What do you mean, you killed a tree?

As luck would have it, I received an email from Craig in response to a question I sent regarding a most unusual Nighthawk mission I flew. I emailed him and asked if it was he and I that flew the Nighthawk over the log truck one night. He responded that he had reports of it being in a place it was not supposed to be and shot the truck to pieces one daylight mission.

Later that night, I pulled the duty of going back to the area for a typical Nighthawk mission. When we arrived at the location on the map given to us as the target area, we could clearly see the 18 wheeler that Craig had killed.

For some reason, I think it might have been Kat Ballew that had the position of Aircraft Commander that night but it could have been Terry Femmer. In any event, as we found the truck, I was amazed at the size of the logs on the back of the truck. Having spent some time with the Colossus Midland Belting Company delivering parts to sawmills, even I was amazed at the diameter of the tree. I'd never seen anything that large because it takes huge "Head Rigs" to saw up a monster tree like this one was. To my knowledge there weren't any head rigs with saws of the size that could take on a tree that was 6' in diameter.

In any event, we began a north to south gun run on the log truck and did so where the 50 caliber machine gun could be used as the primary weapon. I can't remember who was manning the gun but the 50 caliber rounds found their way into that monster sized tree. We didn't know it at the time but Wollman killed the truck and made sure it was going nowhere. We, on the other hand, were simply shooting every square inch of it.

Unknown to us was the fact that the NVA VC had hollowed out trees and used them to transport weapons across that area of Vietnam. We were all shocked when one of the 50 caliber bullets found it's mark inside that tree and hit the munitions it was carrying. There was an explosion that was something like an explosion you see when a Navy battleship shoots a huge artillery round into another ship and it lands in the powder magazine. When I tell you there was an explosion, I MEAN there was a huge, huge explosion as the RPGs, hand grenades, rockets and mortars blew up.

(To Ed) this was the same LZ where Finnerty and I picked up you and the other 3 Arps during the bullet filled fight we had there in November. I'll get to that story when I finish the 199th part of my tour.

At the end of that mission and with our return to base with the story, the word spread like crazy that we had killed a tree. We never would have been able to do it if Craig hadn't killed the truck but I will have to admit that it was a very exciting mission even if we were only cleaning up all the work that Craig had already done. We never received a single round of gunfire from the NVA that night and I was glad of it. Craig told me that there had been a report captured from the NVA VC that mentioned losing their ammo/supply truck. Way to go Wollman.

More Nighthawks coming so just stand by. Some are crazy and Im sure you will enjoy them.

Tim