Warwagon 11’s Last Mission
Transcription of audio-taped combat mission in Vietnam
By Long Knife Pilot, Rex Gooch
Background
This narrative of a Vietnam War combat mission was audio-taped by WO1 Tom Suprock in late 1971.* Tom was an OH-6 (Loach) pilot with Lighthorse Air Cavalry, C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Regiment.** The flight directive for that day was a VR (visual reconnaissance) mission in the U Minh Forest, relatively close to an ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) CP (command post). The U Minh Forest was dense jungle and a known “hot spot” for enemy activity. This was a free fire mission meaning the troop had permission to fire on anything that looked suspicious.
The typical Lighthorse combat configuration for “Search and Destroy” missions was two scouts (Loaches) searching for the enemy at treetop level or lower, and two gunships (AH-1G Cobras) flying cover at 1,000 feet altitude. Higher above, at 2,000 feet, the Command and Control Huey provided mission direction and coordination.
Loach taking hits
On their first flight into the area, the scouts (Loaches) sighted trails, hooches, bunkers, sleeping bags and fighting positions. The scouts dropped a smoke grenade and departed the area, while simultaneously requesting the gunships hit the smoke identified target with nails (flechette rockets). After the Cobras “nailed” the area twice, the Warwagon Scouts returned to the AO (Area of Operation) to continue their VR. What follows is the narrative of that part of the mission. Note: When communicating on the radios, the pilots use the numeral part of their callsign to identify themselves. In the narrative below, bracketed numbers identify who is talking. The radio callsigns are:
Warwagon 11 – WO2 Tom Suprock
(lead Loach)
Warwagon 17 – WO2 Sensat (Trail Loach)
Crusader 34 – WO2 Kelly (Lead Cobra)
Crusader 35 – CPT Loran “Bear” Bryant (Trail Cobra)
Longknife 28 – 1LT Antrim (Command & Control Huey aircraft commander)
[34] – 11, this is 34, can you go back in?
[11] – OK, we will be back in there
(Time lag of several minutes as the Scouts proceed to the AO)
[11 Gunner] – Coming hot?
[11] – We are
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat (Door gunners, sitting in left front seat, firing M-60s machine guns out of the left door of the their aircraft)
[11] – There’s a guy in that hooch back there. In that bunker right there, on the left door
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] - There is stuff everywhere, hooches, bunkers. All fresh trails, stuff everywhere.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] – Do it (Suprock telling his gunner to fire)
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] – OK, I’m going to go over to this hooch
[11 Gunner] – Shoot for that, God D__
[11] – Alright, I am going to drop a smoke on this hooch in the middle of the canal. That’s going to be your center of mass, 34. I want you to hit everything around it. (Door gunner drops smoke grenade and the two Loaches depart the area)
[34] – Roger, Inbound (Cobra gunships inbound, firing nails (flechette rockets) on the target area identified by the smoke grenade)
The two Loaches fly to the east, away from the target area
[11] – This place is unbelievable. Like downtown Hanoi.
Suddenly, enemy fire erupts on the left flank of the Loaches.
[11] – We got a sniper.
[11] – (Excited, in a high pitched voice) Taking fire, taking fire, taking fire, left door
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] – Taking hits, I think we took a hit
Loaches exit the area immediately after taking hits
[34] – 11, I’m coming (Cobras veer off their previous target and commence their gun runs on the area where Loaches took hits)
[17] – 11, you have a hit in the cargo compartment
[35] – 11 this is 35, from the smoke where did you get all the fire?
[11] – From the smoke it was back to the east on the other side of the canal
[35] – OK, real fine, I got it baby
[11] – Right, beautiful
[28] – How you doing there 11?
[11] – Roger, I’m up at the canal. It looks like I got hit in the cargo compartment. I thought I would check it out.
[28] – You want to set down at the CP?
[11] – I sure do.
[28] – Go ahead
[17] – Go ahead and check yourself out, 11, and I would like to set down and check myself out too
[11] – Yeah, Roger that
[28] – I’m going up to call Rach Gia to get another set of guns down here.
