1st Cavalry 1st Brigade HHC
Flying Circus - Scouts
The following abstract is my attempt to describe the men who flew as scouts for the 1st Cavalry 1st Brigade HHC, also known as the Flying Circus. Keep in mind that this unit operated in Vietnam for just over five years and a lot of changes occurred in the selection of pilots and crewmembers, how they flew, the type of equipment they used, etc. Although I gathered information from other scouts with different experiences, this writing is definitely peppered with the essence of my perceptions from my short tenure with the scouts in 1969.
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The Army used the 1st Calvary 1st Brigade Scouts in the same manner as they had for centuries. Our job was to gather information on the enemy's movements and positions as well as assisting ground troops whenever and wherever possible. We just used advanced technology and weapons to cover a larger area faster and assist the ground troops in the war against the enemy. The scouts provided valuable information to command on what was happening in the field and could, on a moments notice, go out to check on a specific area. The ground troops liked working with the scouts for the "eye in the sky" assistance as well as the additional firepower they could bring to bare on the enemy. The Air Force also enjoyed working with the scouts as they could accurately pin point the target and provide necessary damage assessment afterwards.
The scout pilots and gunners were a special breed. Some of the more courteous ways to describe them would be as "mavericks" or "wantabe" warriors. However, we were all young, usually between the late teens and early twenties and full of passion for what we were doing. Generally, by the age of 23, the concept of self-preservation started to develop and the individual would begin to look for another assignment with a higher survival rate. Acquaintances tended to say that the scouts were also "full" of themselves, but they had to be in order to do the jobs. Self-confidence in their ability to carry out their job in the face of adversity was an absolute necessity. If either the pilot or gunner did not have a high level of self-confidence, then he was likely to get himself and his partner killed. The pilots and gunners were all volunteers. Flying scouts was extremely hazardous, for they went out every day flying deep into the enemy's territory to expose themselves in an attempt to locate a highly mobile NVA.
The Flying Circus scouts flew in pairs with each ship manned with a pilot and a gunner. One ship was designated as the "lead" and the other was generally referred to as the "wingman." The lead ship's pilot had the primary responsibility for communications with contacts in the assigned area such as the Landing Zone (LZ) base Tactical Operations Command (TOC), the company/platoon leader in the field as well as coordinating with inbound air and artillery strikes. The lead ship was generally the first to enter a potentially hot area and as a result was usually the first one to start receiving fire, at which time it would be the wingman's responsibility to lay suppressing fire to cover their break away. The situation would then dictate how the scouts would respond such as engaging in a direct firefight, guiding ground troops to the area, or bringing in the heavy stuff.
The scouts flew in small choppers that were generally classified as an "observation helicopter." Initially, they flew in the OH-13 where the pilot and gunner sat side-by-side and they were reliant upon the gunner's weapons (a hand-held machine gun). The gunner would sometimes use a M79 grenade launcher, regular hand grenades along with white phosphorus, incendiary and different color smoke bombs. The OH-13 was eventually replaced with the OH-6A, commonly called the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter), a faster and more maneuverable craft with a bigger cargo capacity. Although it could seat four grown adults (two in front and two in the back), the scouts used the additional capacity for more weapons and ammunition. In addition to the weapons and equipment used by the gunners, it carried a M134 Gatling gun (commonly called the mini-gun) that was mounted on the left side of the helicopter, just outside the left door. Its ammunition container was set in the back and could hold about 2500 rounds which was not that much for a weapon that had the capability of firing up to a maximum of 4,000 rounds a minute. However, because sustaining such a high rate of fire could damage the barrels, it was set to fire in a three-second burst, which equated to firing approximately 240 rounds every three-seconds. The mini-gun was fixed on the side of the ship and not mounted on a turret, such as the gunship used to provide greater flexibility of aiming. Therefore, the only control the pilot had was the ability to move the gun barrel up/down a few degrees and to fire it at half speed or at maximum speed.
