When I first arrived "in country", I was Specialist 4th Class. I came to the 174th AHC around April 1st, 1968 and was promoted to Specialist 5th Class sometime later that month. I spent 16 months with the 174th AHC. Much of that time, I was with the 1st Platoon Dolphins. I spent a short period of time with the Sharks in 1969.



SP4 Harry Cooper. "New kid on the block" April 1968. Do I look scared?



Me on the left and Pat Patterson on the right. I recollect that Pat was a fine gunner... alot of fun to fly with. I think he later became a Dolphin Crewchief.



Ben Kennedy on left and me on the right- in the 1st Platoon Hootch. We're holding up the avionics hatch/nose art for Dolphin slick UH-1H #67-17543 (Ben did the artwork on it). Ben was in the Unit for about two years years I think. I know he returned to the RVN for a third tour in 1971. A very popular guy and a very able CE. He is very artistic and solely accredited for the artwork on some of the Dolphin slicks. Assistant Webmaster note: You can check out Ben Kennedy's Biography at Ben Kennedy's Biography Page.



Here's me in front of my ship Dolphin #543. "H" models started arriving in the Unit in the Spring of 1968. My old "D" was one of the last one's to be replaced. #543 was my "brand spankin' new" UH-1H.



Me again (left) and doorgunner Tom Roddery (right) in front of the 1st Platoon hootch. .



Carl Martin (I think was his name...any correction anybody?) on the left and Frank Daley right. Frank is mentioned and a/o photoed a few times in the '67-'68 photo pages.



This is a photo of John Ferguson. Our head "mech" performed miracles on our damaged slicks!!!



Wayne Tice on left and Carl Martin on right. Notice bandage on Tice's arm. He was wounded that day while flying with John O'Sullivan. This photo depicts our drunken celebration of Wayne "cheating death". Wayne's wound was not bad enough for him to be grounded. Horrorably enough, he flew the next day and was KIA. See the details of Wayne's lose at Crew Losses Page.



Sometime in '68. I'm just relaxing.



My June 1, 1968 Commendation from Lt. Colonel Jim Franklin- Commanding Officer of the 11th Infantry. Alot of us got these placed in our "201's". We provided alot of support for the 11th then.



This is me sitting in the back of 3/4 ton. Once in a while we were fortunate enough to get a few days off from flying and we would form mini-convoys. We would maybe take three vehicles south on Highway One (1) to see what we could "scrounge" for the company.



This low quality photo of Gary Milton is very special. This photo is of the day before he joined the Army and he wanted me to have it. We became good friends over the first months (in the Unit) which we knew each other. The mission that he flew the day he died, I was supposed to "crew"...but the schedule changed and our ship was put on "resupply". My ship was the was first "on station" after the mid-air collision in which Gary was killed. You can read the details as well, of Gary's lose at Crew Losses Page.

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You can e-mail Harry at: teddy@pahrump.net.
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