Vietnam Diary

May - 13

airplane loses seem to come in bunches -- after Harry - came Mayer Snyder - He was nailed by a sam during a nite [?] "d" TPQ - 3 SAMS observed by ground troops He A/C exploded - no wreckage recovered.

Next [?] George Rundru - Details unclear as yet. - Appears to have been hit - on a dive - lost power & Hydralics Tail - Pulled out - went through the trees - Climbed briefly and punched out. 2 swings and he let himself out of his chute while 15 fet in the air - U. C. shoting at him during his descent - evaded for 1/2 hour - then climded a small hill - was sulled out by a [?] - while he hung on to one of the skids - Due PHO area SU [?]

Next is George Kinsen - again details lacking - Enemy fire - engine failurepunch out. that was yesterday -

Currently we're operating in a Sam threat area within 20 miles of the DMZ - Picked up [?] [emis?] last ride - [?] [?] to have cotton picker (J-3) on station

on APR - 27 [?] to nite [?] also advisable to be UTR with no overcast below you - if you don't spot the launch you'll never know what hit you - A-7 APR - 23 is as [?] [?] - 121's got two birds so rigged.

Big party host nite compliment of the U.S. Army. Cleaned up [?] to make it look presentable - Project nearing completion - Cement still in doubt -

Ken Cearns for [?] today - tough life ! - advance party.

Jay hildend around getting a few [?] then he goes back to 3/7th [?]

Haven't flown for 2 days - got a Den "D" tante - APQ

UX gotten hotter - club is definately one of the coolest places around.

May -- 15

Slept late -- after nite Dan "D" TPQ - took me a bit longer than usual to unwind from that one -- Pretty busy [st?] course - lost way to ECH gear -

Stood afternoon alert and launched out on a Das with MAJ Fernwell - 6 - Rockets Packs / a/c - 2 on a [?] - so [?] utilize - Somewhat confusingly will have to [?] up on that - brought back 4 half full pods & 2 full pods mainly because I didn't sit milliseconds enternal - Quality & step [?] [?]

Tonite clean up the hut - [?] area - look like he took my rubber boots to Japan - I kept his Jan - [?] what reversal from the serniber a thrill -

May - 19 -

Good flying continues - had a [?] with HK - 12 smoke tails with Mac - Were to cover an emergency resupply at the firewak - yds south of the DMZ We kept our eyes open for Sams. [?] had no fuel gauge so when our [?] ran out he went home & I plugged into [?] tanker and took a 3000 - enough for another [?] of orbiting - Mission was eventually skrapped and an F-9 replaced me on station

I tore [?] have at 100 ft trying to burn down to landing weight 0- still had to dump 1000#

No hop yesterday - still bad to [?] an clubs -

Today - scheduled for AR on Ashan Valley with Joe Mueler - X. O. 2000 - work under flares - also supposed to be my last check !

Shot down an F-8 today - 57 or 37 det just off the suicide top - Pilot no recovered

Sully took some flack while hitting [?] position [?] of the River - (DMZ) This was getting hot - Fewer HE and more CAS DAS. Fired another Sam two days ago but didn't hit anybody -

Rules of Engagement [were?] -- 3500 [?] or below north of Qua[?] -- ? APR-22 equipped & Cotton Picker on station

TPQ's & MkLKy are a bit Hairy -- I sweaer they're jamming some of our Freqs.

Show tonite - Korean Varsity Show -- S Philipino Band - 2 Korean girls & 1 Aussie girl -- should be interesting. but I'll msis most of it.

Club near [completion?] - biggest Project to go is the floor -

Duty known - 121 stays here & 24 brings us A-40 to Support Invasion of DX2 - Great

Duty

me off twisting around lights an I held the [?landings?] - ancestor - and thought that was him. Anyway after thoroghly scaring each other and dropped "am tet" - and came home. This was also my yearly emot check I spent most of day working on Fitness Reports & Investigating lost [?] - great fun -

letter

May - 2[illegible]

Slow day - Field dazed the Carwalked around -

No sniveling as 121's working on there a/c & ante - it seems LTCOL Jacks dropped a [?] 2 seconds after roll - [?] [?] it. This after somebody a [?] with 2 - 250# bombs on it a couple of days ago.

M's advance Party animal - We've got Dan Berry living in the hut with us S33- got a grenade and a sachel charge within 25 yds of their main hanger last nite - This two days after group guard chased 6-7 V.C. out of the barbed wire a couple days back - we're overdue for an attack - but full moon and clear nt now so it be 5-10 days yet-

Those G.D. Seabees havn't brought any cement yet. I'd like to have a piece of CHIEF Anghes ass!

May - 23

Dull Day - Budda's Birthday so we're not flying much - UR's + T.H s -- alert squadra launched a few. Spent whole day working on club VMA-AW 533 had a little action tante = copters strafed + rocketed U.C tying to get through the wire - no reported casualties.

Sully leaves tomorrow on a [?] trip -

Dan Berry has moved into Ken's rackalso same 50yr of [?] who thinks he owns the place. We'll have harsh wds before lang.

Club all finished except for floor & back wall - its all in the hands of the seabees -

Got a tape for [?] - secret tape of a Davis meal with everybody there but Hank & I - will list the taste - Joan also sent some [?] & checkers for my Birthday. - Who's got time for games?

May - 24

Another Day at the club - planning, fixing, [?], scrounging. - long lunch hour -

C.O. - conference in the morning - nothing new -

Sniweling a late CAS [Close Air Support] in the DMZ - with Randy McCreight. Thought we were going after some artillery positives beside Finger lake but got divert to Dreamhour to work on some cento/ [?] positives & trevelline - carrying MK-82's so they made a pretty good dent - got in & off just as it was getting dark - Pull off was over North Vietnam - so had are as a target and are eye for anti-aircraft [?] & Sams.

Have another TSQ later tonite not bad day after all - tend -