A typical day would begin with the scout pilots reporting to TOC for orders. The company commander would direct the scout team to go to LZ Grant and check in with their TOC for further directions and information. The pilots and gunners would hop in their choppers and fly out to LZ Grant. Upon arriving, they would check in with the LZ Grant TOC and be directed to go out to grid coordinates: XT381844 and contact Bravo company commander. Upon arriving at the designated grid coordinates and establishing contact with the commander, they would learn that one of his platoons reported evidence of movement through the area about a quarter of a klick to the southeast of their current position. The scouts would then fly out to that area and attempt to locate and engage the enemy. Flying around at treetop level, there were four pairs of eyes with a good "bird's eye" view looking for evidence of movement or current occupation. Sometimes it was possible they would catch the NVA or Gook out in the open, but generally the enemy would seek cover upon hearing the sounds of a chopper nearby. In which case the gunners and pilots might spot things such as trash, food, a bicycle laying on the ground or weapon leaning against a tree or a bunker indicating enemy infestation. In such cases the gunner would fire his M60 in the general area in effort to stir up some movement or response. If the NVA had weapons, they would return the fire, otherwise they would seek a more secure hiding place. Sometimes the scouts would be able to take care of the enemy, however, frequently additional reinforcement was needed. If necessary, Bravo Company would come into the area to check out the extent of the underground bunker complexes. At other times, the scouts would call in artillery from LZ Grant or contact the Air Force requesting an air strike. At the end of a long, hard day out in the field, the scout team would then fly back to base camp and shut the choppers down for the evening.
The scout program was extremely dangerous and there were a low percentage of pilots and gunners who completed their tour of Viet Nam. While some individuals wizened up and got out of the scouts, the others generally did not make it out alive or they were carried out on a stretcher. These men had no real desire or interest in becoming decorated heroes and were not trying to pursue glory. Deep down in their souls, they just wanted to be warriors and they were. They fought and died as warriors. Their success against great odds and in accomplishing their mission depended upon the pilot and gunner working together as one and both ships working together as a team covering and aiding each other. The 1st Cavalry, 1st Brigade Air Scouts were known to be highly effective in adjusting artillery and bringing in air strikes as well as working closely with the troops on the ground.
So, what kind a man would voluntarily place himself in "harms way" day after day, as a part of his job? The following is a brief description of the scout pilot and gunner.
Scout Pilots --
I am dedicating this section to the memory of my friend, Allen H. Robertson (Whale) KIA: 06/03/69 as well as to Wayne Lanier KIA: 05/09/68; John Berry (Mr. Clean) KIA: 12/05/68; Art Crosby (Chickenman) KIA: 03/01/69.
Stories and movies such as "An Officer and a Gentleman" portray pilots as an officer and a civilized, educated, sensitive and well-mannered man. Well, in truth, the scout pilot was a commissioned officer, but more often than not, there was nothing gentlemanly about him. Although, there are always exceptions, there was a greater tendency for him to be an audacious individual who was trained to fly helicopters. Some of the scout pilots where known to be cocky and sometimes considered an obnoxious son-of-a bitch with a tendency to act as prima donnas. For example, some of us did not exhibit astute military manners such as the habit of not saluting any officer below the rank of Colonel. Of course some officers, especially Majors, did not take kindly to such lack of discipline. I remember a couple of Majors getting so flustered with the lack of a response that they initiated the salute and we acknowledge "their" salute by returning it. During my tenure, such unacceptable behavior was tolerated unless we were really flagrant with our attitude or negligent in other areas at which times, we returned to our lodging with really baggy pants and were not able to sit down for a while. Our unmilitary attitude and behaviors were tolerated because we were performing a very difficult and stressful task, day after day and it was difficult to get new volunteers for a job with such a high turn over rate.
