John Hiemstra
Vietnam Diary
Web Page 3

THE BEST OF CHARLIE HORSE
VIETNAM

1 August 71 QT
It is Sunday, my day off again.  I cashed my money order from Kathy and spent half of it at the PX buying film and some food for the hooch.  ARPS were inserted in the punchbowl in the bunker complex.   They ambushed a patrol of NVA killing two of them.  That was the total for the day.  Bob Ramsey got a telegram from the Red Cross this afternoon stating that his fiancée, Theresa Gray, was seriously hurt in an auto accident.  Bob is furious that 101st will not let him go to her.

2 August 71 QT
Most of our blade time was spent around A4 trying to get a clearance to work the area near the pink.  We had to go through six people to find the owner of the AO who then denied us permission to work it.  Capt Hogg landed at C2 to talk things over with the American advisor.  Wow, we went IFR in the dust at five feet off the ground!  We hovered down until we had gained contact.  There was a country-western floor show at the “O” club tonight. It was comprised of Vietnamese, but they were good.  Bob Ramsey left for a thirty day leave to be with his fiancée today!


3 August 71 QT
We went on a tour up the Red Devil road through the Punchbowl.   We also found a team of ARVNs on AL1 south of the pink, all of them were blown away.  We nearly got wiped out by loose PSP as we landed to the parallel.  Capt Hogg was the AC.  The aircraft was severely damaged by the accident.

4 August 71 QT
I had standby today with Steve Wing.  1st team got shot at up on the pink. There are five NVA regiments somewhere west of the Ba Long.  We’ve got to find them.  An attack is expected on Dong Ha/QT by 18 August.

5 August 71 QT
I flew 2nd team with Larry Dunagan.  Mr. Foster came back last night and flew AMC for 1st team.  As they were coming back on Red Devil road from Ke Sanh, Foster took a round through his rotor blade.   Our team caught four gooks sunbathing by the stream on the valley floor opposite Sarge (firebase). We killed two of them immediately and had to return to QT for rearm. When we came back the bodies were gone despite the arty going in during our absence. We couldn’t find the bodies or the live ones either so we called it a day and went home.

6 August 71 QT
Today we flew out to Sheppard (firebase) and were going to VR the Da Krong but the low clouds prevented it. We worked a little in the Backyard.  Mac Cockerel came back today.

7 August 71 QT
I was on standby with Steve Wing.  First and second team went north of Fuller and ran into all sorts of gooks.  They killed a few. High winds grounded the crews during the afternoon.

8 August71 QT
I flew with Mac on 1st team. He is really great, always teaching me something new and important.  We worked NE of Al first mission, not much activity there.  The last mission was in the rocket belt. Frazier flew Walker’s front seat.

9 August 71 QT
Capt Hogg was my AMC today.  We flew up north of Fuller and south of the Rock Pile. Not much happened today.  I bought a new cap and. had “Mad Dog Hiemstra” embroidered on the back of it. The guys say I’m the makings of a new legend for Charlie-Horse.  Hah, that waits to be seen.  Mr. Dunagan killed a rat that I saw dash in between the sandbags and the front door to our hooch. It caused a lot of excitement. (He used. a .38 to kill the rat) What else is there to do?  Everybody came around to admire and praise Dunagan for his sharp eye and steady hand.  It looks like I’ll get to go home on leave about Sept 21 if nothing prevents it.

10 August 71 QT
I had standby today with Walker. Catkiller was shot down in the pink. He was killed on impact and his body will not be recovered.  We had gooks probing our perimeter today.  A 2/17 shot 3 rockets down the parallel but didn’t hit anybody.  Maj. Seer Is our new CO.  This is his 3rd tour.

