Copperhead Door Gunner Aug. to Dec. 68 SP/5 Steve Hamilton was my Crew Chief

[Walter Hlebechuk]

I was Drafted into the Army 5-10-67. Basic at Ft Lewis, 50 US's in my Platoon. Upon completion 48 of them went to Ft Polk, LA. I went to Ft. Eustis into the first class of EM 67U20/30's, we graduated 10-19-67. All the graduates had orders for Vietnam except me. I had applied for OCS and then Regs. changed and I did not want longer service. I got my Orders in November and arrived in Vietnam 1-10-68. I have no idea of what became of the men I went through Basic or Chinook 67U20/30 school nor their names for that matter. I arrived at the 11th CAB about 1-14-68. While being assigned to a position in the 11th CAB the Personnel Specialist said "you want my job". I was assigned to 11th HHC and I assigned incoming personnel thru E5 to the various Companies of the 11th CAB until April 68 when I moved to S2 where I assigned R&R"s and Court Martials. On 6-10-68 I became the Company Clerk for the 162nd Vultures at Phouc Vinh. On 8-1-68 I got assigned to the Copperheads. The new first SGT was a idiot and we did not get along, before his promotion he was a mess SGT figuratively, literally, and a drunk too. I went to the CO Major Andreson and told him I wanted to fly, become a Door Gunner. That day I became a Copperhead, that day one of the Gun Ships burned up on the pad while refueling. My last day 1-8-69, in the 162nd I reported to sick call and told the doctor I wanted to kill the first sgt. His response "that is a common problem around here". Put me on librium and confined to Quarters, no work details. Took the paper work back to the sgt. and he said 'Do you want Quarters or do you want to go Home". I cleared Post in 45 minutes and a Gun Ship took me to Saigon. My understand of events after I DEROSed was that Sappers got to the flight line and we lost some aircraft and the sgt had a new job. 

The reason I went to this length was to hopefully jog some memories and help me get events straight. In my brief military experience I had a wide range of experiences that hopefully will help me sort it out. I have seen A 1st Aviation Brigade map of how its various components were broken down. Do not find where the 11th was at Phu Loi, or much about Phu Loi. I see a lot of pictures of the 11th Tail markings on Helicopters, also a lot of helicopter with Vultures on their nose in my research. When I was at HHC I pulled the 201 files of the men on the gun ship that was taking off and was hit by artillery, one of the Pilots have 5 kids. The first person I met when I got to the 162nd besides 1st SGT Pine was Gerald Sylvester. The first person that befriended me there was a door gunner who had transferred from 1st Infantry and took a extended leave in Saigon. I had written up his Court Martial, a great guy from Florida. I kept track of Air Medal Hours and wrote up the awards a decorations some of which were from action during TET. In Nov of 68 I had 188 Combat Hours. I have no Air Medal Award.