Vietnam -- Three incidents that were totally true and totally not made up

If you were to ask me what three incidents really did happen that aren't made up three come quickly to mind.

THE DAY TWO PILOTS WERE SAVED FROM SURE DEATH BY HOLDING ON TO THE ROCKET PODS AND SKIDS

This happened either the last week in March or the first week in April, 1970.

Sometime between 9am and 11am, Warrant Officer Joe Maxsom had what we helicopter mechanics call an idiot light came on basically saying that he had no oil pressure. Which equates to a transmission seizure and the helicopter taking all the flight characteristics of a rock.

Generally speaking, if oil temp doesn't show an increase in temperature, then the chances are good the idiot light has, once again, proven its name.

At this point, the Tactical Operations Officer advised Maxsom that it was up to him to decide what to do next but strongly suggested to bring the Cobra back to our pad.

Maxsom decided to land the Cobra in an open area he thought was his best option.

Warrant Officer Fredrick Cappo was in the second Cobra and was able to see clearly what was going on.  As soon as the Cobra landed, it started taking heavy enemy fire.

He called it in, landed beside the crippled Cobra, and the two pilots jumped on the skids of Cappo's Cobra and were flown out of the hostile area on the rocket pods and skid.

Meanwhile, back at the pad, we had officers and enlisted racing to their Cobras for a chance of some enemy kills and to blow up the stricken Cobra.

Warrant Officer Cappo dropped the two pilots off in a safe location and returned to engage the enemy.
A medevac picked up the two pilots of the downed Cobra and brought them home to our pad.

THE DAY A COBRA CRASHED, RETURNED TO BASE AND LANDED WITHOUT SKIDS  
 Up at Camp Evens an AH-IG Cobra had taken off on a fire mission and began its firing run. When the pilot pulled up on the collective, it didn't respond. Apparently, someone forgot to remove a pair of pliers and it jammed between the swash plate and the scissors and sleeve assembly.

Upon hitting the ground the pliers removed itself from the cobra -- as did the skids -- and the pilot regained control.

Rocket boxes were placed under the Cobra and the Cobra landed on the boxes. It is unclear how the top heavy Cobra was stabilized so that it didn't just fall to one side or the other. But no other incidents related to the incident were recorded.

SO WHY ARE YOU WHISPERING?

Believe me, I couldn't make this one up if I tried. Although a couple of journalists have tried to place this incident at a later time, the fact is, this incident happened while I was still with B Battery, 4th Battalion, 77th Field Artillery.

I also wrote it up as one of my very first stories I did as a stringer for the Battalion. And, it is totally true.

Apparently some ARVNS -- those are the Vietnamese friendlies -- observed some -- 208 -- NVA --enemy soldiers -- take shelter in some empty huts. Hearing one of our Cobras they talked to the pilots which I could hear with my radio.  Unfortunately, I couldn't hear the  ground chatter. 

The key response that got me back in the jeep and head for all sorts of euphoric chaos was a question the pilot asked: "Why are you whispering?"

When that pilot started whispering back I was gone.

I think everything that was flyable was up in the air that day and us guys on the ground were running back and forth across the flight line to keep the Cobras armed with plenty of rockets.  Some of the Cobras weren't from B Battery, too.

With the ARVNS on the ground, we were able to get an accurate kill count.  The tally was 208 with no friendlies killed.  

A hell of a day.