For jarhead

[Janet Harrington]

For jarhead.

[Warph]

"Once A GUNFIGHTER, Always A GUNFIGHTER"
             

            GUNFIGHTER VILLAGE - DA NANG





This is the Main Exchange at the main entrance to Danang Air Base.
We would loose this area to the VC almost every friday and had to take it
back by dark.

[Janet Harrington]

What cool pictures. Thanks, Warph.

[Diane Amberg]

My stomach just rolled.Sad memories.

[Janet Harrington]

They are sad memories, Diane. They are also history and I so enjoy people sharing this kind of thing with me. It helps me understand a little more of what they went through while they fought on the orders of our country.

[Ms Bear]

It is so hard to understand what it really is like.  So proud of my children and my grandson that served during war time.  Wish they would talk more about it.

[Warph]

     

     

A short brief, 366th TFW at Da Nang, RVN

During the Viet Nam War the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing was stationed at Da Nang Air Base in the Republic of Viet Nam. The Base became known as Rocket City due to the large number of rocket attacks on the installation. The base was shared with the 41st Wing of the Vietnasese Air Forces and the 1st Marine Air Wing, USMC. At that point in time the 366th TFW flew the F4D Phantom which lauched Combat Missions all over both North and South Viet Nam. The wing emblem of the Gunfighers displayed a Phantom like figure ( not the aircraft) holding the gun pod that was mounted under the belly of the F4. USAF Special Operations units flying the AC47 Gunships and A1E, Spads, (Skyraiders) also shared the base with the 366th TFW as well as an Air Rescue Squadron with Jolly Green Giant Choppers. 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron flying first O1E birddogs and O2s until their transistion into OV10 Broncos located and marked tagets for the fighter Aircraft for the 366th TFW. Base Security was provided by the 366th Sucurity Police Squadron who manned perimeter posts, machine gun bunkers, 81 mm Mortor batteries, Armored Pers. carriers and also used claymore mines on the perimeter defense. Of course there were also Law enforcment duties and even Flight line and munitions storage area Security. The 366th SPS also in their K9 section had 45 dogs, all German Shepards. On the oposite side of the Base, the 1st Military Police Bn, USMC provided Perimeter Security but all the K9 even in their location came from the 366th SPS. The Quan Cahn (Military Police) of the Vietnases Air Force also patolled the Base with USAF Security Police from the 366th often in the same vehicle.




Spooky - AC-47 Gun Ship (Puff the Magic Dragon)
You could hear Spooky almost every night flying a circle
around the perimeter of Da Nang Air Base laying down
300 rounds a second.  Early morning came and it was
time for the " meat-grinder brigade" to pickup the pieces
of the VC hamburger out on the perimeter.

Here is Spooky in action:

Inside of Spooky - AC47 Gun Ship:

Puff the Magic Dragon - (Spooky) Our Angel in the Sky.
The AC-47 Spooky configuration was three 7.62 miniguns.  The fire rate was selectable for 3000 rounds per minute or 6000   rounds per minute.  Normal mission procedure was to fire one gun at a time.  Once fire support started, when the first gun went dry, the second would be put on line and the first would be reloaded.  Once the second went dry, #3 came on line and #2 was reloaded.  Unless there was an emergency, three guns would never be fired together.



              Oil Dump hit by sappers


              Rocket Damage, bye bye hooch


              Munitions men loading up an F4


                       China Beach


          F-4 with its payload, ready to hunt


        Standing in a rocket crater


        Flightline of Air America (CIA)




Pictures of Base Exchange (BX) burning after rocket attack

[Teresa]

Excellent!! Thanks.. 

[jarhead]

Aw, Puff the Magic Dragoon. What an awesome sight to see it working out at night. every 5th round was a tracer and when it opened up at night we would hear this "brrrpppp' then looked like a stream of red paint was pouring from the black sky. If I remember right Puff would not open up if "friendlies" were with-in a click (1,000 meters ) of it's target.
Nice pics, Warph, of the rocket attacks . When we got to go back to our rear area, LZ Stud aka Vandergrift Combat Base, those rockets were a daily thing. At first, when they came screeching in you would run like crazy to a bunker---which you never reached before they hit. After a while you just hit the deck, put your hands over your ears, and had a quick conversation with your "maker ". After 2-3 days of them puppies I was ready to go back to the jungle where I felt safer. Seemed like they liked lobbing a few of them about the time people were heading to the chow hall---which very few of the grunts went to anyway. After a steady diet of C-rats for 2 months, that chow hall food had a tendency to give a feller the "skitters ".
Seen many a game of Back Alley interrupted by rockets. You Fly Boys did play Back Alley too, didn't you Warph?
Diane, why does your tummy always roll at the mention of Nam ---if I may ask? I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

[Diane Amberg]

I lost too many friends over there, and a number who came back with life long permanent wounds and one who committed suicide.  One who was lost on July 15,1968 was Al's best friend and would have been the best man at our wedding. He was engaged to one of my best friends, who would have been a brides maid. We were all very close. One whose marriage dissolved (that might have happened anyway) because he had changed so much and not for the better. Even his parents didn't know him anymore. It just bothers me and always will.