Our Tactical Operations Center at FSB Mace, received an urgent radio call one night, and we discovered that one of our units had come into contact with a large enemy force and needed immediate air support.
With our Huey already preflighted and full of fuel and ammo, we took off and flew to a mountainous area just north north west of Phan Thiet and made radio contact with our guys on the ground. In a very short period of time, Wollman located them and headed to the south end of a canyon that was surrounded on two sides by the mountains that were common place in that part of the Southern Central Highlands. (It wasn't far from the battle field I earlier described where Wollman more or less stopped the Huey so the Colonel could command the battle field and we would be out of artillery lines of fire).
Unfortunately for us, at the south end of the canyon, there was another mountain that made it impossible to maintain a constant altitude and gun run at low level. If we did, we would have crashed into the southern most mountain. This further complicated the situation because we had not yet located the exact location of our troops. To add difficulty to that situation, it was pitch dark and our guys were in very close combat with the NVA/VC. To worsen the situation, the whole damn thing was going down very close to the point where all three of the mountain peaks intersected with one another.
About that time, we saw a USAF C 47, "Puff the Magic Dragon", approaching the firefight from a higher altitude, flying east to west over the area. We exchanged radio communications with them and a decision was made regarding who was best suited to take the primary role of air support. They couldn't get to an altitude as low as we were because of the mountains and, because they couldn't identify the exact position of our men, Wollman took the lead and had them stand by.
We were asked to fly down the canyon and shoot some marking rounds with the M 60's. This was done to insure that we were hitting the exact area that our men needed the fire and that no friendly fire casualties would exist.
I'd never seen any of the Aircraft Commanders order the crew to point their weapons forward, hold them steady and on his command, shoot a one second burst. This allowed Wollman to direct the bullets to the target area that he'd been given by the ground commander. He did that and was told by the ground commander that he'd hit the target and "pour it on". At that time, the gunners knew where the target area was but we were running out of space because the mountain at the end of the canyon was fast approaching.
In any event, we made a couple of effective gun runs and the guys on the ground reported that we needed to keep it coming. By the time all this unfolded, we began to run low on fuel and ammo and reported that we would make the short flight to Phan Thiet to resupply.
We did that, returned to the fight and continued to supply the effective gun runs that our guys needed. It seemed that no time had passed when we were again needing to fly back to Phan Thiet for more ammo and fuel. When we advised the ground commander that we were going to get more fuel and ammo, he advised us that they were running low on ammo and needed us to pick up a number of things at Phat Thiet.
Wollman must have radio'd the crew at Phan Thiet and told them we were coming in and needed a quick turn around including the resupply of ammo for the ground troops. When we landed at re-supply, I noticed a couple of enlisted men dragging the heavy ammo boxes that contained everything from M 60 and M 16 ammunition to hand grenades and M 70 rounds.
Wollman had been flying all night long and I, as a newbie co pilot, was pretty much involved with observations and cross checks on the instrument panel. I think he let me fly from Phan Thiet back to an area close the ingress point of our previous gun runs so he could stretch his legs and crack his fingers.
In any event, he took the controls again and began what I thought would be another gun run. I was wrong on that assumption because he was constantly on the radio with the ground commander and was slowing down instead of speeding up.
In a very short period of time, he brought the helicopter to a stop as the men below had directed us to a point where we could be certain that they would get the ammo and not the enemy. When they told us to stop and drop the ammo, I turned my head and watched the ammo boxes being shoved out of the Huey. I followed them as they fell through the tree tops and was more than a little relieved to hear the radio call that the drop was perfect.
By the time all these things transpired, we, and the guys on the ground, must have killed enough of the bad guys to turn the tide of battle as the ground commander seemed to think that they were going to be okay. Shortly thereafter, we left the area and began our flight home as we had been flying and fighting all night long. I don't remember if there was another Huey on station to take our place but I do remember that I felt lucky to be alive after experiencing a night mission that ended up being the longest combat assault I'd ever made at night during my entire tour.
I'm almost certain that I flew the ship back to FSB Mace as Wollman had been doing 99% of the flying that night. When we got to Mace the sun was coming up and we stopped long enough to make our report, take a break and eat breakfast. We were released and told to fly back to Long Binh and get some rest, which we gladly did.
When we landed, Major Stiner was waiting on us and had us stand in formation for an awards and decoration ceremony. I received my Bronze Star that morning and even though it wasn't for that particular fight, I was extremely proud to receive it as it is not an award for aircrew members. I simply assumed it was for my conduct during a couple of rocket and mortar attacks we experienced at Mace or one of the fire bases while I was there.
I remember that the Major knew all about the night long mission we'd just completed and was real happy to hear him acknowledge that and release us for some well deserved showers and sleep.
Of all the regrets I have from Vietnam, this particular mission stands at the top. I don't regret the experience of having seen that much combat in so small a time frame. On the other hand, I am quite appreciative of the tactical lessons I was privileged to see Wollman deliver that night. Despite that, I do regret that I didn't know anything at all about Awards and Decorations and through my ignorance, did not recommend him for the Distinguished Flying Cross. I have regretted that for forty years. In the past two years, I've communicated with a Colonel about that but was told it was beyond his control and that too many years had passed. I still regret that.
For whatever it is worth to all of you, last November, I commissioned an artist to make "A Copilot's Distinguished Flying Cross" to send to Craig for his military keep sakes. I thought I could send it by Christmas but here I am in May still waiting. Oh well, what can a guy with half a brain say?
This will conclude the posts regarding my combat experiences from my days with Fireball Aviation and the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. I haven't mentioned all the guys and simply think that I lack the words or skills to express those things so this will have to do for all. Special thanks to Craig Wollman, the greatest night combat pilot I ever knew. Thanks also to Dudley, Terry, Ed, JJ, Bob, Cpt. Moore, Kat Ballew and the many incredible gunners and crew chiefs we had the good fortune to have as our crews.
Next, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Air Cav Troop and the invasion of Cambodia.
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