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174th Assault Helicopter Company

DOLPHINS & SHARKS
Vietnam & Laos
1966-1971

Page last updated 26 March 2004

Webmaster Note: The 174th site has changed hosts and we're having some technical problems getting the transition finalized from one host to the other (different operating systems). The transition has now taken place, but I have not yet validated each individual page. Should you find any pages or images that do not now load properly, please let me know the specific URL (Internet address) along with a description of the problem. Thanks, Jim McDaniel, 174th AHC Webmaster, 174shark4@cox.net

|| Website Contents || New & Updated Pages || 174th AHC Guest Book ||

Fred Thompson
Shark 7, 1970/71
August 1948 - November 2002
Succumbed to lung cancer
8 November 2002
He went out as he lived
--- With style! ---
Goodbye Fred -- We'll miss you!

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The 174th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC)
...formed at Ft. Benning, GA in 1965 and deployed all personnel and equipment to Vietnam by U.S. Navy ships in 1966, landing at the Vietnamese port at the city of Qui Nhon. The unit's three primary "homes" in Vietnam were Lane Army Heliport near Qui Nhon (1966; II-Corps), Duc Pho in Quang Ngai Province (1967-1970; I-Corps), and Chu Lai, basecamp for the Americal Division (1971; also I-Corps). The 174th flew various models of the UH-1 "Huey" helicopter. The unit served long and proud in Vietnam and saw much combat action in the rice paddies and mountains in the northern half of South Vietnam from 1966 until 1971, and in Laos during Operation Lam Son 719 in 1971. Within these pages we've included many pictures and much information about the people, places, and things the 174th experienced. This home page is dedicated to those Dolphins and Sharks, both pilots and enlisted crewmembers--brave men all--who did not return.

THEY SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN

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Sharks on standby at the Gia Vuc Special Forces Camp

Photo Property of Fred Thompson

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Before you leave, you are invited to sign our
174th AHC Guest Book

Crew Chiefs and Mechanics (the backbone of any helicopter unit)

Photo Property of Fred Thompson

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Pictured below is a combat assault (CA), taken on short-final to the landing zone (LZ), with infantry troops jumping from a UH-1 "Huey." This photo was taken in the Americal area of operations between Duc Pho and Chu Lai. The lead helicopter has just taken off; chalk-2 is unloading (note the right skid hasn't even touched down yet and one troop's already out of the helicopter and has reached the rice paddy dike); chalk-3 is on short-final just before touching down; and the rest of the flight is barreling down on Chalk-3 from the rear. Chalk-2 will probably be on the ground for less than five seconds.

(Photo by "Chalk-3" Jim McDaniel)
Press play for trail's advice to the flight...

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WEBMASTER NOTE:

I've added cockpit audio sound files from Lam Son 719 to the home page and now have a number of the audio segments up and on the page. See the "Contents" section below. While the short audio above is a "Wave" file, the longer recordings here on the page become extremely large Wave files. I've used "RealPlayer 5.0" and its ability to compress the files and its streaming capability to shorten the download times for these large files. If you do not now have RealPlayer, a link to their website is included where you can download the player for free. --jim

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WEBSITE CONTENTS

The 174th by Year: (Click on a year for many photos and stories for that year). || 1966 || 1967 || 1968 || 1969 || 1970 || 1971 || Recent reunions, stories, and photos (since Vietnam) History of 14th Combat Aviation Battalion Cockpit Audio Tapes from Lam Son 719. This is the real thing, folks. Maps of the 174th's Areas of Operations. Crew Losses. Narratives of information known about each loss. The Origin of the Dolphin Nose Art. Plus nose art photos. Sharks Teeth and the WWII Flying Tigers. Plus the 1966 letter from the Flying Tigers. Shark Gunship Armament 174th Helicopter Tail Numbers. How long was your bird there? Individual Biographies of 174th "Alumni." Links to other sites. Lots of other places to go. FEATURE: Poems of a Crewchief by Mel Lutgring Guest Book. Please sign our Guest Book and read what others have written.

