Volume 10, Issue 10
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April 2015
From The President Milan Tesanovich
In February, the CHPA announced the launch of its 2015 Goldie Fund Scholarship Program for certain family members of active CHPA members. The CHPA awards scholarships of up to $1,500 to qualified recipients. The deadline for submitting a scholarship application is June 15, 2015. To date, the Scholarship Committee has not received a single application for a 2015-2016 school year scholarship. Every year, millions of dollars in scholarship money goes unclaimed in this country. The number one reason why students do not receive scholarships is because they don’t apply. Last year, a $1,000.00 scholarship was awarded by the CHPA to the sole individual who applied. That recipient, the daughter of a Presenting! CHPA member, is attending Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. That scholarship recipient is maintaining a 3.4 grade point “From The President” average on a 4.0 scale. We are all very proud of her. Milan Tesanovich You can’t receive a scholarship award unless you apply. An “Above The Best” application form detailing Eligibility Requirements and Rules for the Jay Brown scholarship can be obtained from the CHPA’s web site, http://www.chpaus.org/assets/documents/scholarship_application_2015.pdf “2015 Convention Update” Jay Brown Scholarship recipients will be personally notified of being selected to receive a scholarship in July 2015. Scholarship recipients will be publicly “Reunions and Gatherings” announced during the September 2015 CHPA Convention and Annual • “Before I Forget” Business Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Should any recipient and his/her Doug Welshinger sponsor attend the CHPA’s annual reunion and meeting in Indianapolis in “Latest From The VA” September, the recipient and his/her sponsoring member will receive the CHPA Veterans Committee award in a public ceremony, and this information will be posted on the “CHPA Store Sale” CHPA’s web site after September 27, 2015. Jay Brown All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. Applications must “Fixin’ To Die Rag” be filled out completely, must include all required support materials, must Roy Mark be sent to the address on the application – and postmarked on or before “Call For Recipes” the deadline of June 15, 2015. Sue Prescott Please do not let this great opportunity pass you or your loved one And much, much more! by.
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Above The Best Jay Brown
CHPA has partnered with Artist Bryan Snuffer to offer an 18x24" Commemorative Edition Print “Above the Best,” honoring combat helicopter pilots and crews from Vietnam to present. This Limited Edition Print is signed by the Artist and numbered. This is a special limited edition run of 300 pieces and would make an excellent gift to yourself or a fellow Combat Aircrew member. Each print lists for $125.00 plus shipping. Click here for complete ordering information: http://www.bryansnuffer.com/prints/prints.html#!/ARMY-Abovethe-Best-18x24/p/44898323/category=12403394 The artist will donate 30% of the sales of this print to CHPA. CHPA will apply that donation to the annual Christmas Boxes for the Troops program and the sponsorship of new Active Duty members.
Share the “Swash” Please feel free to forward this issue of “The Swash Plate” to your colleagues, potential members and other interested parties!
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Sponsorship Please consider sponsoring CHPA’s programs. You may make tax deductible donations to support the Goldie Fund, CHPA’s Scholarship program, the Holiday Boxes for the Troops, T-shirts for Heroes or the Association. For further information please look at Sponsorship at the website, http://www.chpa-us.org.
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CHPA 2015 Annual Convention Update Jay Brown
The planning phase for the 2015 Annual Convention and Business Meeting in downtown Indianapolis, IN is nearing completion and soon the convention registration will be available online so you can register either online or by printing and sending in your registration. There are just a few final details to be ironed out, such as exact times for some of the events and those small “details within details” that help an event such as this run smoothly. Once the registration is open we’ll send out notifications to all members and make the availability known on the main page of the website. But there are things you can do now to start the process. Our host hotel will be the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites, located at 120 W. Market Street and the online hotel reservation page is up and running at: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/I/INDDNHF-COMHPA-20150922/index.jhtml. I’ve already made my hotel reservations and I hope you’ll join me for the party. If you prefer to call and make your reservation, the number is 1-800-315-1906. Please make your hotel reservation as soon as possible. The deadline for taking advantage of our special room rate is July 15, 2015 or when the group block is “sold-out,” whichever comes first. If you have special needs regarding your room, please make your reservation first so you have a confirmation number. Then contact Ashlee Anderson, our Convention Service Manager, by either email Ashlee.Anderson@Hilton.com (preferred method) or calling 317822-5875 and she will be happy to assist you.
The Swash!
[Call for Articles]
One of the things we all know, nobody tells a better story than a combat helicopter crewmember, whether it’s the truth or “enhanced truth.” Our most entertaining and informative stories come from you, our membership. We often receive responses from our members when an article is published that opens a memory or touches a nerve, in a good way. So where are all the story tellers out there? All you veterans of the skies of OEF and OIF with an idea for an article, or a story to tell it’s as easy as sending it in. Take a moment to lay fingers on keyboard or just put pen to paper and send them in. You can email them to hq@chpa-us.org or through the US Post Office to: CHPA • PO Box 42 • Divide, CO 80814-0042 Help us help you tell the tales of your experiences and continue to preserve our shared legacy of combat under a rotor disc.
