War Stories

This is a war story about a brave warrior from Helicopter Attack Squadron Light 3, Detachment 6 Seawolf Crew Chief/Gunner Joe (Jose) Ramos, who hailed from McAllen, Texas. This story takes place in late July or early August 1970; Joe was gone most of the month of August for his extension leave, so I think I have the timing right. We flew together on this particular scramble, a Scramble 2 (ARVN wounded) so this is from first-hand experience. Joe has been nominated for the “Enlisted Combat Role of Honor” and this story is in support of that nomination. Det 6 …

I arrived in Vung Tau and reported to HA(L)-3 on 24 May 1967. After checking in I was assigned to, along with all the commissary men, to the Army 765th Consolidated Mess. As Petty Officer First Class, I was senior to the Mess Sargent and I was put in charge of the mess. Needless to say this mess was well below Navy standards. I put 2 of my CS2’s in charge of each work shift. The reason that the food there was so poor is that none of the good rations ever got to the mess hall. There were two …

AVIATION ELECTRICIANS MATE, AIRMAN, BARRY SOLOMON U.S.N. was assigned to Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three, Seawolves, Republic of Vietnam from September 1970 through September 1971 as a Combat Aircrew Door Gunner/Crew Chief. After being in country for five days and due to a shortage of gunners, he was sent to Detachment 9 where he served as a Door Gunner/Crew Chief on a Navy UHIB 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 …

ADJ3 Douglas D. Taylor, USN, was assigned to Helicopter Attack, Light, 3 (HAL-3) “Seawolves” from August 1971 through February 1972. His formal training for this assignment began in February of 1971 attending various flight, survival, and weapons training schools. He arrived in Binh Thuy, RVN in Aug. ’71 to become familiarized with his duty assignments as gunner/crew chief trainee of the Navy’s Huey, UH-1B gun ship squadron. Upon completion, he was assigned to Detachment Seven (Det-7) based at Dong Tam, RVN. It was there that he qualified in his duties becoming a viable member of this fire team providing close …

Sampan Insertion Not long after POINC Robert Hunt was wounded some time in 1969, while flying as a door gunner in the U.S. Army Loach (also know as a SPERM to us Seawolf doorgunners), I had the opportunity to replace him. Operations would use the Loach as part of a Hunter/Killer Team, with the Loach flying low level, and I mean below the tree top (scout position), and the Seawolf gunships flying high and fat, out of sight and earshot. The Seawolves were still flying off of one of the LST’s at the time, near the Ca Mau Peninsula. As …