A Vietnam Retrospective
PART 10
Click on the blue cube to go back to Part 9
==========================
On a night scramble on Saturday, November 28th (two days after Thanksgiving) the flare ship
that accompanied the Sharks went IFR and flew into a mountain and all perished. Due to the low
ceilings, it was December 2nd before an aircraft could get into where they'd gone down.
CW2 Chuck Creamer, one of the most well liked pilots in the 174th, was found dead in his seat
in the aircraft. Lt. Dave Jaurequi was found lifeless in his seat, which had been thrown clear
of the aircraft on impact.
For a brief period, it was believed that either Powell or Field might have survived the crash
and the ensuing fire. Rescuers could find only one distinguishable body in the rear of the
H-model. A closer inspection determined that both crewmembers perished as they were burned
beyond recognition, on top of each other.
Both the above photos are
1970 photos of (l-r): CW2 Chuck Creamer 1970 visiting another Unit's Crew at Duc Pho and 1LT Dave
Jauregi (on 2nd Platoon porch Sept 1970).
It was exposure to these painful experiences that caused some to drink and maybe play just a bit harder than the uninitiated. For the families and loved ones of these young men, there would be no such relief.
Flying in Vietnam had been described by some as 95% boredom, sprinkled with 5% shear terror. I think I even wrote something to that effect to my mother so she wouldn't worry. I can't ever recall feeling bored there. At times, absent a mission or a scramble, crews would lounge about writing letters, playing cards or maybe just sleeping. Appreciation for no action was always pure pleasure to me. After all, I was from California. Its part of our nature. But seriously, I was beginning to develop my own sense of spirituality, if not blind luck longevity. How could anyone hope to survive all this?
On one hot, dry Duc Pho afternoon, I do recall grabbing a few winks while seated at the end of
Bruce Marshall's stateside-type bed. Bruce had gone up to Chu Lai to appropriate stock for the
officers club. I sat on the end of his bed to fire up his stereo (some Door's, James Gang, or
Grateful Dead).
WO1 Bruce Marshall and WO1 Dennis McCabe in Shark Hootch late 1970. Brotherhood.
In the Sharks, you always left your boots on and tied if you were on "primary." As I lay back to enjoy the sounds, I fell fast asleep with my booted feet dangling over that footboard. Well, as per instructions in the script, some unit got into contact and that old horn sounded. "Aunk, aunk, aunk!" I leapt off that bed and maybe realized two steps before the message got to my brain that I had absolutely no feeling in my feet or lower legs. My body crumpled like dirty laundry and my face bounced off that 2" by 6" hootch floor like a well-aired basketball. I do believe I made it to the aircraft, 75 yards away on my hands and knees. A couple stitches in my chin by the Doc, after the scramble,
sealed my embarrassment.
The 4 photos above are at Quang Ngai Airfield 1971 (top left) and various
Sharks gunships on stand-by there. Top right: #140 “Cobra”. Bottom left: #540 “Grim Reaper”
(at PLO). Bottom right: #161 “Surfer” and #140 “Cobra”. Actually, Quang Ngai’s MACV pad was
one of our favorite eating spots. It was also referred to as the “Tropo Pad” and just a short walk
from it was a hamburger stand that featured good cheeseburgers. No flight past the area was
complete without a stop there. Also there was a small building by the airstrip where Shark teams
on stand-by played allot of poker.
In December, we mourned the fate of the Creamer-Jaurequi
crew and tried to carry on the best we could. We experienced cold monsoon rains and fog that
added to the melancholy of the loss of our friends. Activity in the AO slowed with the inclimate
weather, but our fortunes would turn when a USO floor show arrived, gave us a great show, and
had to stay on days longer due to being weathered in.
A whole group of pilots were
getting very short and their celebrating their rotation became contagious to the entire unit. The
most serious social problem during this period with the rains was that your clothes would mildew
before they would ever dry. The smell was on everyone and inescapable. I have a severe problem
with that odor to this day.
Morale of the unit had a funny ability of being as high one
day as it could be low the following
day. Major Blackburn had rotated home and was replaced by
another Major. This Major had been
the 11th Brigade Aviation Officer. He had one of those winning personalities, very similar to
that of Richard Nixon. A real charmer. On the coldest of days he'd appear as if he just
walked out of a sauna. He was just one of those sweaty type of guys.
Normally our commanders had come from the 14th Battalion but political jockeying had opened an
avenue for the Major that he might become our CO and get his ticket punched. Possibly, because
Major Blackburn had been so popular and highly respected, this guy felt that he should initiate
change to instill respect for his leadership among the men. One of his first directives was to
order that all pin-ups of unclad females, be removed from the company area. This included the
opened and the secured living quarters of all personnel.
On paper, no one seemed to mind or take it seriously until the Major's inspections began.
He felt a change of this type would endear him to Colonel Silver, the CO of the 16th Aviation
Group. The crews were not especially excited about this directive. Tear gas
began to pop about
his hootch on almost a nightly basis and one of the more imaginative put
green dye in the good
major's personal shower water. The change in his complexion was
noticeable and to many, an
improvement. Pat Wade insisted it was just a coincidence that he
was found with the empty dye
container. The morale shot right back up there.
Above L-R: 16th Avn. Group Commander COL
Silver, 14th Avn Btn Commander LTC Boyle and 174th AHC C/O MAJ Searcy.
Christmas Eve was spent in the mess hall, out of the pouring rain, watching the movie MASH, and missing home.
------------------------
End of Part 10 of 20 Parts.
Click on the beacon to go to Part 11
Return to top of the Biography Page.