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Reunions and Gatherings Are you planning a reunion or event that may be of interest to our members? Let us help you get the word out and support veterans groups of all sizes and locations. Just send a message with the information to HQ@chpa-us.org. If you have a logo, send that along as well. Be sure to include accurate contact and registration information and we’ll take care of the rest. Troop A, 2/17th Air Cavalry - The alumni association is having their reunion in Nashville, TN from May 28 thru May 31, 2015. The reunion will include a trip to Ft. Campbell to spend time with the active troops, visit the museum and a possible stop at the Cav Shop. For further information contact Mike Mabe 336-782-6258 (mikemabe@mac.com) or visit the website at www.alphatroopalumni.com.
Bullwhip Squadron Association - The Bullwhip Squadron Association will be sponsoring a 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment 50th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony and Memorial Service recognizing the 3 July 1965, activation of the Squadron. The ceremony will be held at Doughboy Stadium, Fort Benning, Georgia, on July 2, 2015 at 0900 hrs honoring the 1st Squadron, 9th Air Cavalry Troopers, the unit lineage and the history within the 1st Cavalry Division. Refreshments will be served afterwards on location. You must RSVP by email, letter or phone by June 5, 2015. For RSVPs and information contact 1st Squadron9thCav50th@gmail.com. There will be no costs for attendees or registration fees. Unfortunately this will be the last official Bullwhip function as the association will have exceeded its Mandatory Retirement Date (MRD) and will retire shortly after completing dissolution documentation and administrative requirements. The BWS website will remain in limited operation until Jan 2017 for limited contact capabilities and archiving member pictures and documents that they may want to be sent to future 1st Cavalry Division Museum. 187th AHC - The Reunion will be held 7 - 12 November, 2015 in Orange Beach AL. View details of the reunion at 187thahc.org under the reunion tab. For questions and information Contact Reunion host Ray Root by email at rayroot1@gmail.com or by telephone at 251-2138846.
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Before I Forget Doug Welshinger
I attended flight school beginning in March, 1986. I was sort of a high school to flight school guy, although I was 25 years old when I went to basic at Ft Knox and then on to WORWAC at Fort Rucker. I was a Red Hat. Unfortunately I hear they don’t wear colored hats anymore and I think that’s a shame. Anyway, this isn’t a war story but a story about how you get to know people so well when you go through flight school together; TAC officers, PT, barracks, square meals, the classrooms and of course the flight line. My instructor in the TH-55 was Hank Nix, a great instructor and person. I will never forget his kindness and professionalism. People have asked me over the years, or I have just decided to tell them some of what it was like to attend Army flight school. I tell them it was the most important and most fantastic experience in my life. It set my course for a flying career of 30 years so far, along with a successful marriage, family and business. I tell them that most of my success is directly attributable to the lessons I learned in the army. Honesty, integrity, attention to detail, self-confidence, the list goes on. I tell them that the greatest personal moment in my life was when those wings were placed in my hand at graduation. My parents were there and my mother pinned them on my chest. It’s hard to really tell people that have never even been in the military what is was like, but one of my favorite stories is this one: When you first show up at the Warrant Officer Entry Course you are thrown together with a bunch of scared, confused, hard charging, selfish strangers. Now I don’t say that to be mean. This is really the biggest and most important thing any of us have ever done in our lives and we don’t want to screw it up! Most of us have never been in the army except for basic training. So one of the lessons we learn the hard way early on is that we are a unit and we have to work together to accomplish goals our TAC officers have set out for us. Of course the NCO’s that are now attending flight school with us are rolling their eyes at how inept we newbies are at getting along. I don’t want to bore my audience with all the details but I do have to explain to them that when you spend so much time together, you just naturally get to know a lot about a person, their personality, their physical make up, who they really are. One of the things we all share in flight school is that it is of the utmost importance that our boots shine like a brand new quarter every day, and that we are only allowed to wear one specific pair of boots on even days and the other on odd days. That’s it, two pair of boots. The reason I use this particular topic is because I think it is a good example of life in flight school and most people understand what I am talking about when it comes to a shiny pair of shoes, or in this case, boots. What I find so interesting and comical about the shiny boots is this: by the time we all went through the Entry Course and moved on to B company and started flying, I could identify every man in my unit by simply looking at his boots, either pair. When you live, eat, sleep, do push-ups, attend classes and have countless formations where TAC officers inspect you, especially your boots, you just get to recognize each other by simply glancing at their boots. I think we were always looking at each other’s boots; constantly, daily, subconsciously judging each other’s boots. I would think; WOW, so and so’s boots look fantastic today, or; Oh Oh, I hope a TAC doesn’t see those boots or that guy will be in big trouble, or I would wonder how certain peoples boot always looked really great. Of course I would make comparisons between my boots and everyone else’s boots. It’s kind of like the old yarn about Concluded on Page 6 when a bear is chasing your hunting party through the 5
