Resupply

Kilo-4 was re-supply and we referred to it as, “Ash and trash” because of the condition of the pickup area for rations and ammo or the landing zone or “LZ” where we unloaded the stuff. We also delivered mail, new troops, took troops that were going home back to base camp, “dusted off” injured to the hospital, took POW’s to the base camp prison and generally acted as a flying truck.

The pickup area was normally at a secure location such as Camp Enari, Dak To, Ban Me Thout and An Khe. We would establish contact with the unit we were working for after loading up the C-Rations, ammo or both and deliver it to the forward location. Usually we would resupply all day until we were released by the assigned unit. When we completed the resupply activity we were at the disposal of the ground commander and flew whatever mission profile he conjured up. The field commanders were usually 2nd or 1st lieutenants or sometimes a captain. They sometimes used the resupply bird to evaluate their defenses, reconnoiter the area adjacent to their position and plan for whatever assaults, patrols or ambushes they had planned.

At times we disagreed with their use of us as it was evident the newer less experienced ground commanders got a serious ego trip riding around in a Huey rather than use it to actually resupply. When we suspected this we gave them an unforgettable ride making every effort to make them airsick. We had two Huey’s resupply the same unit once and two young lieutenants insisted they both get on individual birds and fly around the surrounding area to “recon”. During the formation flight, these two jackasses were giving each other the finger and making other gestures while communicating to each other using head sets attached to drop chords. Without them knowing, we started alternately climbing and descending as we flew close formation and the effect was immediate as they watched the other Huey climb and descend. Added to the visual stimuli were the slight positive and negative G forces. Almost simultaneously, they both became airsick and wanted nothing more than to get back on the ground. We worked for this unit many times in the future but the young “LT’s” never wanted to fly with us again.

One other situation comes to mind but this time it involved a Lieutenant Colonel that we delivered to a forward location to “inspect” his underlings and generally strut his stuff. His attitude was clear as he referred to us as “pilot” almost with the same tone of voice he would say “cabbie” back in New York. We picked him up later in the afternoon to return him to base camp and on the way had a tail rotor hydraulic failure. We elected to make a running landing on the dirt at edge of the runway at Hensel field.

Since we got pretty busy trying to maintain directional control using the throttle to add or reduce torque to yaw the aircraft and set up our approach, we ignored the Colonel’s constant rhetoric from the back until it became too much. My dear friend Jimmy Zeimet who was flying with me told him as best as I can remember, “Colonel sir, we’ve had a tail rotor hydraulic failure and were going to try to do a running landing back at Hensel and maybe save our collective asses. Please tighten your lap belt, shut up and let us do the job we are trained for.” There was total silence from the Colonel. The running landing was dusty but otherwise uneventful and when we came to a stop we looked in the back and the Colonel had exited the aircraft and was on the run about a hundred feet away! He later contacted our unit commander and didn’t refer to us a “pilots” but as “highly professional aviators.” He wanted to recommend us for citations but Jimmy and I declined as “we already had enough.” He never flew with us again either.