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Re: attack cantho air field Ja 14 1969

From: rshanson@iowatelecom.net
Date: 11/1/2004
Time: 4:03:28 PM
Remote Name: 69.66.151.220

Comments

It was Jan 13'69. I was the doorgunner on the slick that got off the ground with the cobra team. I didn't get to it untill it came in to refuel and reload with flares. I was on the flight line on standby when they came through our perimeter. Our line hooch was hit with a b40 rocket as we slept in it. I ran for my ship just behind Gary Weatherhead (pilot) who took a direct hit with a b40 rocket I was spattered with his blood. I dove into the swamp behind the revetments as two vc fired their ak47s at me. I didn't know my ship got off the ground with my crewchief and one pilot until later. Bullits and tracers, mostly from our oun perimeter were bouncing off everything and kept me pinned down. As our own guys got to the flight line things got under controll. Our cobras shot or blew the hell out of the sappers pretty quickly. My company, 235th AHC, lost a lot of our ships, 6 or 8. Gary was the only man we lost. I was very impressed with the site of 2 chinoks burning side by side on the other side of the swamp. I heard that several guys in one perimeter bunker got their throats cut. I think there was a total of 7 or 8 GI's killed.

Last changed: November 01, 2004