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woods. You don’t have to be the fastest runner, just not the slowest. So it went with our boots in army flight school. The TACs would always descend like a pack of hungry wolves on the poor guy with the worst boots. On the one hand you would feel really bad for the guy and on the other hand you were supremely relieved that it wasn’t you getting all that attention. As long as yours looked just a little better than someone else’s, you were safe … for the moment. How I came to understand that I could recognize 34 people just by their boots (we are talking 68 pairs of boots here) is hilarious to me and I have been smiling about it for 25 years now. I was living on the third floor of the barracks. I walked in to the latrine one day and a guy was sitting in one of the stalls taking care of business. All I could see were his boots. I didn’t hesitate, didn’t think about it at all. It was as if I was looking directly into this guy’s face instead of seeing his boots under the stall door. I just said, “Hey Johnson, how’s it going?” He said “Great Welshinger, how about you?” I bet he saw my boots when I walked in the door and knew who I was before I said a word. I took care of my business and departed the latrine. It didn’t hit me until I returned to my room and lay down on my rack. I smiled, probably laughed out loud when I realized that I know my classmates so well I can walk into the latrine and all I can see is their boots and I can say hello to them by name. You can work with people for many years of your life in the civilian world and never really know anything about them. Go ahead, look at your coworkers shoes tomorrow. Can you identify all of them by just their shoes? When you attend army flight school, you become closer to your classmates than you realize. You spend so much time, and I mean important, life changing time together, you create a strong bond that can never be broken. I haven’t seen most of the people I went to flight school with for a long time, but I truly believe that if I ran into any of them tomorrow, we would smile and share an understanding that we spent the most important year of our lives together, the year that made us who we are today. Don’t forget, #2 boots on odd days, #1’s on even days.
How Are We Doing? Jay Brown
Every month we try to bring you articles and notices that interest all of our members. Of course that entails gathering news items and articles from various sources and varying topics, from the humorous to serious news of world events. We hope we’re meeting your needs and providing entertainment and we’d love to hear from you on whether we’re meeting those goals. If you have a comment or suggestion on what we’ve done well, where we could improve or want to submit a story drop us an email at HQ@chpa-us.org or give us a call at 800-832-5144 and let us know. Always of particular interest are stories from our members and supporters. Anything from tales of woe in Flight School to genuine TINS TIW stories can be submitted. So drop us a line and tell your story.
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Online Tools, Standardized Forms, and More Effective March 24th, 2015, VA is implementing improvements to make it easier for you to apply for benefits. Online application tools, standardized forms, and a new intent to file process will create faster and more accurate decisions on your claims and appeals. What does it all mean? As part of the VA’s full-scale transformation in 2015, these new changes will:
Streamline the benefits process, making it faster and easier Use standardized forms to file disability claims and compensation appeals Establish a new intent to file a claim process Learn more about these important changes and see how they affect you:
Sign Up to receive updates from Veterans Affairs. Having questions or problems? Please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance. If you are in crisis and need immediate help, please call 1-800-273-8255 and (PRESS 1) or visit http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. Please remember the only secure way to ask personal questions is at https://iris.custhelp.com. Explore VA benefits at explore.va.gov
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GOT PATCHES? CHPA continues to receive quite an assortment of patches from our members. These patches are displayed at our booth at HAI, Quad A, and VHPA. Several of you have donated patches, but we’re always looking for more. They are very eye catching and help us garner attention. So please dig through your old patches and if you have some you’d like to share, send them to us at: CHPA • PO Box 42 • Divide, CO 80814-0042
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VISIT THE CHPA STORE AT http://www.chpa-us.org/chpa-store TO SHOP FOR HIGH QUALITY T-SHIRTS, POLO SHIRTS, BUTTON DOWNS, JACKETS, PATCHES, DECALS, CHALLENGE COINS AND MANY OTHER ITEMS FOR YOURSELF OR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR LIMITED TIME SPECIALS. CHPA MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE Closeout Special: We’ve extended the current sale where you can buy a high quality poplin button down shirt (Khaki or black) or a CHPA wind breaker at regular price and get a 16 oz CHPA travel mug half off regular price. Sizes limited to stock on hand. And, we’ve sweetened the pot. For a limited time we’ve reduced the price of the Jimmie Moore print, “Goin’ Home” 20%, and with your purchase of a print we’ll throw in a poplin button down shirt, either khaki or black, and a CHPA travel mug free.
20% off
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FREE
½ off ½ off
Visit the store to shop these other quality items available.
