Flying in a Stearman

After completing my clandestine mission, I ambled around other parts of the museum, perusing the other aircraft -- ones I've seen there several times before. Then, when I rounded the corner of one hangar, I discovered an aircraft I hadn't seen there before: a UH-1 helicopter.

This new addition to the museum's collection, a B-model Huey, had "Navy" on the tail boom and, as I examined it more thoroughly, I discovered from its nose art that it was a Seawolf ship.

In Vietnam, the Seawolves' gunships supported the Navy's Riverine force, boats that patrolled the rivers and canals of the Delta. My unit, the 235th Aerial Weapons Company, was headquartered in the Delta and we occasionally provided additional air support for Navy operations, including Seal team missions and Riverine patrols.

Incidentally, I still hold a grudge against the Navy because it aided and abetted the requirement that, even though I was an Army helicopter pilot, I had to become carrier-qualified. For that story, see "LSTs" at this web site.

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