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US Marine and 101st Airborne Division Helicopter Support

Extracted from Volume IV, Appendix SOG, MACV Studies and Observation Group, Behind Enemy Lines, by Harve Saal, pp. 33/34

US Marine and 101st Airborne Division Helicopter Support

From 1965 until the spring of 1968, the US Marine Corps provided helicopters and helicopter gunships in support of OPLAN 34A.

The summer of 1965 saw the US Marines provide support to SOG with their newest helicopter, the CH-46A/D.

In 1966 Marine OVN units (VMO-6 "Klondike" and VMO-2 "Deadlock") provided added support in the form of UH-1E helicopter gunships. Different from the UH-1C, the UH-1E had "rotor brakes" and was equipped with special tactical radios.

Late in 1967, all Marine CH-46 helicopters were found to have structural problems. They were sent to Okinawa for 'rebuilding' by personnel from Boeing-Vertol.

From 1966 and into 1968, in addition to U.S. Marine and VNAF Helicopters, one Army unit provided some helicopter support for SOG operations. The 282nd AHC ("Blackhawks") provided both UH-1d/h SLICKS AND uh-1C gunships ("Alley Cats"). The unit was based out of South Vietnam's I Corps, and located in Da Nang, at the Marble Mountain Airfield.

Early spring 1968 was the last time Marine crew was lost during SOG operations into Laos. The loss of the UH-1E crew "was the straw that broke the camel's back" for Marine Corps support in SOG operations and Marine aviation was relieved of "out of country" MACV-SOG flight by early summer 1968. (Note, there exists an Audio tape dispicting the Marine's HML 367th ("Egaleclaw") involvment in the extraction of one of CCN's teams ON 2/3 December 1969. During this extraction, one of the Eagleclaw gunship was lost, the pilot and crew survived. The pilot Lt Rhodes became a LTG in the USMC-by RL Noe)

Units from the 101st Airborn Division assumed the mission of supporting MACV-SOG in the summer of 1968. The units which flew 'slicks' for SOG included:
A/101 ("Comancheros")
B/101 ("Kingsmen")
C/101 ("Black Widows")
A/158 ("Ghost Riders")
B/158 ("Lancers")
C/158 ("Phoenix")

The unit which provided the primary Helicopter gun support for SOG was C Battery, 4/77th ARA, 101st Abn Div. This battery had ultra-sleek AH-1G ("Cobra") gunships which were called the "Griffins." The unit maintained at least five snakes (Cobras) which were commto the SOG mission from spring 1969 until December 1971. On several occasions, the sister elements of C Battery sent Cobra gunships to support SOG's operation:

A Battery, 4/77th ARA, 101st Abn Div ("Dragons")
B Battery, 4/77th ARD, 101st Abn Div ("Toros")

Because of the "Griffins" system of unit rotation, (volunteering) pilots flew SOG missions every thrid day, or so. The SOG missions were very secret and at least 25% of each pilot's flight record was 'whited-out.'

All helicopter aircrews volunteered for MACV-SOG flight duty and no "Griffin" pilots were lost.

Air America also worked with MACV-SOG in Laos during 1972. Most of the flights originated out of Thailand with the aircraft radio callsign "Durax"

Note: Article by: Chief Warrant Officer Three (CWO 3) James A. "Sneaky" White Vietnam Helicopter Crew Member's Association ("VHCMA") Newsletter, "Incoming Mail", March 1991, pp 5-6. White served as: SGT, U.S. Marines, Crewchief, CH-46A/D; ET-50, HMM-262, and as CWO-3, U. S. Army, Helicopter Pilot/C,4/77 ARA, 101st Abn Div ("Griffin").

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