CHPA Polo Shirt
CHPA Logo Patch
Flight Crewmember Tab
CHPA Baseball Cap
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Fixin’ To Die Rag Roy Mark Fixin’ To Die Rag is available in paperback and Kindle format from Amazon.com and in paperback and Nook format from Barnes and Noble. It is also available from many online retailers such as Smashwords.com, OverDrive.com, and Kobo.com. Fixin’ To Die Rag can be ordered from “brick and mortar” bookstores by name or ISBN number 9781484135105.
The 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion was formed in March of 1964 as part of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Benning, GA. Seventeen months later, on 7 August 1965, the US Congress passed Public Law 88-408, commonly known as “The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.” The resolution authorized President Lyndon Johnson to use military force to resist North Vietnamese aggression. The President wasted little time; orders were issued and preparations began. On 11 September, just 35 days after President Johnson received Congressional approval the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion arrived in the Republic of Vietnam. By 1970 the 229th was fighting the enemy from their base in Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border. On 10 March 1970, a routine mission began that would affect deeply every member of Charlie Company, indeed the entire battalion. An Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) battalion was in pursuit of the enemy. Charlie Company was called upon to extract the ARVNs from their current position and to transport them for insertion into a more favorable location. The ARVN Commander had reported that the landing zone (LZ) was secure. Because no enemy troops were thought to be in the area, it would be a “cold extraction.” For cold extractions, Cobra gunships accompanied the Hueys but did not pre-sweep the surrounding area with suppressing fire as they did for “hot extractions.” The mission called for a flight of seven Hueys, with 1LT Don Thompson as Mission Commander. If, for any reason, it became necessary to split into two missions, Thompson would continue as Mission Commander of the first four Hueys and Dick Dunn would command the last three ships. Dunn would be the Aircraft Commander (AC) of Huey 772, the fifth ship of the flight. Don Thompson was a Southern boy from Arkadelphia, AK and when he first arrived in Charlie Company in April of 1969, he immediately stood out from the crowd. Five foot six, with a gymnast’s build, Thompson was the last person Hollywood would have cast as an Army pilot. Thompson was a little on the hyper side, and when he spoke, his Southern accent and hillbilly dialect immediately caught the attention of Charlie Company pilots. Thompson’s flight leader took note of the hyper little FNG (F***ing New Guy), who reminded him of the Disney cartoon character Thumper. Thumper was the rabbit that appeared in the film Bambi and was named for the way he thumped his hind paw. From this observation, Don was tagged with the nickname “Thumper.” After a few days, “Thumper” had morphed into “Thumpy.” Thompson quickly shook the FNG tag, but he remained Thumpy Thompson throughout his time in Vietnam. On the mission to extract the ARVN troops, Thumpy would be flying a UH-1H with the tail number 68-16123. By then a flight leader himself, Thumpy had a designated ship assigned to him. He took possession of 123 in June 1969, soon after it arrived in-country. He flew 123 on a few missions before it, too, was also tagged with a nickname. Painted across the nose in white letters was Thumpy 1, the number 1 signifying Thumpy’s status as flight leader. Dunn’s co-pilot on the extraction mission would be CPT William Lorimer. Bill Lorimer was an excellent pilot, but flying was no longer his primary job. CPT Lorimer Continued on Page 11 had been Charlie Company’s executive officer (XO) until 15 10
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February when he took over as CO. The men of Charlie Company liked and respected CPT Lorimer as their XO, and their respect for him increased during the weeks since he had assumed command. In his twenty-three days as CO, the responsibility of command kept him grounded much of the time, but he took every opportunity to join his men in the sky. CPT Lorimer’s frequent forays into the skies with his men were just one of the reasons he was so well respected. Bill Lorimer was actually William Lorimer IV. The first William Lorimer was Captain Lorimer’s great-grandfather. William Lorimer (27 April 1861 – 13 September 1934) was a politician in Chicago in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was elected to two nonconsecutive terms in the US Congress and then was elected and served ten years as a US Senator from Illinois. CPT Lorimer came from an Army family; his father retired as a full-bird colonel and was living in Indiana. Being an Army brat he and his two brothers and one sister grew up in many cities around the William Lorimer IV, country. Bill Lorimer attended Saint John’s Preparatory School in Commanding Officer of Charlie Company, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion. Collegeville, Minnesota, graduating in 1960. When he entered Captain Lorimer became CO in February 1970. Saint John’s University nearby, the name Bill Lorimer was already Photo Compliments of Roger Baker who replaced Captain Lorimer as CO. familiar to many of the freshman’s professors; Bill’s father, William Lorimer III, had been a professor of military science at Saint John’s in the mid- to late 1950s. The younger Bill Lorimer earned a Bachelor of Science degree in social science in 1964. Lorimer was married during his