A scout pilot did not have to be an "ace" at flying, but he had to be a good pilot with fast reflexes and possess the cojones to do what was needed with that aircraft. To be candid, the pilot frequently flew by the "seat of his pants" as his full attention was focused outside the ship, at the treetops and ground level. The scouts flew "low level" which was approximately 2 to 5 feet above the trees with an air speed ranging from 60 to 100 knots. The pilot was constantly looking out at the tree line or down through the bubble at the ground in front of the helicopter or sticking his head outside to look down below the aircraft. However, it did not matter whether the pilot was looking outside or talking on the radio coordinating actions between the aircraft and ground, he knew instinctively what was happening with and to his aircraft. The scout pilot climbed into that helicopter and put it on just like you would put on a suit. When you wear a suit, you know what is happening to it all the time. You can feel when the pant legs are too high or too low, if the coattail is getting caught on the chair, when you have too much stuff in your pockets or when some of the stitching begins to tear. In the same manner, that scout pilot knew what was going on with his helicopter from the vibrations felt through the seat, the feel of the controls and the sound from the engine. He also flew with skilled reflexes as was needed to complete a 180-degree turn to get back on target in less than ten seconds or performing evasive maneuvers that were not built into the aircraft design. The term "multi-task" capability has been coined in recent years to refer to the personal computer's ability to handle several tasks at one time. However, the scout pilot would, more often than desired, find himself performing many tasks at one time. During the heat of engagement, the pilot would be flying the helicopter at tree top level while maintaining ongoing communications with his gunner, the other ship as well as our primary contacts (ground troops, TOC, air support) and in engaging in an active firefight or doing evasive maneuvers.
Flying in on target during a firefight, the pilot depended on several factors to get him through that run, alive. Of course he was dependent upon his flying skills along with his gunner's ability to lay suppressing fire where needed and on the other ship working with him to help him out of a tight situation. However, there was one weapon the pilot really favored and that was the mini-gun. The mini-gun was awesome in its destructive powers and it imposed a psychological confidence on the pilot creating the impression that while it was firing it, he was indestructible. The mini-gun made a wonderfully loud roaring noise and spit out a beautiful flame about a foot wide and two to three feet in length. Of course the pilot had limited ability to aim the mini-gun, but with 80 rounds being fired every second, it was bound to hit something. In the pilot's imagination, the NVA and gooks were too busy diving for cover and did not have the time to return fire. Another side effect of using the mini-gun was the pilot could not hear when someone was shooting back and this resulted in a temporarily, unjustifiable impression that he was safe.
As noted, there were changes over the years, not only in helicopters and weapons, but also in methods and techniques. There were variations in how the scout program was commanded and I am sure that there were periods where the lack of military discipline, as portrayed here, was not tolerated. In addition, some were really great pilots and others were just very good pilots as mediocre or poor pilots did not live long in the scout program. No matter what the differences were, we did our job with pride and were greatly respected for what we accomplished.
Scout Gunners --
I am dedicating this section to the memory of my gunner, Richard Harry "Ted" Williams KIA: 07/10/69 as well as to Chris Frankhauser KIA: 05/09/68; Billy Kennedy Evans KIA: 12/05/68; Gregory Allen Marvin (Tiny) KIA: 03/01/69; Gaylord Kerr (Red) KIA 06/03/69.
Scout gunners came from all walks of life. Some had been trained as crew chiefs or door gunners for the Hueys and this was just a part of their job that had to be done. However, there were many gunners who came in from the field. These grunts decided that there had to be a better alternative then tramping through the jungle not knowing if you were going to be taken out by a sniper, a booby trap or by the stupidity of someone in your own company. Upon hearing about the opportunity to fly as a scout gunner, they felt that it would be a definite improvement over their situation. For example, their exposure to being shot at would be limited to only a few hours in a day, not twenty-four hours or more at a time. Also, at the end of a workday, they could just fly back to the base, park the helicopter for the night and enjoy the comfort and safety of their own abode. They would be able to enjoy a leisure supper with their buddies, spend a couple of hours at the bar, go over to a friend's place for a long evening of playing cards or write a letter to the family, etc. The next day, they would get back into the aircraft and go back to work again. Of course, they could only fly if the weather was accommodating which beat the heck out of sitting in the middle of the jungle during the monsoon season.
