), SP4 Van Farrow, Mama Son, WO Boyd and SP4 Glenn (Gunner).(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)	Small Catholic Church built in 1969 at in identified location. What a contrast with the Huey sitting in the front yard!(69) (Photo courtesy Dale Moore)