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    • "The Bird Dog's Tale"
    • L-19 Birddog - in "Cessna Warbirds"
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  • 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
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    • TOM KAHLERT Photos- 1970-71
    • EDWIN CHUBB Photos - 1971
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"Surprise!- Close Call"

7/15/2021

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"Surprise!- Close Call"
Submitted by - CPT Robin (Obie) O'Brien, HH16, 219th Pleiku

In early 1967 I was assigned to the 219th Aviation Company as a FAC (forward air controller). I was returning from a mission to a Special Forces Camp south of Pleuku, Vietnam. I had an artillery observer in the back seat of the O-1 birddog I was flying. Seating is somewhat cramped and his knees were touching my back. We had been conducting "visual recognizance" while returning to our home base. While flying at aproximately 800 to 1000 feet elevation we sighted a group of 8 - 10 Montagnards about 500 yards off to one side of our flight path. They were running in a straight line parallel to us. Two of them in the middle of the group had a large "Bengal Tiger" hung beneath a bamboo pole. Normally the Montagnards did not run from us. I felt we should take a closer look to see what type of weapons they had and perhaps find out why they were running from us. I planned to circle around and cross the trail at a point where I thought they should be. I dropped  down to ground level so the wheels were almost touching the ground and the prop was stirring up dirt. We were flying with the windows open so I instructed the observer to get his rifle pointed out the left side of the aircraft and I would look out the right side. As we crossed the trail I heard a gun shot and smelled burnt gun powder. I thought the observer had fired his gun inside the aircraft. I pulled up and attempted to talk to him on the intercom. The radios had quit working so I pulled up higher and turned to look back at him. He was white as a ghost and very shaken. Later he told me that as we crossed the trail a little man had stood up from behind a small bush and ducked as the wing of the aircraft passed over his head. He stuck out his rifle and pulled the trigger. The bullet passed between us and as it went in one window and out the other the blast was caught in the aircraft as we flew by. I'm not sure why the radios failed as they came back on about ten minutes later. I never did see any of the men but I did feel the bullet pass by the back of my neck.
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