senior year at Saint John’s. He entered the Army shortly after graduation, and by 1970, when he became the commanding officer of Charlie Company, he and his wife had three young children. His wife and children were staying with his in-laws in Wheaton, MN, while he was in Vietnam. The day began early for Thumpy Thompson and the men manning the seven Hueys of his flight. The mission sheet called for them to fly seven missions and seventy-three sorties to extract ARVN troops from their various positions and to insert them into new ones. Thumpy broke ground at 07:30 on that 10th day of March. By midday, they had flown two missions and fourteen sorties before shutting down for a quick lunch at Charlie Company’s mess hall. The third mission of the day began after lunch; Thumpy Thompson manned Huey 123, a.k.a. Thumpy 1, on the flight line at Tay Ninh and led the flight of seven Hueys into the Vietnamese skies. The short flight to the LZ would take about half an hour. They were escorted by two Cobra gunships from Delta Company. Known as “Smiling Tigers,” Delta Company Cobras were a “don’t leave home without” accessory for the lightly armed Hueys. Manning one of the Cobra escorts was Aircraft Commander (AC) WO1 Rod Barber and Peter-Pilot WO1 Lach Brown. As the flight approached the LZ, the seven Hueys began their descent, and the two Cobras began circling at eight-hundred feet to supply cover for the vulnerable Hueys. CPT Lorimer was at the controls of 772 as he and Dunn followed the first four Hueys into the LZ. On the ground, with engines whining and dust flying, the ARVN troops were “elbows and assholes” as they climbed on board the seven Hueys. Crew chiefs and door-gunners supervised and assisted the ARVN grunts as they threw their gear and themselves on board. By the time his crew chief gave the word that they were fully loaded, Dunn had lost track of how many ARVNs had boarded his ship, but he figured it was probably about eleven. He would normally carry only six or Continued on Page 12 seven American grunts and their gear, but with ARVN 11
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soldiers being much smaller and carrying less gear than their American counterparts, a few extras could always be packed in. Everyone was anxious and ready to leave. Pilots knew that they were very vulnerable on the ground, so it was always a relief to be leaving an LZ. They knew, too, that they were also quite vulnerable during approaches and departures from an LZ. The slow speed and low altitude during approaches and departures were a killer, literally a killer. They wouldn’t rest easy until they were at altitude and out of range of small arms ground fire. With the seven Hueys loaded, Thumpy led the exodus from the LZ. As Thumpy 1 gained a little speed and altitude, Thompson began a turn to the left. The six other Hueys began following in succession. The pilots of Army Hueys were protected by boron-carbon ceramic armor plates across their seatbacks and below their seats. Similar armor plating protected the right and left sides of the cockpit. The side armor was fitted on rails, allowing the heavy armor to slide forward and back for ease of entrance and exit. The armor plating around the cockpit gave pilots some protection on their sides, rear, and bottom, but the protection was far from complete. The Army provided additional protection for pilots and crew in the form of protective body armor. The body armor was made of boron carbide, silicon carbide, or aluminum oxide and was effective against small arms fire. Unlike the cockpit, the crew cabin had no armor plating. Crew members in the back had only their body armor—“chicken plates” as they were called—for protection. Chicken plates across their chests were effective against small arms fire coming at them horizontally, but not when fired from below. For added protection, crews were issued thick ceramic plates to sit on. The plates were about one and a half inches thick and about fifteen inches square and encased in thick fabric with a strap for ease of handling. The plates undoubtedly were assigned a nomenclature by the Army, but the crews simply called them “butt plates.” Butt plates were effective against small arms fire and could even stop a .51-caliber bullet. By whatever name, butt plates were known to have saved a crewmember’s butt on occasion. One of Charlie Company’s crew chiefs, while flying at three-thousand feet, was unlucky enough to receive a .51-caliber round from below, but lucky enough to be sitting on his butt plate. The anti-aircraft round penetrated the bottom of his Huey and impacted his butt plate, launching him and his butt plate to a second impact with his Huey’s ceiling. He survived the ordeal with a sore head, a sore neck, a sore ass, and great respect for his butt plate. With the cabin’s sliding doors still open and ARVN troops crammed into the back, CPT Lorimer lifted off, and Huey 772 began following the procession in a straight-out departure. It had been a routine extraction, as routine as any operation in a combat zone could possibly be; at five-hundred feet, that all changed. Thumpy initiated his left turn at five-hundred feet, and the flight of Hueys began following in succession. When Lorimer’s altimeter indicated five-hundred feet and with the first four Hueys at his nine o’clock position, he moved the cyclic stick to his left to initiate his left turn. Just then, several AK-47s began spraying the departing flight. With 772 banking in its left turn, Lorimer slumped and jerked the cyclic hard left. Panic gripped everyone on board as the Huey turned on its side. In the back, terror-stricken eyes looked through the open left door and saw solid ground where blue sky should be. With the floor of their Huey now vertical to the ground, the ARVN soldiers grabbed for anything they could to anchor themselves to the floundering Huey. One ARVN soldier reached out but grabbed only air. As he fell, his death wail was muted by the noise of the stricken Huey and the screams of his more fortunate comrades. Huey 772 had rotated violently into an untenable position; by all rights, it should fall out of the sky. Dunn instinctively grabbed the stick even before his mind could assess the situation, and a precarious situation it was. With skill, luck, divine intervention, or copious Continued on Page 13 portions of each, Dunn fought 772 back upright. 12
