219 Headhunters
  • Home
    • "The Bird Dog's Tale"
    • L-19 Birddog - in "Cessna Warbirds"
  • Roster
  • Reunion 2017
    • Reunion 2011 >
      • Letter from A Headhunter's Son
    • Reunion 2009
    • Reunion 2007 >
      • Air Show Program Cover
      • Special Write-Up
      • Winners
      • Group Photo
  • Store
    • Order Form
    • HH Polo Shirt
  • Combat Stories
    • About Combat Stories
    • 219th AVIATION COMPANY PERSONNEL
  • Obituaries
  • Guest Book
  • Memorial Wall
    • Vietnam Memorial Wall
    • Vietnam Wall Facts >
      • Tribute to All Vietnam Vets- General Anthony Zinni
    • Tribute to Major Arlie Deaton
    • Birddog Unit Memorial
  • Photo Gallery
    • Beach Boy's Singer Mike Love
    • Headhunter Group Pictures
    • 2019 (Cruise Oct 2019- Mariner of the Seas )
    • 2015 (Ft Rucker/Dothan, Alabama)
    • 2011 Parris Island Marine Training Base
    • 2011 Frog More Stew Dinner at Fletch Maffett Home
    • 2011 Reunion Dinner #1 Holiday Inn Beaufort
    • 2011 Reunion Dinner #2 Holiday Inn Beaufort
    • 2009 Ft. Rucker Army Aviation Museum
    • 2009 Sky Ranch in Baker, Florida
    • 2009 Banquet at Enterprise Country Club
    • 2009 Breakfast Sunday Going Home
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA ALBUM #2 Georgia Aquarium
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA Album #3 Low Country Boil
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA Album #4 Great Air Show
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA Album #5 Reunion Dinner
    • 2005 Daytona Beach, Florida
    • Video Shorts from Daytona Speedway & New Bird Dog Flies In
    • 2003 FT. Worth, Texas
    • 2001 Annapolis, Maryland
    • 1999 Annapolis, Maryland
    • Photos Courtesy Thomas Neilsen- 1965-66
    • Courtesy John Elmendorf - 1966
    • Photos Courtesy Lou Costello- 1965-66
    • Photos Courtesy Wayne Ammerman - 1965-66
    • EDWARD McCARTY PHOTOS '65-'66
    • Photos Courtesy Don Jordon - 1967*
    • Photos Courtesy Victor Hickok - 1966-67
    • Photos Courtesy Troy Duplessis - HH52 6/66-3/67
    • Photos Courtesy Al Paulsen - 1967-68
    • Photos Courtesy Ray Borza - 1967-68 (Camp Holloway)
    • Photos Courtesy Barry Mainardi - 1969
    • Photos Courtesy Grant McRorie- 1969-70
    • Photos Courtesy Douglas Krout - 1969-70
    • Photos Courtesy Frank Doherty - 1969-70
    • Photos Courtesy Martin Runkle - 1969-70 Camp Holloway
    • Photos Courtesy SP/5 Rich Anthes 1969-70 Camp Holloway
    • "Peter Gets A Bath"
    • "219th Vietnam Flight Scenes"
    • ROBERT KROMAN Photos- 1970-71
    • 219th 2nd Platoon Crewchiefs at An Khe 1970
    • TOM KAHLERT Photos- 1970-71
    • EDWIN CHUBB Photos - 1971
  • Past Commanders
  • Events
  • What's New
  • Articles
    • Cessna At War
  • News
  • Headhunter Blogs
    • Headhunter Song >
      • Part 1
      • Part 2
      • Part 3
  • Past Reunions
  • Unit Awards
  • Unit History
    • History of the 219th
  • Other Unit Links
  • Get In Touch
  • Who We Are
  • Members Only - Password
  • Home
    • "The Bird Dog's Tale"
    • L-19 Birddog - in "Cessna Warbirds"
  • Roster
  • Reunion 2017
    • Reunion 2011 >
      • Letter from A Headhunter's Son
    • Reunion 2009
    • Reunion 2007 >
      • Air Show Program Cover
      • Special Write-Up
      • Winners
      • Group Photo
  • Store
    • Order Form
    • HH Polo Shirt
  • Combat Stories
    • About Combat Stories
    • 219th AVIATION COMPANY PERSONNEL
  • Obituaries
  • Guest Book
  • Memorial Wall
    • Vietnam Memorial Wall
    • Vietnam Wall Facts >
      • Tribute to All Vietnam Vets- General Anthony Zinni
    • Tribute to Major Arlie Deaton
    • Birddog Unit Memorial
  • Photo Gallery
    • Beach Boy's Singer Mike Love
    • Headhunter Group Pictures
    • 2019 (Cruise Oct 2019- Mariner of the Seas )
    • 2015 (Ft Rucker/Dothan, Alabama)
    • 2011 Parris Island Marine Training Base
    • 2011 Frog More Stew Dinner at Fletch Maffett Home
    • 2011 Reunion Dinner #1 Holiday Inn Beaufort
    • 2011 Reunion Dinner #2 Holiday Inn Beaufort
    • 2009 Ft. Rucker Army Aviation Museum
    • 2009 Sky Ranch in Baker, Florida
    • 2009 Banquet at Enterprise Country Club
    • 2009 Breakfast Sunday Going Home
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA ALBUM #2 Georgia Aquarium
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA Album #3 Low Country Boil
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA Album #4 Great Air Show
    • 2007 Atlanta, GA Album #5 Reunion Dinner
    • 2005 Daytona Beach, Florida
    • Video Shorts from Daytona Speedway & New Bird Dog Flies In
    • 2003 FT. Worth, Texas
    • 2001 Annapolis, Maryland
    • 1999 Annapolis, Maryland
    • Photos Courtesy Thomas Neilsen- 1965-66
    • Courtesy John Elmendorf - 1966
    • Photos Courtesy Lou Costello- 1965-66
    • Photos Courtesy Wayne Ammerman - 1965-66
    • EDWARD McCARTY PHOTOS '65-'66
    • Photos Courtesy Don Jordon - 1967*
    • Photos Courtesy Victor Hickok - 1966-67
    • Photos Courtesy Troy Duplessis - HH52 6/66-3/67
    • Photos Courtesy Al Paulsen - 1967-68
    • Photos Courtesy Ray Borza - 1967-68 (Camp Holloway)
    • Photos Courtesy Barry Mainardi - 1969
    • Photos Courtesy Grant McRorie- 1969-70
    • Photos Courtesy Douglas Krout - 1969-70
    • Photos Courtesy Frank Doherty - 1969-70
    • Photos Courtesy Martin Runkle - 1969-70 Camp Holloway
    • Photos Courtesy SP/5 Rich Anthes 1969-70 Camp Holloway
    • "Peter Gets A Bath"
    • "219th Vietnam Flight Scenes"
    • ROBERT KROMAN Photos- 1970-71
    • 219th 2nd Platoon Crewchiefs at An Khe 1970
    • TOM KAHLERT Photos- 1970-71
    • EDWIN CHUBB Photos - 1971
  • Past Commanders
  • Events
  • What's New
  • Articles
    • Cessna At War
  • News
  • Headhunter Blogs
    • Headhunter Song >
      • Part 1
      • Part 2
      • Part 3
  • Past Reunions
  • Unit Awards
  • Unit History
    • History of the 219th
  • Other Unit Links
  • Get In Touch
  • Who We Are
  • Members Only - Password