[11] – Roger
[11] – 28, this is 11, that place in there is unbelievable.
[28] – Looks like it needs to be blown away with Arty (Artillery)
[11] – Most Affirmative
[11] – Good coverage there 17, thank you much. 35, 34, beautiful, beautiful. (Suprock thanking his wingman and the Crusader gunships)
[17] - 11, I will set down here and let you check me out.
[11] – 17, looks like you got one in your tail boom
[11] – Looks like you got away real clean
[28] – We will head back to Rach Gia. Our team is coming out and we got Black Ponies (Navy OV-10 broncos) enroute
[11] – Roger
[11] – 17, pick up my tail and we’re coming to altitude.
[11] – Lord, that place just scared the dog shit out of me. You believe that area, you believe it, and they put us in there.
After Lighthorse moved out of the AO, the target area was hit with artillery, Black Ponies, and Cobra rocket strikes before the Loaches returned that afternoon. This was Tom Suprock’s last mission in Vietnam. The following day he completed his tour and returned stateside. He was more than a little excited when he encountered hostile fire and took hits on his last mission.
After Vietnam
Years later, Tom Suprock used this audio-tape to enlighten students about the Vietnam War. Here is Tom’s message to me. “The tape has been played in about 500 classrooms, from Brown University's largest seated class (450 students) titled, "The History of the War in Viet Nam,” to Broad Rock Middle School where some 100 twelve- and thirteen-year-olds were preparing to go to the Wall in DC. I don't like being viewed as a "Professional Veteran," but if we don't talk to them, they'll never know what happened. As a matter of fact, I'm writing a teen book on the war to be used in Middle/High schools at the request of a lot of the History teachers I've worked with.”
During my tour with Lighthorse in 1971-72, Tom Suprock was recognized as one of the most skillful Loach pilots in the troop. He was shot down multiple times and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart. When he departed Vietnam, he left a legacy for those who replaced him. Years later, Tom left a legacy with every student he came in contact with. Sadly, Tom passed away on February 17, 2017, at age 66. He is missed by all who knew him.
Rex Gooch
Longknife 23
* Pilots recorded their missions with a small cassette tape recorder placed between the two front seats. The recorder’s small earphone was used inversely as a microphone by inserting it inside the earcup of their flight helmet and plugging the cord into the microphone jack of the recorder.
** Lighthorse was composed of five platoons with unique callsign identifiers:
• Warwagons – Scout Platoon flying OH-6 Loaches
• Crusaders – Gunship Platoon flying AH-1G Cobras
• Longknives – Lift Platoon flying UH-1H Hueys
• Doughboys – Aero-rifle Platoon
• Scavengers – Maintenance Platoon
War Wagons circa late 1971
Tom is on the far right
Tom Suprock
June 18, 1950 - February 9, 2017
Warwagon 17 – WO2 Sensat (Trail Loach)
Crusader 34 – WO2 Kelly (Lead Cobra)
Crusader 35 – CPT Loran “Bear” Bryant (Trail Cobra)
Longknife 28 – 1LT Antrim (Command & Control Huey aircraft commander)
[34] – 11, this is 34, can you go back in?
[11] – OK, we will be back in there
(Time lag of several minutes as the Scouts proceed to the AO)
[11 Gunner] – Coming hot?
[11] – We are
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat (Door gunners, sitting in left front seat, firing M-60s machine guns out of the left door of the their aircraft)
[11] – There’s a guy in that hooch back there. In that bunker right there, on the left door
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] - There is stuff everywhere, hooches, bunkers. All fresh trails, stuff everywhere.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] – Do it (Suprock telling his gunner to fire)
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] – OK, I’m going to go over to this hooch
[11 Gunner] – Shoot for that, God D__
[11] – Alright, I am going to drop a smoke on this hooch in the middle of the canal. That’s going to be your center of mass, 34. I want you to hit everything around it. (Door gunner drops smoke grenade and the two Loaches depart the area)
[34] – Roger, Inbound (Cobra gunships inbound, firing nails (flechette rockets) on the target area identified by the smoke grenade)
The two Loaches fly to the east, away from the target area
[11] – This place is unbelievable. Like downtown Hanoi.