11 August 71 QT
Yesterday a major road being built by the NVA was discovered just inside the pink, running from N to S.  This is where “Catkiller” crashed yesterday.  I flew with Dunagan today. We checked out a suspected cache site.  What we found was a lot more than a cache site.  It was a battalion base camp nestled in between the ridges of a very steep valley (ravine); bunkers, hootches, heavy trails.  We called in arty but it didn’t do much damage. 1Lt. Bell found a pith helmet close by and cap¬tured it after tossing a grenade nearby to assure that it wasn’t booby-trapped. Mac Cockerel had a forced landing at Cam Lo.  He feared that he was losing his hydraulics.  He did fly it back to QT though.  G. Richardson, Quinn, J. Weisend, J.Hayes were playing hearts in my room tonight.  I was cooking popcorn for them,

12 August 71 QT
Steve Wing was my AC today. We flew one short mission this morning north of Fuller to check out some spots. We saw an airstrike by a single jet.  Today has been a very bad day.  About 03:00 the Cam Lo MACV advisor camp was overran by a sapper battalion.  Two teams were scrambled to help suppress the enemy.  The sappers blew up a few hootches and damaged a lot more.  None of the friendlies were killed but quite a few were injured.  I don’t know at this time how many sappers were killed but I do know that a good number were found this morning in the wire.  Some of our guys got NVA packs as souvenirs.

First team was working west of C2 and A4 this afternoon about 17:00.  C2 was taking incoming.  Jim Weisend looked back to his rear and exclaimed, “Hey, there is a big fire behind us”. Walker looked and said, “It looks like an aircraft”.  Calls were made to 27 on all three radios but no answer.  It was him.  His rotor blade could be seen slowing fluttering down trailing the flaming wreckage.  It will probably never be known what caused 27 to burst into a fireball and plummet straight down 2000 feet to smack into the ground 500 meters south of the light bulb (073672).  He never made one transmission on the radio.  A scramble was made from QT and soon the sky over the crash scene was crowded with aircraft.  ARPs (Airborne Rifle Platoon infantrymen) were inserted and began the ugly task of poli¬cing up the remains.  As 26 (Capt Carey) was on final he took ground fire and was forced to make a go-around.  Two Cobras shot up the area and two ARA (Airborne Rocket Artillery) helos on their way back to QT came over and shot up the area.  Finally six torn and burnt bodies were lifted out with the ARPs.  The bodies were scattered as much as 200 meters from the burning remains of 27’s aircraft.  Mr. Kelley was imbedded in the wreckage which was still burning so he had to be left.  1Lt Thompson, his copilot, was brought out.  Another body might still be in the wreckage, no one is sure at this point.  The toll, two pilots, one gunner, 4 ARPs.  The crew chief was not with the crew and so missed his call. Rockets hit all the FSB bases today except Holcomb.

13 August 71 QT
Mr. Kelley was pulled out of the wreckage today and sent on his was home. Very little trouble was encountered during the recovery, only light sniper fire.  It was amusing to listen to the ground party earnestly discuss which part of Mr. Kelley’s body to cut off if they couldn’t get the torso out.  Really, it doesn’t matter.  Mr. Kelley is no longer there, only his earthly remains.  They did get all of his re¬mains out. I flew with Mr. Rickabaugh today, 1st team. We put in one mission north of the light bulb and then sat the rest of the morning out.  Our first mission of the afternoon was to escort two 0-1s to the site of the 0-1 crash of the 11th of August. As we were flying cover for the photographic runs of the 0-1s, we flew right over a large anti-aircraft gun.  Why it never fired at us I’ll never know.  The Catkillers (0-1) really have a hairy job flying low over the DMZ.  I admire them.  They also took photos of 27’s crash site.  A4, C2, Camp Carol, Sarge, Fuller Al, C1 all took rocket fire today.  There is a great increase in activity along the pink.  The Reds must be getting ready for a big push.  As we were about to RTB (return to base) we saw an ARVN track (APC) blow up 2 klicks west of C2.  Apparently he was hit with an RPG. Between his fuel and ammo, there were five large fireball explosions, very spectacular.   Catkiller caught five gooks escaping the scene of crime but we couldn’t get clearance to fire on them until 35 minutes later which was too late.  The stupid ARVNs are cutting their own throats by making it so difficult for us to work for them.
Hue said nine ARVNs were killed, 11 captured, 11 wounded, and 21 NVA killed in the Cam Lo sapper raid on the 12th. We saw the funeral procession for the dead ARVNs.  I got a shirt and shorts from an NVA pack captured at Cam Lo.

14 August 7l QT
1Lt.Wimmer flew front seat today for me.  Good experience for a scout. First team ran onto two live .51 cal positions.  The scout took fire from one and then flew over the other and took fire from it.  The guns killed both .51 crews.  This evening Nui Ba Ho came under ground assault.  As the choppers flew around the mountain they took assorted ground fire and air bursts, gray smoke clouds from active 37mm guns.  A4 is also under ground attack. One helo is thought to save been shot down near A4 but no one knows for sure.  The guns are all on standby during the night.  C-H tried to tell the ARVNs that they were going to get mauled if they made it so hard for us to work in their AO.

