H A W K S' T A L K
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Monthly newsletter published by the Information Office of the 73d
Surveillance Airplane Company, APO 96291, Major Jerry E. Judy,
Commanding.
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Vol 1 No. 8 "UPTIGHT" 12 October 68
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MOVED AGAIN??
Let your "Hawks's Talk" staff know. We want to stay
"Uptight" on these addresses, but you must keep us informed with
a card, letter, DD FORM 1175, or by carrier pigeon. Just send to
"Hawk's Talk", 73d SAC, APO 96291.
CIVIC ACTION HIGHLIGHTS
The 73d SAC is continuing its support programs at Le Loi
Hospital and Thuy Giang Hamlet. All contributions made are
appreciated. For a free mailing label write either the Civic
Actions Officer or "Hawk's Talk", 73d SAC, APO 96291.
SCORE BOARD
During the month of September the 73d flew 423 sorties while
completing 1454 missions for a total of 983.8 flying hours.
Platoon Sorties Hours Missions
------- ------- ----- --------
VISUAL 160 271+00 472
PHOTO 40 73+00 125
RED HAZE 129 372+05 489
SLAR 103 267+45 368
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TOTALS 432 983+50 1454
OPERATIONAL CHANGES
SFC Treadway, a veteran of every key position in the company
to include 1st SGT on several occasions became the Operations NCO
this month. The place sure shaped up; but things aren't as quiet
as they use to be. Major Hall and SFC Treadway seem to get along
fine especially in the morning; neither one speaks to the other
for at least the first thirty minutes of the day. They seem to
understand each other. Major hall says that LT Bill Mason
demonstrated a new maneuver to him on Bill's standardization ride
last week and thats about all either will say about it.
Maj Jim Kanouse use to say "Things just aren't the same
since Maj Willie Pratt went home". Now Maj Gene Hall is saying
"Things just aren't the same since Maj Bob Pratt went home".
RED HAZE CHATTER
Red Haze will be saying farewell to two of its TDI watchers
(TO's) this month; SP4's Kenneth D. Lattimer & Larry E. Heckadon.
Hey Larry, what are you going to do with an airsick cat at 33,000
feet over the Pacific?
Up Tight 903, better known as Hawk 9, is either killing a
lot of big birds or else we've got a gremblin somewhere loose in
the shop with a sledge hammer. Three of our fearless pilots have
experienced, at least once, a tremendous shock tremble through
Hawk 9's airframe. It's like getting hit by a 37, said one
pilot. LT Curlanis was observed under it's belly one morning,
scratching his head, wondering where the hole was.
Thanks to the continuous efforts of our man in Long Binh, we
are now able to get artillery clearance into a certain target
west of Saigon just about the time we roll off our last run. Who
worries about Charlie with our friendly arty.
Seen any Red Haze pilots with nose bleed lately? They've
been giving Saigon Center a try. What are you doing way down
there SLAR?
MAY THEY REST IN PEACE
On the night of 12 September 1968, 1LT Robert R. Weiss and
SP4 William E. Foster Jr. were flying a direct combat support
mission in an OV-1C Mohawk. Near the end of a long strenuous
mission, with low clouds and limited visibility in the area,
their aircraft, for causes unknown, crashed into the sea near
Vung Tau, South Vietnam.
We shall remember them always as dedicated soldiers and true
friends. May God bless them.
DEPARTURES ARRIVALS
Maj R. H. Pratt CW3 R. K. Fujimoto
Cpt P. K. Piper SFC D. W. Boroff
Cw2 H. Cowlishaw SFC R. E. Gourley
SFC H. E. Sharp
SSG G. E. Lair
page 2 (over)
VISUAL OBSERVATIONS
The US Visual Force, ever experimenting with bold new
concepts, to improve the combat intelligence gathering effort
appears to have a winner in its pilot-observer "teams". Matched
as teams are CPT Erway and SP5 Farmer, CPT Talbot and SP5
Harkins, CPT Black and SP5 Middaugh, and LT Mason and SP5 Wells.
Flying with the same partner on each visual reconnaissance
mission the pilot and observer come to understand each other
better and develop techniques to improve observation. The spirit
of competition between these teams is keen and indeed the number
of significant sightings in the last two weeks has reached a new
high. The old pros, Erway and Farmer are offering a case of beer
to any team that can produce more significant sightings than them
in any given week.
After some sixty hours of flying visual missions SP5
Middaugh last week saw the first rounds fired at him in anger.
Questioned about Middaughs' reaction. CPT Black would only
comment that Middaugh did seem unusually alert for the rest of
the flight. By the way-contrary to the widespread betting that
he wouldn't get around to do it - SP5 Middaugh finally paid CPT
Black the case of cokes for the "hot seat" he left last month.
It seems he keeps getting his foot caught in the lower firing
handle everytime he gets out. Our hats off to CPTs Talbot and
Maher who had SP5 Harkins worried all last week about the special
"top secret" low level photo missions that Harkins was scheduled
to fly over Pnompenh last Thursday. How they managed to brief
Harkins on the missions for four days running without cracking a
smile is a mystery to us. To lend veracity to the farce, the II
experts even came up with maps of the Cambodian capitol for
Harkins to study.
The word is out that LT Mason gave MAJ "Whiskey" Hall a real
thrill on Mason's standardization ride last week. Mason, a
former civilian cropduster pilot successfully demonstrated both a
tailspin and an inverted flat spin while attempting to fly
straight and level on instruments. After demonstrating a
spectacular recovery to level flight, MAJ Hall, very casually
leaned back in the seat and lit two cigarettes - one for each
hand!
CPT Erway received his 914th bullet hole last week, thus
putting him well within range of winning his "1,000 round plaque"
before his DEROS next month. MAJ Hank Hall who is expected to
present the plaque has expressed confidence that Erway can make
it. Commenting to reporters MAJ Judy stated proudly, "He's worth
his weight in lead. At least he can bring home that much".
SHOP TALK
The Maintenance Platoon has had a change of command. Major
"Heavy" Hall took over as platoon commander on 22 Sept and Major
Pratt departed for the States and eventually to Germany.
Since taking over the Maintenance Platoon MAJ Hall has been
haunted by his previous command, the Visual Platoon. The Visual
Platoon has been sending an aircraft a day to maintenance for
bullet damage sustained by visual flights the first week of
October.
Besides MAJ Hall taking over the Maintenance Platoon he has
undertaken the task of being checked out flying IR missions and
has a taste of night flying after flying only visual since
arriving in country.
At the end of September the Maintenance Platoon established
an all time high of 92.6% availability of aircraft. Our thanks
and well done to the men of the 73d Maintenance Platoon.
SLAR TALK
The SLAR Platoon welcomes the arrival of three new Technical
Observers, SP4 Vincent C. Girolamo, PFC William H. Neuman, and
PFC John P. McGill. They have just graduated from the United
States Army Combat Surveillance School at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.
Saturday, October 12 a party will be held in honor of the
people that have "Served - their - time" in RVN and will soon be
returning to the good old USofA. Everyone guarantees the blast
will be a success! The people that are leaving are: CPT R.
Berner, SP5 C. Graham, SP5 C. Thirlby, SP4 C. Murray, SP4 J.
Hopp, SP4 J. Kap, and SP4 T. Amast. To these friends we wish you
luck and a pleasant 18 hour ride back to civilization.