[Unruly Human]

The war stories keep rushing back with age. I had two weeks of in-country orientation in the Qui Nhon area in early 67 with the 161st AHC. Our choppers (A Co. 4th Avn.) hadn't arrived yet from Ft. Lewis. We flew missions supporting the Korean Tiger Division and we were all so full of piss and vinegar. It was like the beginning of Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon."

I was out in the valley outside Qui Nhon running convoys with the Koreans. They had better food than we did.

I liked working with the Tiger Division troops, very tough guys.

[leadpenny]

They had better food than we did.

We delivered double c-rats to ROK units in the field.

I liked working with the Tiger Division troops, very tough guys.

Very tough. Once, while the huey was about to touch down on the re-supply pad, a ROK NCO flew off the aircraft before the skids touched the ground. He dove headfirst into an underling who he decided was not approaching the chopper fast enough to off load supplies. The next time we came in the poor guy moved a little faster. He was also sporting a patched up head wound the sergeant had inflicted on him.

[archy]

I liked working with the Tiger Division troops, very tough guys.

Concur. They were switching over from the M2 carbine to the M16 while I was there, and we were handed the job of training their gunners in the new XM148 grenade launcher fitted to the rifle, meant to replace their older M79s.

They kept their M79s, and added the M16 with the underbarrel XM148 to their units for even more firepower, a smart move on their part.

Their methods for checking sentries at night was a little jarring at first, but effective.