Suddenly, enemy fire erupts on the left flank of the Loaches.
[11] – We got a sniper.
[11] – (Excited, in a high pitched voice) Taking fire, taking fire, taking fire, left door
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat — Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat
[11] – Taking hits, I think we took a hit
Loaches exit the area immediately after taking hits
[34] – 11, I’m coming (Cobras veer off their previous target and commence their gun runs on the area where Loaches took hits)
[17] – 11, you have a hit in the cargo compartment
[35] – 11 this is 35, from the smoke where did you get all the fire?
[11] – From the smoke it was back to the east on the other side of the canal
[35] – OK, real fine, I got it baby
[11] – Right, beautiful
[28] – How you doing there 11?
[11] – Roger, I’m up at the canal. It looks like I got hit in the cargo compartment. I thought I would check it out.
[28] – You want to set down at the CP?
[11] – I sure do.
[28] – Go ahead
[17] – Go ahead and check yourself out, 11, and I would like to set down and check myself out too
[11] – Yeah, Roger that
[28] – I’m going up to call Rach Gia to get another set of guns down here.
[11] – Roger
[11] – 28, this is 11, that place in there is unbelievable.
[28] – Looks like it needs to be blown away with Arty (Artillery)
[11] – Most Affirmative
[11] – Good coverage there 17, thank you much. 35, 34, beautiful, beautiful. (Suprock thanking his wingman and the Crusader gunships)
[17] - 11, I will set down here and let you check me out.
[11] – 17, looks like you got one in your tail boom
[11] – Looks like you got away real clean
[28] – We will head back to Rach Gia. Our team is coming out and we got Black Ponies (Navy OV-10 broncos) enroute
[11] – Roger
[11] – 17, pick up my tail and we’re coming to altitude.
[11] – Lord, that place just scared the dog shit out of me. You believe that area, you believe it, and they put us in there.
After Lighthorse moved out of the AO, the target area was hit with artillery, Black Ponies, and Cobra rocket strikes before the Loaches returned that afternoon. This was Tom Suprock’s last mission in Vietnam. The following day he completed his tour and returned stateside. He was more than a little excited when he encountered hostile fire and took hits on his last mission.
After Vietnam
Years later, Tom Suprock used this audio-tape to enlighten students about the Vietnam War. Here is Tom’s message to me. “The tape has been played in about 500 classrooms, from Brown University's largest seated class (450 students) titled, "The History of the War in Viet Nam,” to Broad Rock Middle School where some 100 twelve- and thirteen-year-olds were preparing to go to the Wall in DC. I don't like being viewed as a "Professional Veteran," but if we don't talk to them, they'll never know what happened. As a matter of fact, I'm writing a teen book on the war to be used in Middle/High schools at the request of a lot of the History teachers I've worked with.”
During my tour with Lighthorse in 1971-72, Tom Suprock was recognized as one of the most skillful Loach pilots in the troop. He was shot down multiple times and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart. When he departed Vietnam, he left a legacy for those who replaced him. Years later, Tom left a legacy with every student he came in contact with. Sadly, Tom passed away on February 17, 2017, at age 66. He is missed by all who knew him.
Rex Gooch
Longknife 23
* Pilots recorded their missions with a small cassette tape recorder placed between the two front seats. The recorder’s small earphone was used inversely as a microphone by inserting it inside the earcup of their flight helmet and plugging the cord into the microphone jack of the recorder.
** Lighthorse was composed of five platoons with unique callsign identifiers:
• Warwagons – Scout Platoon flying OH-6 Loaches
• Crusaders – Gunship Platoon flying AH-1G Cobras
• Longknives – Lift Platoon flying UH-1H Hueys
• Doughboys – Aero-rifle Platoon
• Scavengers – Maintenance Platoon
War Wagons circa late 1971
Tom is on the far right
Tom Suprock
June 18, 1950 - February 9, 2017