RECONDO SCHOOL 

  I THINK MOST "SLICK" PILOTS WHO SERVED IN THE 92AHC DURING 1967-68 WILL REMEMBER THE AVIATION SUPPORT GIVEN BY THE 10TH COMBAT AVAITION BATTALION TO THE MACV RECONDO SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF NHA TRANG LOCATED ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF CAM RHAN BAY. THE YOUNG MEN SENT TO THIS SCHOOL WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS AND DURING THE COURSE OF THREE WEEKS WERE TAUGHT THE FINER POINTS OF PATROLING. THEY WERE THEN SENT BACK TO THEIR UNITS TO TEACH AND LEAD OTHERS ON LONG RANGE PATROLS FOR GATHERING INFO ON THE ENEMY. THE CADRE OF THIS SCHOOL WERE ALL ARMY SPECIAL FORCES AND MOST WERE SECOND TOUR VETERANS WITH PLENTY OF COMBAT EXPERIENCE. THE SCHOOL LASTED THREE WEEKS WITH THE FIRST WEEK BEING CENTERED AROUND PHYISICAL CONDITIONING AND CLASS ROOM TRAINING. THE SECOND WEEK IS WHERE THE AVAITION UNITS GOT INVOLVED. WE WOULD FLY UP TO NHA TRANG AND SPEND MOST OF THE DAY WITH THE STUDENTS PRACTICING INSERTIONS AND EXTRACTIONS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. SOMETIMES WE WOULD HOVER ABOUT TEN FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE THE STUDENTS PRACTICED CLIMBING INTO AND OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT ON ROPE LADDERS. THIS WAS ALSO GOOD PRACTICE FOR THE PILOTS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNEW HOW THESE GUYS MAY HAVE TO BE RECOVERED AT THE END OF THE MISSION. HOVERING WHILE SEVERAL GUYS ARE CLIMBING THE LADDER COULD BE A LITTLE TRICKY UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. ESPECIALLY IN TIGHT LZ"S AND WITH A WIND BLOWING UP YOUR TAIL PIPE. WHEW! THIS STILL GIVES ME THE "WILLIES" TO THINK OF THE TIMES I DID THAT AND ALMOST LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PROCESS. THE OTHER THING WE DID WAS TO HELP TRAIN THE STUDENTS IN THE USE OF THE "MC GUIRE" RIG. THIS QUITE SIMPLY WAS A LONG ROPE {MAYBE A 100 FEET OR MORE} WITH A SAND BAG ATTACHED TO ONE END. ONCE THE TEAM WAS LOCATED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED PROPERLY, THE SAND BAG WAS DROPPED THROUGH THE TREES. THEN THE EACH MAN WEARING THE HARNESS CLIPPED HIMSELF ON THE ROPE AND WAITED FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO ASCEND VERTICALLY. IF EVERYTHING WENT AS PLANNED TWO TEAM MEMBERS AT A TIME WERE HOISTED TO SAFETY. UNDER TRAINING CONDITIONS THE STUDENTS WERE ALL GIVEN A SHORT RIDE WHILE DANGLING FROM THE ROPE AND THEN RETURNED TO THE TRAINING AREA. THAT REALLY LOOKED LIKE A LOT OF FUN BUT I COULD NEVER GET UP ENOUGH NERVE TO DO IT. CALL ME "CHICKEN" IF YOU LIKE BUT I DID SURVIVE TO WRITE THIS STORY. HA! I DO REMEMBER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS GIVING THE INSTRUCTORS A SHORT RIDE AND THEN "DUNKING" THEM IN THE NEARBY LAKE. ANY BODY REMEMBER THAT? HA!

  NOW THE LAST WEEK WAS WHERE IT DID GET DANGEROUS BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN THE STUDENTS WERE TAKEN ON A "REAL" COMBAT PATROL. THE MOUNTAINS NEAR NHA TRANG HAD PLENTY OF "BAD" GUYS AND FROM TIME TO TIME DID MAKE CONTACT WITH THESE STUDENT-LED PATROLS. THE TEAMS WERE NORMALLY INSERTED JUST BEFORE DARK AND UNLESS CONTACT WAS MADE THEY WOULD STAY ON THE GROUND FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS. AN INSTRUCTOR WOULD GO ALONG FOR GUIDANCE BUT WAS THERE PRIMARILY FOR GRADING EACH PATROL MEMBER. AFTER THE INSERTION WAS MADE THE AIRCRAFT AND CREW WOULD FLY BACK TO NHA TRANG TO WAIT IN CASE THE TEAM GOT INTO TROUBLE.

