Upon witnessing the wrath that the AC-47 brought down on the VC attackers that night, he reported that visual effect of the tracers, 1 in every 5 rounds or 20 per second, gave the appearance of dragon's breath. He also tied the roar of the guns into the description. Upon reading the account in the Stars and Stripes, the CO of the 1st Commando Squadron exclaimed "Well, I'll be damned! Puff, the Magic Dragon." from a child's song recently popularized in the U.S. by the trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Captured VC documents later told of orders not to attack the Dragon as weapons are useless and it will only infuriate the monster.
My service in the USAF special ops was a bit after the Vietnam war. A few of the old sergeants I worked with related how the mere mention of Puff on the radio sent the VC scurrying out of the area. Sometimes they even simulated a call to Puff to get the same effect when no Puff was available.
More AC-130 websites AC-130 GUNSHIP THE FABULOUS FOUR ENGINE FIGHTERS
Also link to the book "The Fence" on AC-130 gunships at the link above. "The Fence is a hard hitting and accurate account of the heroism of the brave airmen that flew the AC-130 Spectre Gunship during the Vietnam War. A must read selection for Special Operations enthusiasts." Hugh Hunter, Colonel, USAF [Ret] Commander 1st Special Operations Wing, Hulburt Field, Florida [1983-85]