Photo Album

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Page 1

(62-63)
Page 3

(66-67)
Page 4

(68-69)
Page 5

(70-71)

1964-1965

Entering the newly dedicated James E. Bailey Compound above and leaving below.

The compound housed the 118th Aviation Company Headquarters and enlisted

barracks for 118th Aviation Company and A/501st Aviation Company. Note

all the bicycles of Vietnamese workers.(64)

(Photos courtesy Joe Newsome)

L to R: Melvin Koon, Dale Straub,

Earl Palmer and Wood. NVA flag on

wall was captured by Koon and Knisley

at Tan Uyen, N. of Bien Hoa.(64)

(Photo courtesy Melvin Koon)

Relaxing at the Villa? L to R: Granville Couey, Melvin Koon and Eubanks. Melvin Koon's

nick name was "Montagnard"(64)

(Photo courtesy Melvin Koon)

CWO Jess Gossage(65)

(Photo courtesy Pat McLarney)

Jim Viele taking a photo at Dalat.

Note tree beside him is a pine tree....proof

that Dalat had pine trees.(64)

(Photo courtesy Pat McLarney)

Jim Underwood at Villa on Cong Ly street

and unknown

French? motorcycle.(64)

(Photo courtesy Pat McLarney)

A Thunderbird party. 2nd from left (blue shirt)

is Jack "Heavy Duty" Lynch and the fella

with his hands behind his head is

CPT Lionel Waugh, XO . Need help identifying

others.(64)

(Photo courtesy Frank Zipperer)

L to R: 2nd Platoon SSG Joseph James Compa

who was BNR at Dong Xoai and

Crew Chief Fred Holder. (65)

(Photo Courtesy Fred Holder)

Roy Lowery on a day off.(65)

(Photo courtesy Pat McLarney)

This photo was taken by one of the crew about 30min after being shot down by two 30s and one 50 caliber machine gun about three miles west of Phu Hoa Dong, after noon on 4 Oct. '64. I'm sure you recognize the object I'm holding as the collective stick! 1LT Delbert Straub was in the left seat firing the machine guns, and of course, I was flying and firing rockets. We made multiple passes on the machine gun positions (the two 30cals) and made a final with only one door gun and two rockets left. We took a lot of hits from the 30s but on that last run the 50cal brought us down. That's what knocked the collective clear out of the deck. I don't recall how many 50cal hits we took that day, but one just missed my ass by about an inch (hit the magazine of my "green gun" tied behind my seat and disintegrated it). The one that brought us down hit the fuel cell sump pump. All on board earned purple hearts that day, but me! All I got was blisters down my collar from hot brass and a shrapnel cut on my little pinkie. No one was killed, but the observer may have
died later.

(Photo and story courtesy Granville Couey)

July 22, 1965

UH-1B, 62-04583, as it appeared after being damaged by a grenade that landed outside, only a few feet away. The 118th Avn Co. was in support of B/2/16th Inf. around Bien Hoa on the very first Big Red One's offensive operation after their arrival in Vietnam. The Bn Commander, LTC Lloyd L. Burke, was on board this aircraft and was directing armed helicopters in support of a sweep, when the aircraft was apparently hit by a VC hand grenade (possibly RPG). LTC Burke, nicknamed "Scooter", was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor in Korea as a 1LT in 1952. There were six on board and all were wounded; WO Lawrence Lombard (Aircraft Commander}, CPT Jack Waters (1st PLT Cmdr), LTC Lloyd L. Burke and a CPT from his unit as well as Frank Amisano (Door Gunner) and the yet unidentified Crew Chief. The gunner, Frank Amisano, was on his first flight as a gunner.

Article which appeared in Stars and Stripes shortly after the incident.

Provided by Frank Amisano

Same B Model showing shrappnel damage

which wounded 6 people on board. (65)

(Photo courtesy Everett Runnells

by way of Frank Amisano)

Fella taking photo is CPT Lionel Waugh, the

XO of the 118th Thunderbirds. On left is a

Medic apparently working with WO1 Larry

Lombard or the unnamed Crew

Chief of the aircraft.(65)

(Photo courtesy Everett Runnells

by way of Frank Amisano)

After CPT Jack Waters flew the aircraft back to

Bien Hoa, medical personal were waiting and here

we see them working on WO1 Larry Lombard

and unknown Crew Chief.(65)

(Photo courtesy Everett Runnells

by way of Frank Amisano)

Same Red Thunderbird 6 aircraft following an

attempt to fly during a night-time

mortar/rocket attack.(65)

(Photo courtesy Everett Runnells

by way of Frank Amisano)

WO1 Larry Lombard was the AC on the aircraft and was sitting just inside the door. His peter pilot was 1LT Jack Waters who was slightly injured in the knee, but was able to fly the helicopter to Med-Evac all on board to the hospital(Saigon). Larry Lombard regained consciousness in the hospital and asked the doctor if he could fly again. The doctor responded, "Sure, anytime you buy an airline ticket." Lombard's wounds were serious enough to warrant evacuation to the US. Records indicate that six people on board were wounded. However, the names of the other crew members or the other wounded observer , are not known.

(Photo and details courtesy Jack Waters)