"Headhunter Callsign"
​Submitted by - 1Lt Jim Voelzer, HH 10 ('65-'66)

Derivation of the “Headhunter Call Sign” (as my memory, tempered by these many years, recalls). 

I arrived at Pleiku in early July 1965 fresh from an “interrupted” stint as a Test Pilot at Sharpe Army Depot; Lathrop, CA.  Initially, our call sign was simply “Army 321”, but shortly, due to the many Army aircraft flying out of Pleiku, it was changed to Hershey.  That term cobbled up any number of snide comments from other units, not the least of which was “candy ass” which got old very quick.  We learned that we could apply for a new call sign and after discussing it amongst the pilots, agreed on Blackjack.  We applied and received the new call sign.  I don’t remember how many weeks we had Blackjack, but inasmuch as it was the nickname of General John J. Pershing, it wasn’t long before some “Brass” appropriated it and we were assigned the Headhunter name.  A couple of the pilots actually appropriated human (purportedly VC) sculls from the battle of PleiMe for their desk display and painted their call sign on the forehead.  As one might imagine, it wasn’t very long before that practice was terminated.  Our Unit patch in ’65-’66 was round and depicted an armed Bird Dog in a 45 degree dive.  It was a beautifully constructed and colorful patch and I haven’t seen it depicted on the website.  When I departed Pleiku for discharge in April ’66 we still called ourselves the 219th; not Headhunters. 

"The States to Pleiku"
Submitted by - SP4 Andrew Cardiel, 219th Pleiku

May 1965 – I reported to Gray Air Base from Ft. Hood, Texas. June 14th our unit departed for Austin, TX. Late in the afternoon we were loaded on a C-130 cargo airplane and landed that night at Travis AFB in California. We left and arrived at Hickam Field AFB in Hawaii. We were there for about 4 to 5 days with aircraft problems. Eventually we changed airplanes and went on to Wake Island. We were there for a few hours and then went on to Guam, then the Philippines where we stayed the night. The next day we flew to Saigon and landed for a few hours. Next we flew to Pleiku but had to turn back because our aircraft was too large for the landing strip. We flew back the next day to Pleiku and landed at Camp Holloway during a monsoon rain storm. In Camp Holloway our tent area was already setup by other units that arrived before us. We sand bagged, built bunkers, bathrooms, showers and unloaded shipments of supplies. The Big Red One came out of the jungle and set up camp around our perimeter in anticipation of an attack. The 101st Airborne was flown in and stayed with us also. Both units left to go back into the jungle to help support other units but still remained nearby to prevent an attack on Holloway. I left the unit in Sept. 1965 when the Major flew me out to Saigon. We spent one night at outlying platoon for one night on the way.