Postscript
By Bernie Cobb
The account of our ambush in THE ARMY REPORTER, above, is brief and fairly accurate except for names. The person who submitted that article either didn't furnish names or the newspaper didn't have time to verify them.
To set the record straight, I am the "aviator" who came up with the plan to "ambush the ambushers," and I led the mission on the ground. Since my crew wouldn't be flying during the mission, my crewchief and gunner were eager to go with me.
I am sorry now that I didn't keep a personal log, but I didn't and I can't furnish their names. The aircraft commanders of the two gunships I had orbiting out of sight behind the nearby hill were Major Bob Jones and Major Dick Overhamm.
When the VC were spotted from our position on the ground and the gunships unloaded their rockets, I reported a squad of 12 VC dispatched to wherever VC go when they are zapped. According to the article, we got credit for 10 VC killed.
More details can be found in my 1966 TIDBITS OF HISTORY, subhead "Frustrations," which is located at
http://www.americal.org/174/cobb-02.htm.
After that mission, our slicks were able to continue their resupply missions to that outpost without incident. My frustrations disappeared because the Sharks had again taken care of the Dolphins, albeit in a somewhat unorthodox manner.
Bernie Cobb
Shark6 (1965/66)
Major Bernie Cobb, SHARK 6
The 174th's first gunship platoon leader
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