"Dodging the Bullets"

7/15/2021

0 Comments

 
"Dodging the Bullets"
Submitted by - Charley Barnes, Cpt, Headhunter 36, Pleiku May '67-May'68

Several months after arriving in Pleiku and being assigned to the 4th Platoon of the 219th, we received a very interesting intelligence report from the 4th ID.  It addressed captured VC instructional materials concerning antiaircraft fire, and specifically dealt with the O-1 Birddog.  The basic thrust of these materials was to fire in front of the aircraft and to lead it based on the visibility of certain items on the aircraft.  These included the tail number, the whisker antennae, etc.  I didn’t think much of it then, but as I thought about it over time I came to realize that perhaps you could trick them by putting your aircraft in a full slip and descending when you started taking fire.  That would make you seem to be traveling in a direction 90 degrees from your actual flight path. 

Months later, I was on a VR mission west of Plei Djereng Special Forces Camp and just north of the Se San River.  It was an area where the 4th ID had fought several battles with the NVA about a year prior to that.  There were many craters and old gun positions visible.  However there seemed to be evidence of some fresh digging, so I cranked up the 175mm arty at Plei Djereng and started a little recon by fire.  The NVA must not have liked it much.  I soon saw some movement and made another pass over the area when all hell broke loose.  I was the target of multiple AA machine guns while at an altitude of about 500 feet at most.  Here was the unwanted opportunity to test out my theory.  I applied a full descending slip and made it to tree-top level without taking a single hit.  That was the good part, obviously.  The bad part was having to look at all those tracers coming up right in front of you.  I then continued with the artillery.  After I left the artillery peppered the area with H&I fires all night. There were no friendlies in the area, so we never knew what damage we did. 

In later months I had several more “opportunities” to use the slip technique.  I don’t think I’d be writing this story today if I had not learned to do that.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    July 2021

    Categories

    All
    1965
    1966
    1967
    1968
    1969
    1970
    1971
    1972

    RSS Feed

© 2021 Eagle Team Publishing Group. All information on this website is the property of the brave military personnel who sacrificed their time and well being by putting themselves in harm's way in the service of their country. This website is dedicated to those 219th Aviation Company Headhunters personnel & their families who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in this service. Permission for the use of any content on this website is reserved for use by any person who served on active military duty with the 219th Aviation Company . All others must obtain written permission in advance by contacting bob@219headhunters.com