Vietnam Diary

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2 April 1967

8682 PAR Scheduling - M Sgt Scott 5024 COSO Navy A-4 Pool Cuo Park 5690 Official Taxi - At [SU61?] 6248 Fletcher- Jean Graduate from Skidmroe going into teaching 21 now Jeff - Masters - At Syracuse Jerry - North Easton - 2 kids - Nat [national] guard Bruce & Judy - girl & boy - National City Bank of New York

4 April 1967

Good hop this morning. 0540 brief for L2P- Gun pods didn’t work (contier charging), But strafed [int?] + 1 rocket - Lousy viz in haze.

Spent afternoon looking over O-Club orders and looking at the Books. Started new PT program - Push ups pull ups & running on the beach. Heard that Barney Pappas may have been killed in a mortar attack up by the DMZ - A waste! Major Jerry Scyitel - S-4 Plans

5 April 1967

Another 0530 Brief for an L2P - indef hold till 1000 for low East ground fog - Spent most of the day reading orders and fixing up the place - Snivel Sully's 0320 TPQ Oshe's writing the Schedule [tonite?] Notice in today - Picked up for Captain effective ( April - A little paperwork and I should have my bars.

Ted Kesky nominated for FAC [forward air controller] [?] to replace Barney.

Got a roll of film back and as suspected completely blank - didn’t advance properly.

PT program continues - new record - two days in a row -

Dreamhouse 36 - Bruce Bunous (Capt) Dreamhouse 35 - Dutch Shultze

USS Repose moored and anchored off shore as Operation [Board?] continues - hope they find those 140 mm rockets or we're in for a bad time.

UHA (AU) 533 - started slow flight schedule Radar Survey & [?].

6 Apr - 67

Spent the morning observing my helpers in the club - Inventory & Accounting. Afternoon on a DAS hop dropped 500# Daisy cutters on a village from where the 140MM rockets were fired at Danang about a month ago - with LTcol McGEE

It’s getting to be good WX again for an attack - no moon and low clouds at night

Mac returned from his Par trip - 5 days late for his father’s funeral - probably won’t go home now.

Rest of my clothing from my R&R arrived also two tape recorders tape and film.

First swim since return - great water and surf - my Sinus's all full -

6 in the hut now - Sammy Vaughn - 2/lt - Probably till we lose somebody and we can get back to a comfortable 5 - or I’ll move out.

SSGT Caldwell looks like replacement for Sgt Campbell as my assistant in the O-club.

7APR - 67

Slow morning. Trucked in a load of Booze from the central warehouse and looked through some more papers and records.

AOH - Anybody dropping on friendlies is now automatically grounded til a review by a Wing Board dispose of you - about Time!

Late entry - We’ve got Milk! Reconstituted - but more better than the average Recon - done by a Foremost Dairy in Danang - Tastes great

Stood the alert from 1600-1900 - got launched on a DAS Hop with Major Anthony- 121 XO - Nap & Snakes & 20 [?] BDA - 2 KBA - 2 KBA PROB - 7 Buildings Destroyed. 1 Partially Destroyed 90% on tgt - (my last two landed right in a rice paddy) 100% tgt coverage - left 4 hotches Burning -

121 [?] to be decimated - 2 more with orders - Major Caroll to [?] weapons - Kesky FAC 1/lt Jim Foster HACS - club office Sgt Purdy - Central [?] [?] Roy Alverly - [?] - NT.

8 APR - 67

Pinned on Captain’s bars at 11:14 H. - Major Dawson - now HABS to - DiD THE Honors Immediately notified Dispersing.

Heard that Jerry Geller is expected to survive his F-4 ejection (low pull out and hit a tree) - Damage to both EyES.

Got Pulled off the beach to stand the 1600-1900 alert. Frank Adams & I launched on a DAS. Orbited while two F-8s worked over our target then diverted to cover a med-evac in Frank’s home territory. Tracers really started flying- particularly evident as it got dark. Control was difficult as helo's just wanted in & out. Finally had ground troops mark & I Sticked A Full NFR LEVEL DropT ON A row of Huches. FrIENdLiEs Marked with tracers & We Bombed & StraFed till Dingo LEFT 4 Huts BURNINg & 1 [?] - Expended 20 Mk-[?] & 200 rounds 20MM. Good Hop. Hairier Than most. - Controller [?] 14.

Returned for a late cheeseburger then bed.

9 APR -67

Spent morning visiting surrounding O-clubs with borrowed pick-up.

Wo-1 John Broune - HA6-36 "o" TOP SARG - PAT LANDRY - HAG-12 Staff club TOP SGT HART - " " 6YSGT Metiahus - "Fe" club. 6YSGT BAKER " "

Afternoon piddling and lying on the beach. Good late afternoon alert again. Seems like the V.C. have shifted their working hours later. Sammy Vaugh picked up something in the intake & nursed it back at 80% (Fuel [?]) engine totaled - Not bad for a junior 2/lT with 10 missions and 180 flight hours.

Jay’s up from Duc Pho for a few days of flying, then R&R Hong Kong - Full of grim stories.

I’ve got 0120 TPQ brief - Everything counts. Hope to get flying C-117 & Hueys Soon Also.

10 APR 67

Interesting hop last night - Left strut blew o-ring on touch down. Thot I’d blown a tire. No Rest & shutdown tied up the runway for 10 minutes - I got in bed at 6:00 AM - Along you back from West Rwy -

Hoped to get to Danang on O-club business but C-117 took off for [Korat?] and didn’t come back - Try again tomorrow. Spent morning answering last questions on books.

Started work on another small hot box for books & papers - P.T. suffering due to injured toe.

Mac’s packing for R&R to Hawaii -tough life.

Listened to short [?] lecture by Magnavox Rep - nothing new. Wish we’d get the equipment.

Finally heard the full story on Pete Kruger. He fell off a bar while trying to do a handstand. Taken to the hospital - He was sprung by Bob Tieker and Tony McCarthy - Leaving Hospital in quite a turmoil - He had a record player spindle in his leg. When he sobered up it became quite painful & he returned to hospital for 15 days. His leg is still numb - works funny since he can’t curl his toes.