War Stories

I was an Aviation Ordnance man First Class when assigned to HAL-3. Upon arrival, I was sent to Det 5 as Petty Officer in Charge on the YBRM 16 near Chau Duc anchored in the river which was a safe haven for the PBR boats and our two helicopters (UH-1B). I was there for about 10 days when they lost the Chief of Det down at Det 1 and I was sent there to replace him. Det 1 was one of the more active dets as we were as far south as you could get in the Delta of Vietnam. …

AVIATION ORDINANCEMAN FIRST CLASS, FRED T. STARK was assigned to Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three in the Republic of Vietnam from August 1970 to August 1971 as a Helicopter Combat Aircrew Door Gunner on a UHIB Huey gunship light fire team at Det-1. Petty Officer Stark’s aircraft was heavily armed with rockets, door mounted and side mounted 6 barrel mini guns, door mounted 50 cal machine gun, grenades, M-16 rifles, and free M-60 machine guns. His Fire Team flew close air support for the SEALs, River boats, and all other allied forces. They did insertion and extractions, medevacs, and intel …

At Det 1, we were flying missions that melted into each other and in retrospect, in another theater, would have been considered “medal” material on nearly a daily basis. We on the other hand, only knew we were doing a job to the best of our ability, under often hazardous conditions, with the ultimate goal of always being there and getting our “Brother Warriors” out of trouble safely so they could go home to their loved ones. Sometimes this wasn’t so easy, but then, we would find out we were capable of the “impossible” and the “Legend of the Seawolves” …

I was the POinC of Det 8, and had flown 500+ missions in 6 months off the Hunterdon County and out of the Rach Gia Short Strip. We had a bunch of great guys, OinCs Chris Thomas, Jerry Weber and pilots Bill Beltz, Butler, Jim Curtis, Rick Harmon, Gary Findley, Ken Lowe, Kevin Delaney(ADM), Mike McNaul and Tom Parret. The gunners were GT Decker, Ron Chitty, John Bazan, L’heureax, Farley, Fargher, West, Timothy, Davidson, Breen, Schmitt, Hart, and Henning. I was called in to be one of three Natops gunners with Lee Hicks and Ken Wheeler. We went to all …

ADJ2 MADISON H. FREEMAN, U.S.N. was assigned to Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three, Seawolves, Republic of Vietnam,from December 1969 to August 1971 as a combat aircrew door gunner/crew chief. First serving in Binh Thuy and then sent to Detachment 3 at Ca Mau, RVN, Where he served as a Door Gunner/Crew Chief on a Navy UH1B Huey Helicopter Fire Team providing close air support for Navy SEALS, Brown Water Navy Boats, Marines, Army, and other friendly ground forces. The aircraft on which he served were armed with fourteen 2.75 inch rockets, one pod mounted mini gun, with one bird having …