15 August 71 QT
Van Walker was my AC today. After much difficulty our team (1st) headed for Mai Loc. We worked for 6 awhile screening for possible enemy movement or positions around Sarge. During this time F4s were dumping ordinance on Nui Ba Ho and ad¬joining ridges to knockout anti-aircraft positions and massing troops. Somewhere along the line the 37mm was put out of action. Still .51s were firing hot and heavy at anyone foolish enough to venture near. A 57mm recoilless rifle continuously shelled the outpost on Nui Ba Ho. Camp Carroll was receiving harassing fire from rockets as was FSB Fuller and Sarge. A4 was under ground assault and rocket attack.

A relentless effort was being made to resupply and enforce Nut Ba Ho but enemy’s .51s kept the choppers away. Finally at 09:50 the U.S. advisors on Nui Ba Ho frantically reported that gooks had breached the wire on the northwestern side. Guns 44 and 31 joined to strafe and rocket the perimeter.  As we entered our dive a .51 would stitch the air around us as we wove our shells along the wire and hillside.  Seeing silver tracers 15 feet away was far from enjoyable.  My turret failed completely without firing a shot.  I felt like I was ripe mater¬ial for a pin cushion.  As we expended 44 took intensive .5l fire so we broke for home as 32 and 11 replaced us.  No more gun runs were made on Nui Ba Ho by C-H that day.  Miraculously nobody was hit.  F-4s kept up a steady pounding of enemy positions throughout the day with 5001b bombs and napalm which makes a beautiful fire ball when it explodes. About 16:00 a battalion of ARVNs were inserted on a low ridge a few klicks SE of Nui Ba Ho. Their intent is to rescue the entrapped occupants (of Nui Ba Ho).  I’m not sure at this time if the defenders made it off alive or not.  Somebody said radio contact was lost sometime in the afternoon.  FSB Sarge is sure to be next on the list of bases to fall.

16 August 71 QT
Smoke still hung over the ridges around Nui Ba Ho. Capt Laster took fire from en¬trenched gooks on the western rim of Spooky Valley.  We shot at them but I doubt that we killed them.  A 2/17 lost a ship west of Nui Ba Ho across the val1ey (9650).  The crew got out okay.

17 August 71 QT
Last night A 2/17 caught a VC recon man.  It turned out that he was the PA&E gen¬erator operator.  D 3/5 pulled the same stunt this morning.  The operator is pro¬bably pretty irked.  At any rate, with all this new activity along the perimeter I decided it was time to get an M-16 rifle issued to me which I did. Today I flew with Capt Hogg and Bob Lee. The slick took fire near Nui Ba Ho but we decided to leave the area promptly rather than toss lead with a .51.  The ARA team up here had a Cobra shot up pretty bad but made it back to QT.  Another ARA Cobra was hit and managed to get to Mai Loc.  It looks like FSB Sarge is going to get it next.  I met Mr. Rorick from B1 at FT. Wolters tonight.  He is flying ARA out of Camp Eagle.  His unit is named Toros (?).  lLt Smith and Capt Waters are our new guys, guns too! They were initiated with “Cardinal” last night but got horribly drunk.

18 August 71 QT
Wow, all the teams got shot at today.  Lt. Roth was grazed on the right side of his neck.  Spec Laws captured a VC flag just east of Al.  I flew with Steve Wing today.  A memorial services were held for 27 and his crew.

19 August 71 QT
First team spent the first mission checking out Vandy Valley.  There was or is a lot of activity thereabouts.  The second mission was spent escorting empty slicks into FSB Sarge to lift out 200 ARVNs.   Rain was closing in around us during this mission.  We had to hover down QL9 highway to “home”.  Wow, what fun?

20 August 71 QT
I had the day off today so I missed most of the action.  Halevy and crew were shot down north of FSB Fuller.   They had to fight their way to the tip of the ridge of the ravine they crashed in.  Intense AAA fire kept rescuers away for three hours.  Finally Capt Laster dashed in and picked them up after two F-4s dumped their loads on the approaching gooks.  It was a very close call.  Capt Allen’s EM observer was hit in the arm this afternoon over Vandy Valley.  It was only a flesh wound.  Dunagan and Lee both had their helo grounded as a result of receiving .51 fire in the ammo bay and main rotor blade respectively.