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Rod Barber and Lach Brown were watching the entire flight from their Cobra gunship when they saw what they thought was one of the Hueys destined to crash. Barber immediately made a balls-on decision and descended to provide covering fire should there be any survivors of the crash. To their astonishment, the inevitable crash was averted. They marveled at the skill of the Huey pilot and vowed to stick with him to the end; if the Huey did eventually go down, they would need the protective firepower of a friendly Cobra. Dunn’s first priority was to save his ship. As he continued to fight the controls to keep 772 upright, a severe vibration began rattling everything, including all souls on board. He would learn later that the mast anchoring the main rotor was knocked out of kilter when the ship jerked violently on its side. The vibration was severe, and the situation bleak; keeping 772 in the air was dicey. With Vietnam’s horizon now horizontal instead of vertical across the windshield, Dunn began to gauge the situation. His pilot had been shot and was unconscious and slumped in his seat. His door-gunner, in his position near Lorimer, was on the intercom asking what he should do to help the CO. His Huey was still vibrating violently, he had lost control of his tail rotor, and now hydraulic pressure was beginning to fall. Hydraulic fluid was the lifeblood of the Huey; without it, controlling 772 would be next to impossible. Dunn feared that Lorimer was losing his lifeblood too, so he directed his crew chief to stop the bleeding any way he could; stick his finger in the bullet hole if he had to, but stop the bleeding. Lorimer’s wound was obviously very serious, but there wasn’t much they could do now except to keep 772 in the air. CPT Lorimer needed immediate medical care, so Dunn pointed 772 in the direction of Tay Ninh and the base hospital. Flight leader Thumpy Thompson notified Tactical Operations Center (TOC) of the situation, and TOC, in turn, notified the battalion’s flight surgeon, CPT Craig Thomas. Doctor Thomas immediately headed for the 45th Surgical Hospital near the Tay Ninh runway; he would stand by for Lorimer’s arrival. It would take about thirty minutes to reach Tay Ninh if Dunn could keep 772 in one piece and in the air that long. He cut the flying time to Tay Ninh by coaxing every last knot of forward airspeed out of the crippled bird. The velocity that should never be exceeded (VNE) on his UH-1H was 120 knots, and Dunn got every bit of that and maybe a little more out of 772 as they raced to Tay Ninh. With a casualty on board a healthy bird, she could be landed on the helicopter pad next to the hospital, but 772 was far from healthy. In fact, without tail rotor control, landing on the helipad was completely out of the question; the only possibility of landing at all would be to initiate a gradual descent to the main runway. Dunn’s approach would be more like a fixed-wing aircraft’s. Dunn was very familiar with the airport at Tay Ninh; it was, after all, his home base. He flew from Tay Ninh every day, and his hooch was near the runway, so he knew it was a huge sucker, about five-thousand feet long and very wide. The surface was covered with perforated steel planking (PSP). Runways could be built quickly and easily with PSP to make an acceptable landing strip for fixed-wing aircraft. Ironically, helicopter pilots never actually used the Tay Ninh runway; they landed on and departed from helicopter pads along its side. Dunn had passed over the runway thousands of times as he took off and landed. Now he was about to actually use it, albeit in an unconventional manner. Huey 772 was approaching Tay Ninh from the north, and, knowing that the runway ran north and south, Dunn radioed the tower that he would be landing from the north. The tower advised him that the wind was from the north and that all traffic was landing from the south, into the wind. The tower then told him, with perhaps a hint of irritation, that a flight of C-130 cargo planes was on final from the south and that he would have to go around. With his hydraulics shot and no tail rotor control, going around for a south-to-north landing was not an option. He didn’t have enough control Continued on Page 14 of 772 to take her on a 180-degree tour of the countryside. 13