  I FLEW THESE MISSIONS QUITE OFTEN BUT THIS PARTICULAR MISSION NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK. I THINK I WAS FLYING WITH A YOUNG WARRANT OFFICER BY THE NAME OF HORNSBY AND AFTER LANDING WENT BACK TO THE "O" CLUB FOR A HAMBURGER.  WE HAD NO SOONER FINISHED THE MEAL WHEN I GOT A CALL TO RETURN TO THE AIRFIELD FOR AN IMMEDIATE EXTRACTION OF OUR TEAM. WE DASHED BACK AND GOT AIRBORNE SOON AS WE COULD. I REMEMBER THE NIGHT WAS CLEAR BUT THERE WAS NO MOON. FORTUNATELY WE HAD PUT OUR TEAM IN A RELATIVELY FLAT AREA SO IF WE COULD FIND THEM THE EXTRACTION SHOULD BE PRETTY EASY. WE WOULD MAKE A NORMAL NIGHT APPROACH, COME TO A HOVER, LOAD UP, AND THEN GET THE "HELL OUT OF DODGE". SOUNDS EASY BUT HERE IS WHERE IT GOT DICEY. FIRST WE HAD TROUBLE LOCATING THE TEAM. THEN WHEN WE DID FIND THEM, THEY TOLD US THEY HAD BEEN CHASED INTO A LARGE GROUP OF TREES BY THE "BAD" GUYS. THEY SAID, "WE THINK YOU WILL HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO HOVER DOWN THROUGH THE TREES". THEY ALSO ASKED US NOT TO TURN THE LANDING LIGHT ON. I TOLD THEM "NO WAY JOSE" BECAUSE WITHOUT LIGHT I WOULD PROBABLY HIT THE TREES AND WE WOULD ALL BE IN TROUBLE. THEY FINALLY "OKAYED" THE LIGHT BUT FAILED TO TELL ME THAT THE LANDING ZONE WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH ASH. SO AS I MADE MY VERTICAL APPROACH INTO THE LZ THE ROTOR WASH CAUSED THE ASH TO FLY UP AND COMPLETELY ENVELOPED THE AIRCRAFT. WITH MY HEART IN MY THROAT I STARTED TO MAKE A "GO AROUND" BUT DECIDED AT THE LAST SECOND TO CONTINUE. WE HIT THE GROUND WITH A "SMACK" BUT FORTUNATELY THE GROUND WAS LEVEL AND THE AIRCRAFT DIDN'T ROLL OVER. THEN AS I LOOKED OUTSIDE I COULD SEE THE TEAM RUNNING FOR THE AIRCRAFT. THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER HEARING WAS EVERYONE SCREAMING "GO! GO! GO!". THE TEAM MUST HAVE PANICKED BECAUSE NOW EVERYONE WITH A WEAPON WAS FIRING OUT OF THE

AC. WITH ALL THAT NOISE AND EXCITEMENT YOU COULDN'T HAVE DRIVEN A SPIKE UP MY BUTT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER. THAT'S WHEN MY ADRENALIN REALLY KICKED IN AND I REALLY YANKED UP ON THE COLLECTIVE. HONESTLY, I MAY WELL HAVE OVER-TORQUED THAT OLD "BIRD" BUT I KNOW I MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE A "SATURN 5" ROCKET GOING STRAIGHT UP THAT NIGHT. WE FINALLY GOT THE AC UNDER CONTROL AND LANDED SAFELY BACK AT THE AIRPORT. THE TEAM DEPLANED AND THANKED US FOR GETTING THEM OUT OF A TIGHT SPOT. WE WENT TO THE BAR FOR A COLD BEER TO HELP SETTLE OUR NERVES. WHEW! WHAT A NIGHT.

HARRY BROUSSARD

Stallion Section Leader

Nov67 - Oct68