Flights into Cambodia - 1968

In 1968 , if I remember right, we spent about 3 weeks at Plei Djereng supporting operations that were going on in Cambodia.  My ship, Stallion 166, was one of 3 or 4 others.  I know that at least part of our mission included supporting LRRPs on the other side of the border.

Things I remember: 

On our flight to Plei Djereng, we loosened up our M-60s by firing on suspected VC or NVA bunkers...who knows if we hit anything because we were at about 3,000 feet but, because it was about dusk, we could really see the tracers snaking to our targets.

We camped next to a large Mountenard village.  One of their young men would come to the flight line and I shared cigarettes with him.  Couldn't speak his language nor he mine, but we did establish a repore and shared a few laughs.

I'll never forget this.  One day my ship and crew got called to pick up a couple of POWs on the Cambodian side.  We had to hover on a ridge line while the LRRPs lifted the POWs on board.  The "POWs" were two little kids, a boy and girl, who were no older than 5 or 6.  After we got back to Plei Djereng, we found out that they had been kidnapped from another part of Nam by the NVA and used them to scrounge for food in the bush.  So much for the Peoples Liberation Army!

Bob Shipp

Stallion 166 Crew Chief

11/67 - 11/68

Bob,

I do suffer from CRS, but if this is the same mission you were talking  about (early 68), we were attached to the 281st out of Na Trang on a mission to support CCC.  We were sent along because we had H models and they fitted us with electric hoists.  Our mission was to fly chase in case someone went down or they needed to be plucked out of the jungle, the 281st  D models couldn't handle the hoists.  Several weeks of sleeping in tents on the airfield below a fire base that had 175mm cannons. The first time they fired the cannons we knew we were dead, the trajectory was right over the airfield.

I believe the pilots on the mission were:  Art Stockman, Len Jackson, Kent Mitchell, J.T. Thompson, and myself;  don't remember the other crew members.  The one mission I remember was putting the LRPS in right after an Arc Light, for a POW snatch.  First time I ever say an Arc Light, and we were up close and personal, shock waves from the bombing run was like flying in the mountains at Ft. Carson, a hell of a ride.

Dick Snow

Stallion Instructor Pilot

1st Air Lift Platoon

11/67 - 10/68