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Besides, he had to get his CO to the hospital and his bird on the ground before it vibrated itself out of the sky. Dunn didn’t have the time or option to negotiate; he simply advised the tower, with a tone of authority in his voice, that he would be landing north to south. The tower, in the final analysis subservient to the pilot, diverted the C-130s and cleared 772 to land. With minimal flight controls, slowing 772 down for a normal helicopter landing was completely out of the question. With skill, he managed to slow the crippled bird to about 126 miles per hour, but even so—in pilot jargon—he would be coming in “hot,” very hot! To make matters worse, because Army Hueys were not fitted with wheels, 772 would land on its skids—no wheels, no brakes, and no directional control. On the ground, soldiers in Tay Ninh’s tower watched with apprehension as 772 approached the runway. Barber and Brown had stuck close to 772, their Cobra’s firepower ready to neutralize any threat. Now inside the base perimeter, their mission was completed. They could have flown their Cobra back to base, but they chose instead to shadow 772 all the way to touchdown. Dunn touched down at the far northern end of the runway at about 126 miles per hour, and 772 began sliding on the PSP. He immediately shut down his engine and electrical systems; all on board were now just along for the ride. Pilot, crew, and passengers would end their harrowing journey at the mercy of 772. The metal skids screeched but offered little resistance against the steel PSP; it was like sliding on Teflon® [a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company]. Huey 772 was an injured bird, but a good bird. It was as if she put herself on autopilot and guided herself straight down the runway, but without brakes, she couldn’t slow herself down. With little resistance, 772 and her passengers skidded down the runway like a puck on an air hockey table. Soldiers on the ground, unaware of the situation, were flabbergasted to see a Huey sliding down the runway. In the tower, everyone held their breath. By midfield, it was still balls-to-the-wall. About a quarter of the way from the end of the runway, Dunn began to sense a reduction in forward speed; 772 continued to skid and finally came to a labored halt. With no power and no control, 772 had skidded straight down four-fifths of the five-thousand-foot runway. Looking down from their Cobra, Barber and Brown were awestruck; they not only watched a Huey pilot land a helicopter with no wheels, like a fixed-wing airplane, but they also saw 772 skid straight down the runway and end up as close to the hospital as possible. Non-pilots on the ground may not have been impressed, but the two highly skilled Cobra pilots watching from above knew they had just witnessed something remarkable. They landed their Cobra next to 772 to lend a hand. When 772 finally came to a halt, the ambulance driver rushed to the stricken Huey, and Army medics removed CPT Lorimer from the right seat. Dunn jumped into the ambulance for the high-speed trip to the 45th Surgical Hospital a short distance away. The battalion’s flight surgeon, Doctor Thomas, was standing by when the ambulance arrived at the emergency entrance. The 45th Surgical Hospital was always a busy place; causalities came in every day. On this day, the hospital was especially busy. When CPT Lorimer was wheeled into the emergency room, all of the doctors were busy in operating rooms or looking after other critical patients. Doctor Thomas would have no support attending to his patient; nevertheless, he began his examination. He determined that, although unconscious, Lorimer’s pupils were still pinpoint, which meant that there was still some blood circulating to the brain. There was a severe shortage of equipment at the time, so Doctor Thomas was unable to intubate his patient. He did manage to insert an IV to start fluids, but only by cutting down on Lorimer’s forearm to find a vein. Lorimer’s veins were quite empty, indicating to the doctor that Lorimer had lost a massive amount of blood. Shortly thereafter, CPT William Lorimer IV succumbed to his Concluded on Page 15 wound and died. 14
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Doctor Thomas had done all he could. Under ideal conditions, he might have been able to save the life of the man he considered his friend. Unfortunately, on that particular day, the conditions at 45th Surgical Hospital were far from ideal. Back at 772, the crew was amazed at what they saw. The skids were burned away to practically nothing. As they examined the Huey for damage, they could see that the mast to the main rotor was clearly out of center. Search as they may, though, they could find not a single bullet hole anywhere on 772. The bullet that killed their commanding officer was fired from the right rear as they were departing the LZ. It entered through the open sliding door behind Lorimer and passed by the door-gunner and ARVN troops, through the narrow gap between the armor plate behind his seat and the sliding armor panel protecting his right side. One inch to the right or left, and Lorimer would not have been scratched. The chance of a bullet following such a path was incalculable, a one-in-a-trillion tragedy. Two days later, a memorial service was held for CPT Lorimer in Charlie Company’s mess hall. The tables were removed, and extra chairs were brought in to accommodate everyone wanting to pay respects to their friend and commanding officer. Captain Lorimer’s boots and helmet sat on a small table at the front of the makeshift chapel. At the end of the service, a seven-man firing squad fired a twenty-one-gun salute. Taps was then played for CPT William Lorimer IV, the 49,016th American to die in the Vietnam War. Somewhere—probably mid-Pacific—Captain Lorimer’s last letter to his wife, dated 9 March 1970, was making its way to Wheaton, MN. The day before his death, Bill Lorimer wrote, “Hope things stay quiet today, they sure were hectic yesterday. Give my love to everyone.” The aviation skills of Dunn on that 10th day of March in 1970, were marveled at. Indeed, the actions of the entire crew of 772 were credited with saving the lives of many ARVN troops. In appreciation, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam awarded Dunn and the entire crew the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry Medal with Gold Star.
