My tenure with D Troop was 4/67 - 1/68.

1967 was VERRRRRY different. Remember that those in that time were the “Originals” .... most joining D troop at Riley when activated, some shipping over in the advance party in Dec 66, with the main body arriving by air from Riley and stationed at Bear Cat, first week of Feb 67, building the hootches that
became the D Troop troop area, etc. etc.. and yes, they are MIA ... why? I don’t know maybe a function of age and avoiding this medium ... I just don’t know....

It is my belief that we were the not an “Official” part of the 9th ..... rather that our mission as 99th Division Bacon gave us significant autonomy to control our missions and our ships.  I remember part of a conversation I overheard in UPS between our CO, Maj LYONS, and a pilot to the effect that, “Only the CG 9th INF div could touch our ships” how much of that is actually fact, but our operations were primarily self contained.  We did support other units; Gun Teams, Slicks for insertions, C&C, resupply, and such how much were we controlled by 9th AVN.

We had our own airfield (The Roundtable, We were “(Black) Knights”, were else would we be?) and our own maintenance facility (SCAVENGER) and our own UPS and COMMO.

Now, I was not a crewmember, ( I did get an Air Medal though ) I was an infantry NCO E5 Buck SGT that got a break and a TIT assignment into UPS.  All of what follows is one persons 30 year old memory and impressions to the best of my memory.

UHIC yep, that is what we put the rockets on, mounted the miniguns and the 40 mm cannon. A GUN TEAM consisted of two (‘Natch) both with rockets, one with a gun, the other with the cannon.

The Crusader Shield on the nose seems to have remained the same throughout the years. (RICK ROLL CRUSADER 12)

UHlD, these were our real horses, or actually wagons.  Two windows in the door, (C’s only 1) M60
hanging out of each side.  An interesting visual difference C vs D was that the D ship M60 were fixed rigid mounts extending out and up from the fuselage to a single pipe on top of which mounted the 60 on a pivot.  The C’s did not have this, rather the M60 was hung on a bungee cord or two and was just hanging there for the gunner and the CE to manipulate as needed.

More C/D stark difference was the ammo storage system for the M60.  On the  C the entire deck would be loaded with open milk crates.  In each was CAREFULLY and PECISELY layered 7.62 ammo belts.  They fed in one continuous stream from the gun to box one, down to the bottom, then on to the top of box 2, and so on. High Tech right?  The ship with the miniguns had a system in parallel to the boxes that fed the M60 to feed the right and left gun. A Lift ship had the same High Tech ammo feed system, but it was limited to what could be stored under the Gunner and CE seat.  The floorspace was needed for stuff or troops.  Doors were ALWAYS open, loaded or unloaded, going in, out, or just cruising.