21 August 71 QT
I flew with Van Walker today.  We captured two more VC flags near the site of the one we captured on the 18th.  I spotted the last one we captured and directed the team to its location.  Both flags went to other people.  I felt that I should have had the last one as did the rest of the gun team but Bell, in so many words, said “go to hell”.  ARA tried out a new idea on NVA troops at Nui Ba Ho.   Two Cobras saturated a small area with CS (a riot gas) then two more snakes rolled in with a load of nails.  The scout was put down to assess the effect of CS and nails.  He met a hail of AK-47 fire from some very upset people.

22 August 71 QT
I had standby today, so I didn’t do much.  A 2/17 lost a LOH (OH-6 helo) near Nui Ba Ho today.  The crew got out okay.  Our guys were shot at today but no hits.

21 August 71 QT
The ARVNs had their comeback today.   After three arclights, a heavy arty prep for an hour and 6 ARA ships expending on target, the ARVNs inserted 60 troops slightly west of the lip of the punchbowl. They found 30 bodies, mortars, ammo, automatic weapons, the works.  Our scout found a .51 in excellent condition and a .51 broken down in a separate bunker.  The decision was made to destroy the weapons rather capture them.  We tried to do this but failed.  TAC air was called in to do it.   Afterwards we dis-covered that the gooks got away with the .5ls before the TAC air could get on sta¬tion.   Were we ever disappointed!  We did a VR of the backyard and rocket belt before calling it a day.  I flew with Dunagan today.

22 August 71 QT
This morning we did a quick VR above A2.  It looks like the NVA are getting ready to destroy A2.  Later on today we did some screening for a Ranger insertion going in on the ridge NW of Nui Ba Ho. We were uptight to say the least.  After this we worked the valley next to Red Devil road before it climbs up to the lip of the punchbowl. There is lots of heavy activity there  In our intelligence briefing this evening we were told of planned attacks on QTAB, Dong Ha, A1., C2, A2, A4, C1, the hamlets, Cam Lo, the works.  It doesn’t look good at all. The major is making plans for a quick evacuation of QTCB if it looks like we are to be overrun and destroyed.  The mail is still coming in very sporadically.

25 August 71 QT
I was on standby with Van Walker today. Both teams were shot at. They found heavy vehicle tracks along the stream bed. Just northeast of the lip of the punchbowl.  A 2/17 lost another LOH today. The crew got out okay.

26 August 71 QT
Our team went out to check on the vehicle tracks that were found yesterday.  Just as we flew over the northern lip of the punchbowl, a big, BIG gun opened up on Capt Allen.  He didn’t take any hits. I was the only one to see the long red stream of bullets reach up into the sky toward us.  Nobody took any hits.  A 2/17 lost another bird over Ke Sanh strip but it was later retrieved in the day. Herrick is getting his AO check to get his scout bandanna and number.

27 August 71 QT
Not much happened today.  Both teams did normal VR, the Bai Long, 100 Bunker Valley, the DMZ.  No action to report.  I flew with Bob Lee today.

28 August 71 QT
Today I went to Phu Bai to check out my financial situation.  I had soft ice cream at the “Oasis” PX concession near Camp Campbell for the first time in Vietnam! I greatly dislike riding one hour in the CH-47.  It has an awful noise from the trans¬mission and engines, but it’s a ride.  The guys were shot at again today but no hits, but they may have killed some gooks.  The FSB’s are still taking a lot of rockets every day.  Our perimeter defenses captured a member of a recon element.  We are still looking for a sapper raid in conjunction with the upcoming S. Vietnamese election.

29 August 71 QT
I was on standby today with Larry Dunagan.  The weather was poor today so not much flying was done.

30 August 71 QT
I had another day off today.  My hours (flight time) are too high.  I enjoyed this to say the least.  The scouts took fire again but did not get hits.

31 August 71 QT
Quinn was my AC today for the first time. He was a lot of fun to fly with. He likes to give me the controls after he has put the aircraft in a tight descending turn.  A ton of fun. We didn’t do much today, a quick VR of the pink and a sortie near the Bai Long.



Page 4 - September 1971