Call For Recipes Jay Brown
Calling all aviators, past and present; aviators' partners and anyone else. CHPA will be assembling a cookbook for sale to members and non-members (OK, Everyone) and we invite you to participate. If you will, send in your favorite recipes for inclusion. We'd like recipes for beverages, snacks/apps, sides, entrees and sweets. Hey, if you can come up with a helicopter related name for them, that's even better. Please submit the recipes to recipesCHPA@yahoo.com in Word or RTF format, if you can, but we can accommodate almost any format (with a little more work). Also, please remember, if you want to submit a recipe you copied from a website or book, change up the directions (they're the copyrightable content). Or let us know that they need to be changed; and please give attribution to the author. (This just keeps us safe.) Depending on the response, this cookbook may be available at the Annual Convention in Indianapolis in September. We’ve included one of the submitted recipes and, while this may not be exactly the type of fine, five star cuisine we’re looking for to include in the book, we feel it does deserve a presentation here. As they say in the finer restaurants, “Enjoy.”
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CHPA • The Swash Plate
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Southern Opossum Road Kill Rhea Rippey
There are three important parts to this simple recipe that was passed down to me from my old Uncle Rupert who lived back in a holler up around Dixon Springs with my favorite Aunt Ethel. Step 1: The Selection Many a Possum Road Kill recipe jumps the tracks right here at Step 1. Anybody should know that you can't use just any old road kill specimen. Pick one killed too recently and you miss the coagulated flavors that only a bit of sun-aging can provide. Wait too long and you've got yourself a flavored possum that skews toward the tart, and will fall off the bone prior to cooking. Neither is a good start to a memorable possum entree. Also, don't make the mistake of using this recipe interchangeably with its western cousin, the armadillo. The southeastern possum is far more juicy and tender due to its lush environment. What you're looking for is a possum that was hit south of the Mason-Dixon line during the optimal months of July through the 1st week of September, but no earlier or later. Those cooler days and less intense sun on either side of the sweet spot will result in "ruint" possum, as my Aunt Ethel used to say. The hot summer sun kinda precooks the meat while holding in the all-important flavoring juices. Last point, be sure to pick a possum that was hit by a Prius or other small, extremely lightweight, politically-correct alternative powered vehicle. You can usually tell what hit it by the burned-out shell of a lightweight eco-friendly sedan, crumpled and overturned nearby. The meat will hardly be damaged at all versus, say, one hit by a substantive carbon foot-printed fossil fueled gas-guzzler. Of course, you definitely want to avoid a semi victim. Those trailers really break down the fiber and rearrange the innards, a combo that causes an unfortunate aftertaste. Step 2: The Preparation What you want to do is to skin then gut your sun-seasoned possum. Your kids will love to play with the skin, especially if you leave the tail attached, while your dawgs will fight over the juicy internal bits. I recommend this latter operation be conducted off the outside edge of the side porch. Otherwise, you might risk staining the linoleum. Next, quarter that bad boy, then baste in a marinade of Pabst Blue Ribbon, a goodly sprinkle of Tabasco Sauce, some crumpled mint leaves, and a handful of chipped Beggin Strips. Marinate overnight in a covered pan with a heavy top held in place with a brick. You just never know how much fermentation may take place overnight. One hour prior to serving, drain the marinade and simmer in a covered pan for 20 minutes on low heat, adding green onions, a diced tomato, and half a cup of Thunderbird wine. Add salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste. Turn off the heat and let it rest while you prepare appetizers and drinks for your guests. I recommend sardines and a dollop of mustard on saltines with a side of baked bean dip garnished with cubed Vienna sausage. This combo is very chic. Dip the beans with colorful Cheetos. Thunderbird wine also pairs wonderfully with these exotic appetizers. 16
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Step 3: The Presentation For a very fresh look that is gaining in popularity, spread your table with newspaper. I also recommend cutting some nice little aluminum foil squares for the sardine service, and upturned Mason jar tops as individual containers for the bean dip. By the time your dawgs start barking at the coyotes after sundown, you will be the talk of the trailer park. Serve the elegant possum entree on festive paper plates with a side of mint jelly and slices of white bread cut diagonally. This summer delicacy will earn you kudos and many future return dinner invitations. Just remember, it's all about selection, preparation, and presentation. Bon Appetite!
Call on Us!
Contact Quick Reference Chairman of the Board – Robert Frost Chairman@chpa-us.org
Mark Hilton MHilton@chpa-us.org
President – Mick Tesanovich president@chpa-us.org
Alex Horony AHorony@chpa-us.org
Call us! 800•832•5144
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Fax us! 719•687•4167
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Randy Zahn RZahn@chpa-us.org
Write us! CHPA PO Box 42 Divide, CO 80814-0042
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James Wilhite JWilhite@chpa-us.org
Remember! Feel free to contact us any time.
Executive Director – Jay Brown HQ@chpa-us.org
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