"Camp Holloway Flight Ramp"

"Camp Holloway Flight Ramp"
Submitted by - Specialist Victor Hikok, PMOS 67B20, 219th Pleiku

"I recall an incident at Pleiku sometime in my tour of Jan 66 to Jan 67, where a crew chief was placing 2.75mm rockets in the tubes of his aircraft. Only problem was, he forgot to put in the red flagged "Remove Before Flight" pins that kept the electrical circuit from being completed on the tubes. Result? One crew chief hanging on to a 2.75 rocket with a 15 lb high explosive charge going down the PSP (Perforated Steel Plating- for those who do not remember those pieces of steel that many of us enlisted were tasked to replace on detail in the hot sun!!) for a short distance!!!"
Further comment on the incident above -
Submitted by Troy Duplessis -Pilot with the 219th 6/66/-3/67
"The pilot was Cpt Florio and the SF Camp was Duc Co. The SF guys were conducting a ground operation and CPT Florio was providing air cover. Ground fire struck one of the rockets on the right wind. The rocket detonated in the tube and a large chucnk of metal passed through the aircraft between the pilot & observer seats. Fortunately no one was wounded. The blast damaged the right wing aileron and it dangled from the wing causing severe drag. CPT Florio was able to return to Duc Co and safely land on the airstrip. I do not know if he had an observer aboard or if he was flying solo."

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"I also remember after arriving at Pleiku, that I believe was the 194th Avn Co (Caribou) was across the field from us. The Dept of Defense said the Army was trying to do the Air Force job, and the Army had to transfer the CV-2 to the USAF. They needed to fill air crews on those aircraft, and we were asked if we wanted to transfer from Army to Air Force. I chose not to, because it meant the loss of 1 rank, and I had earned my PFC and was hoping to make SP4!!"

"While stationed at Camp Holloway in 1966, I recall an aircraft landing that did not go as planned at the airfield at, I believe, was Plei De Lim (Sorry about spelling of Vietnamese towns.) I recall being told the aircraft was landing into the sun and an Ammunition truck was crossing the runway. The aircraft hit the Ammo truck. The Crew Chief pulled the pilot out of the front seat. I remember being told that one 105mm round had went off. I did see the crater in the middle of the runway when we went to retrieve the aircraft, to be sling-load it under a Huey Helicopter back to Camp Holloway. The pilot suffered broken legs. I am sot sure of any other injuries, but I know that crew chief's fast thinking and evacuating that pilot, saved both their lives that day! By the way, I was on the Huey, over the river, when we started losing altitude and the Bird Dog started swaying badly, even with the spoilers we put on it. So the pilot hit the button that released the hood, and the aircraft went into the river. That is all I know first hand of that incident. "
Further comment on the  incident  above-
Submitted by Troy Duplessis -Pilot with the 219th 6/66/-3/67
""The pilot was LT John Martin and his back seater was Lt Butler, an artillery officer from the 3rd Brigade, 25th ID. At that time 3rd Brigagde CP was at the Catecka Tea Plantation adjacent to the sod strip. Typical mission scenario was flying from Holloway to Catecka to pick up an observer from the infantry brigagde for either an artillery mission or a recon mission. End-of-mission was landing at Catecka to drop off the obaserver and returning to Holloway. LT Martin was on short final at Catecka when a 21/2 ton truck loaded with 105mm artillery rounds drove onto the runway. Collision was almost immediate. LT Martin's knees were severely cut by the firewall and LT Butler saved his life by extracting him from the wreckage. A post-crash fire resulted and engulfed the airplane and the ammo truck. Fire caused the 105mm rounds to detonate and crater the runway. In addition, a nearby jeep had its frame, a mounted radio and all tires perforated by flying shrapnel, along with some fuel blivets at a nearby helicopters FARP that were also punctured. Fortunately, or perhaps miraculously, no one was injured. LT Martin was medevaced to Japan and I do not if he ever flew again or returned to Vietnam."

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"I recall the Bird Dog had to be fitted with some sort of aiming sight to use to launch the rockets they carried. I recall it was a small piece of Plexiglas which was mounted a few inches from the windshield. Then marks in grease pencil were made on the windshield to align with marks on the Plexiglas. I remember my pilots having to change the marks in flight from time to time!"

"While on a routine (was there ever any other kind?) flight as observer in the rear seat, this actually happened to me, which I will not ever, in this lifetime, forget! The pilot instructed me to put up the pedals and install the stick. Then told me to give him my M-14 from the rifle rack. Of course I complied without question, for I figured he saw something I did not see? While in that flight mode, he leaned out the open window and shot. We landed at a nearby Green Beret camp. The commander there drove a jeep to the aircraft, the pilot told me stay with the plane, that he would be back in a short time. I was nervous, because Green Beret camps were not a popular site to be at! Sure enough, as promised, they returned. In the back of the jeep was a animal I believe to be leopard. The pilot told me, the animal was going to be strapped into my seat, that he would fly to Saigon to the taxidermist he knew, and would be back for me!! I was like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting for that aircraft to get back. When the aircraft finally showed up, the pilot didn't shut off the engine, but had me climb in and back to Camp Holloway we went. That was my only experience with the brave men of the Green Beret, of which I am glad they did not go under attack while I was with them those few hours!"