Vietnam clone...”The Shillelagh“

[DaveHH]

Dave, I wasn't in Vietnam but both my older brothers were. The next older was in the 1st Air Cav's and was badly injured in the Tet Offensive of '68. While in Canby, OR several years ago, I saw they had placed this War Memorial and decided to take a few pictures. Help me remember the model of this chopper. Thanks! - Bob

Ours were just the same as the slicks but there were M60s on either side of the side doors. I can't tell you the model numbers because I wasn't involved in that part. There were hundreds of these things around and a lot of Chinooks. Surprisingly few of the little bubble ships. We once set up a race between a Huey and a Chinook by badgering the pilots. The Chinook just blew the Huey away, no race. When it came to best aircraft, nothing came close to the C130s and the best pilots as well. I liked the CV2s also. There were a few being operated by the Army until about half way in my stay, then they were taken over by the AF. Things were much more easy when the Army had control. But they were also a lot more seat of the pants under the Army. On one flight I was delivering a bunch of material to our Detachment at An Khe. It was stuff like lumber, radio stuff and jungle junk. The CV2 opened up the back ramp and I went into a Golf Course bunker to get an officer down there to sign for the stuff. All of a sudden I heard the CV2 gun the engines and start to leave. I made it just in time to close the door and take off. They had tossed everything out and were leaving. I asked the pilot, a Captain, why the rush and he told me he had a hot date that night. I saw our LT arrive in his French armored car to watch us fly off heading toward the east.