Becoming a scout gunner did not require a lot of training or preparation, although knowledge and experience were valuable and increased survivability. However, there were certain attributes that were vital. One of the very first requirements of a scout gunner was the ability "not" to get airsick. This was really tough because he would be in an aircraft that would be moving at rapid speeds close to the ground and making abrupt changes in speed, altitude and direction. This was especially true of the LOH (OH6-A) as it was put through a lot of maneuvers that were not in the SOP manuals nor were what the aircraft manufactures had built into its design. But the scout pilot flew the ship in any manner necessary to get the job done or to get their Asses out of a tight spot (which occurred on a more frequent basis than desired). Therefore, it was essential that the gunner did not start throwing up right in the middle of a gun battle or as one of the necessary maneuvers were occurring.
Another quality is that the gunner had to be a good marksman with the M60, as he needed to hit stationary and moving targets from an aircraft that was also moving. The gunner also needed sharp eyes and quick deductive reasoning to identify evidence of occupation (trash, food, weapons lying around, hidden bunkers, etc.) from an average distance of 100 feet and while flying at a speed of 60 to 100 knots. In addition to being a good marksman, the gunner also needed to have nerves of steel, or as they say south of the border "tienes cojones muy grande." One reason is that while flying around in the assigned area, the gunner generally spent most of his time half out of the ship. He would extend his seat belt and shoulder strap as far as possible in order to lean out and be able to look under the ship as well as to the front and back of it. Another reason for needing strong nerves is that he had to trust his life to that cocky and arrogant scout pilot. The gunner did not know how to fly and this was an even greater problem in the LOH for he sat in the back of the ship and could not get to the controls no matter what. If any thing happened to his pilot, he was a goner and it would be his judgment day. So out of the necessity for self-preservation, the gunner learned how to assess the skills of the pilots. He had to depend on the pilot to know how to fly the helicopter, to be able to coordinate their activity with the other ship and also to listen to his gunner and be able to skillfully maneuver the ship with fast reflexes. If the gunner did not feel that a particular scout pilot could get their Asses out of a tight spot, he would find some excuse not to fly with that pilot.
It was vital to the mission for the gunner to have the ability to spot evidence of movement and occupation on the ground while moving at high speeds or looking through thick jungle growth. Also their quick reaction to laying down a suppressing field of fire enabled the pilot to get the ship out of there safely. When the pilot would bring the ship in on a gun run, he would definitely be firing the mini-gun, but it was the gunner's ability to pinpoint his fire that was actually the most effective. Also, as the pilot would break away from the target, he would be exposing the ship to return fire from the ground. Therefore, the pilot was reliant upon the other ship to help cover him and on his gunner as well. In flying away from the enemy, the pilot would hit a hard right pedal thereby angling the ship to allow the gunner a better view of the target area. This gave the gunner the chance to also lay down suppressing fire as they flew away.
The pilot's skills in flying were necessary for keeping the aircraft together and getting the job done but it was the skill of the gunners that enhanced and ensured the success of their mission. They were a vital part of the scout team and the pilots depended on them to find the NVA as well as to get their Asses out of a tight spot in a firefight. The pilots who learned to listen and trust their gunners had a greater success ratio and increase their chances of surviving.
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So, does this really describe what these men who flew as scouts were like? Individually, it is probably a hit and miss description. However, of the men I have known and flown with, we all shared some of these traits in some form or another. Well then, what kind of a man would voluntarily engage in such dangerous work day after day? I don't know if there is any real way of identifying or describing such a person. For example, I didn't think that I was one of those crazy types until the opportunity presented itself and I found myself saying, "I want to join the scouts." Would I do the same thing today knowing the price that my family and I paid for that decision? As I am writing this, my answer would be "NO." In no way do I want to or would I willingly go through that or put my family through such suffering again. However.... To be fully honest with myself, the answer would be "yes" if such a decision was necessary to protect my family and my homeland.
P.S.
After reading this, my wife's response was "Be honest James, it was the adventure of your life. You just paid a higher price for a shorter ride."
Her comment left me speechless...
by James B. Howard - POKEY