138th Aviation Company (RR)

My time at the 138th Avn Co (RR)

I spent two tours with the 138th Avn Co (RR) the first was from Nov 1966 through Nov 1967. I arrived in country and was processed at Davis Station, assigned to the 138th in Da Nang.

Upon arrival, via C130 and every postage stamp size landing strip between Saigon and Da Nang, I contacted the CQ at the unit, and was taken from the Da Nang USAF Depot to the Orderly Room, on the opposite side of the airfield. At the time the Orderly Room and Operations was housed in an old French building, next to the 1st Marine Air Wing. I spent my first night there in an old dilapidated building, waking each time a jet took off, or hearing outgoing artillery. The 138th was a relatively new unit there and billeting was wherever they could put a body, some with the Navy, some with the AF and some with the Army.

The next day I in processed into the unit, which was relatively easy, since all the unit was located around the Orderly Room. I was taken downtown Da Nang, and billeted in a barracks room behind the Da Nang Hotel. All meals and billeting was done there, at the interim.

The flight line was on the ramp, on the other side of the 1st Marine Air Wing, no revetments, just the aircraft parked on the edge of the ramp. The AVIONICS and Mission Gear repair was done in 2 1/2 Ton Truck vans.

Later in the year, the flight line was moved down to the end of the ramp, with semi permanent buildings constructed for the maintenance crews, both aircraft and mission gear/avionics. Also, later that year, we were moved from the Da Nang Hotel, to a Villa on Trung Nu Vong street, closer to the airfield. After the unit was moved to the end of the ramp, there was a major VC attack, June 11, 1966. Massive damage was done to the Air Base, with one rocket hitting the 138th flight line, with minimal damage to aircraft. The Air Force and Marine Corps had massive damage to aircraft and personnel. In addition in 1966 a B-52 attempted a landing after a mission 'up north' with damage. The aircraft touched down about half way down the runway, and went off the end of the runway, across the road and into the minefield there. The status of the crew is unknown, but the Marine Corps had many were assigned to use bayonets to locate and remove mines prior to the remains of the aircraft removal. Our end of the runway was also used by the Air Force and Marine Air Wing to arm their aircraft, always pointing out over the minefield, and on occasion dropping a load on the ramp. On our side of the dual runways was the arrestor wire, to stop the Marine aircraft when coming in damaged, as well as many aircraft using this side to 'belly in' with foam all over the place. I saw several of these and many more occurred while I was working.

The 138th has lost 3 aircraft in the Viet Nam days. The first was just prior to my arrival in 1966, a RU-8 went down in the Hi Van Mountains, with a pilot and USMC passenger, this is still considered Missing, though the site has been discovered, and at last word the remains of both men and aircraft are being researched to verify. The second was just after I left the unit in 1967, it was a RU-6, flown by Cpt Kelly with CWO Wolters and an operator aboard. The aircraft was located quickly, the operator was recovered alive and was medivaced and recovered (I ran into him at Ft. Hood TX a few years later) however Cpt Kelly and CWO Wolters did not survive. I have seen their names on the 'Wall'.

The third aircraft went down on my second tour, while in Phu Bai, in 2007. The RU-21 went down, not recovered, with all crew presumed dead. I have been in touch with the people doing the identifying of aircraft at Brooks AFB (now Brooks City Base) in San Antonio Texas. They believe they have located this aircraft as well, however, nothing positive at my last contact with them.

My second tour with the 138th was in 1970 through 1971. The unit was at Phu Bai at this time, and our billeting was in hooches on the air field, next to the 101st Airborne helicopter units We relied on the 8th Field Station for our chow, and all in all was not bad, considering the alternative of C Rations.

Two incidents come to mind on my second tour, one was with the 101st, they had been engaged in a major fight, and one of the medivac birds came in, the helopad was adjacent to our ramp area, and bounced all over the place, we ran from our ramp to assist as we could, the co pilot was killed, the pilot had a wound through his leg and the crew chief was assisting the landing leaning over the deceased co pilot. The other incident was when there was an attack on Phu Bai, and several rockets landed in the APO compound, near the exchange. We got mail with shrapnel through it, and the exchange was giving away packs and cartons of cigarettes with shrapnel in them, but the price was right.

As I write this many incidents come to mind, helping me remember what happened to me in Nam, for many years my life consisted of a huge blank from 1966 through 1983. This whole page is therapeutic for me.

If you were a 138th member at anytime please drop a line here and I would love to hear your exploits with the unit, and would love to post your experiences on the site.