Warlord Three Zero

**MichaelS** · #1 05-31-2018, 03:59 PM

I have wanted to share these pictures with the world for so long. About six months ago I discovered this new hobby and this wonderful forum. Everyone here is so welcoming. I can sense that many here have shared similar experiences to mine. We are a “Band of Brothers” that have always had to lock up all these feelings and memories for so long. The rest of the world will never understand.

The one thing that will strike you about these pictures is that everyone is so young. Many of these are “tip of the tip of the spear” pictures. There were not many old guys out that far “West” as we used to call it. One of the worst and best Hunter-Killer Team leaders I flew under was a 19 year old kid from Pittsburgh, Pa. He was ruthless but he always got the mission accomplished.

Thankfully many of the images that I carry in my head are not here. As the only pilot of a “Loach” (our unit called them “Skeeters”) I was waayyy too busy avoiding trees and hillsides to take pictures! Most “Skeeter” missions took place at about 20 feet. There were many times when the lead Gunship would call out “Skeeter, come out from under the trees. We can’t see you”. There is one picture here of one of my loaches coming back on a sling under a Huey. As you can see RPG’s do a great job of stopping loaches.

As I near the end of my “Tour” I feel it is necessary for more people to see these pictures so that they may be jogged into realizing how utterly ridiculous this war and all the rest of them have been. Soon great men like John McCain will be gone and the world will let the memory of their accomplishments and suffering slip away. The strange thing is that John McCain and I are among the lucky ones. We were able to get old. Many of the young boys you see here did not....

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9R5QdWnpS3hZVFLg7

**Texman** · #2 05-31-2018, 04:30 PM

As long as some of us "young fellars", who had experiences more recently, and who had fathers in Korea and Vietnam remain, and remember, we will fight to keep the memories alive.

**Vinalssergio155** · #3 05-31-2018, 04:49 PM

Thank you for sharing your memories of that sad time that I have to live. Just thank you

**bob neill** · #4 05-31-2018, 07:55 PM

Where did you say you were? I was in the highlands, Pleiku and Kantum, with the task of putting Hueys back together, late 69 early 70. I did not get the time to look around the country, too many holes to patch. There were days they did not come back. There were some Loachs and Cobras flying near us.

Bob Neill
170 AHC

**gotham** · #5 06-01-2018, 04:10 AM

Probably not the right thing to say, but 'great' pictures. Luckily you took them and have put them on the internet for posterity. I was very young when Vietnam was being fought, but I remember the news reports showing helicopters in flight. Since then, I have had an intetest in the war, collecting books about it, and it is important that people like yourself share pictures like this. You have probably been asked this before, but have you ever thought about writing about your time during the war ?

**MichaelS** · #6 06-01-2018, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob neill

Where did you say you were? I was in the highlands, Pleiku and Kantum, with the task of putting Hueys back together, late 69 early 70. I did not get the time to look around the country, too many holes to patch. There were days they did not come back. There were some Loachs and Cobras flying near us.

Bob Neill
170 AHC

I was I Corps in Chu Lai & Da Nang all of '70 (Nixon's year)

**MichaelS** · #7 06-01-2018, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotham

Probably not the right thing to say, but 'great' pictures. Luckily you took them and have put them on the internet for posterity. I was very young when Vietnam was being fought, but I remember the news reports showing helicopters in flight. Since then, I have had an intetest in the war, collecting books about it, and it is important that people like yourself share pictures like this. You have probably been asked this before, but have you ever thought about writing about your time during the war ?

I have a short memoir that I may consider sharing on this forum. The pics were easy some of the other is not. Thank you for your thanks. After the 70's & 80's it feels good to hear...