E-Mail?

Click here to write us at the website

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NEW & UPDATED ITEMS 1 January 2004 Addition to the Recent reunions, stories, and photos (since Vietnam) Page Washington Post Article "Vietnam Veterans Offer Sustenance to Soldiers Wounded in Iraq" Our own Hal Koster's support of Iraq War veterans 29 December 2003 Addition to the 1968 Page JC Pennington's 1968 Christmas Memories (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 27 December 2003 Correction and update to the Losses Page for Carl McCoy Mortar attack on 29 May 1968 14 December 2003 Addition to the 1968-1969 Pages Dave Spahr's Photos Page (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 14 December 2003 Addition to the 1966-1967 Pages Ron Newcomer's Photos Page (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 14 December 2003 Addition to the 1968-1969 Pages Cliff Berg's Photos Page (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 30 September 2003 Addition to the 1971 Page "Shark Team Lost in Loas" Fred Thompson story and photos( Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 8 September 2003 Correction to a caption on Dennis Pelliccia's Photos Page See the Webmaster Note USAF C-123 "Provider" Crash (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 17 July 2003 Correction to a caption on Dennis Pelliccia's Photos Page Sam Sours and the Band (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 13 July 2003 Addition to the Bios Page Bio added for WO1 David Spahr PRIMO / Dolphin / Shark 2 (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 13 July 2003 174th AHC 2003 Reunion Information Includes Letter from the President, Fact Sheet, and Registration Form 6 July 2003 Addition to the 1967 Page Photos page added for David Lindsey Dolphin/Shark crewchief/gunner (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 28 May 2003 Addition to the Bios Page Bio page added for SP4 Melvyn (Mel) J. Lutgring (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 20 April 2003 Addition to the 1967 Page Photos page added for WO1 James N. Messinger (Page built by Deputy Dog Warren Hewetson) 1 February 2003 Addition to the Crew Losses Page Details added on the loss of CPT Arthur P. Wright 1 January 2003 Reunion Afteraction reports and more. 2002 174th Reunion Report See: Report from the Presidents Desk and Reunion Afteraction Report. Photos pages still in the works. To come soon. 1 January 2003 Update to caption on Bob Hackett's photos page. See the caption under the disabled tank. Also review the excellent information and photos on armor that Doug Kibbey has provided with his linked sites. Thanks Doug. Bob Hackett's photos page 8 December 2002 Recollections of Dirick Overhamm Updated with addition of photographs Sharks -- The Early Years 3 October 2002 Addition to the Crew Losses Page Bruce Marshall adds some personal memories to the loss of CW2 Creamer and his Dolphin flareship crew 28 September 2002 Addition to the 1967 Photos Page Marty Martos' Photos Page 17 August 2002 Chas Simmons' 174th AHC 2001 Reunion Photos Page More photos from last October's 174th reunion 13 August 2002 174th AHC 2002 Reunion Information 11, 12, 13 October 2002 Ft. Walton Beach, Florida 11 August 2002 Update to 3rd page of Dave Rosenthal's bio. He's finally retired after 30 years in the cockpit. Lots of great photos. If you haven't seen Dave's bio page lately, start here to read it all. 24 April 2002 Addition to the 1968 Photos Page. Photo of both Mike Banek and Barry Lloyd (together) added at the end of "The Rescue of 1LT Barry Lloyd of the 123rd Aviation Battalion" 16 April 2002 Addition to the 1968 Photos Page. Photo of Barry Lloyd added at the end of "The Rescue of 1LT Barry Lloyd of the 123rd Aviation Battalion" 20 March 2002 Addition to the Links page. Photos page of SP5 Harry Cooper 9 March 2002 Addition to the Links page. Link to Marty Heuer's page on Songs of Army Aviators in the Vietnam War The 174th's own "High Priced Help"