A fourth Line Battalion, the 3d Battalion, 503d Infantry, joined the 173d Airborne Brigade recently after undergoing five months of extensive training at Ft Bragg NC, while attached to the 82nd Airborne Division.
    The newly formed Battalion was a member of the old "Rock" regiment during World War II. Later deactivated, the unit remained quiescent until April 1 when it was reactivated under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Cleland. Colonel Cleland was a member of the Battalion when it earned the nickname 'The Rock' in the battle of Corregidor.
    Jumping from 200 feet, the lowest combat jump on record, the 3rd Battalion assaulted the island fortress of Corregidor, long held by the Japanese. The Paratroopers defeated an enemy force 5 times their size and captured large quantities of explosives and ammunition. The island's nickname of 'The Rock' became the Battalion's.

    The well-trained Paratroopers arrived in country October 24 at Qui Nhon after a 20-day voyage from Oakland California. Most of the men are new in country, but there are over 50 Paratroopers who have served with the Sky Soldiers previously. The majority of the Battalion's troops have recently come from Jump School at Ft Benning, the 82nd Airborne Division, Europe or OCS.
    The new Battalion began to form immediately after its reactivation. On May 1, they began preparing to join their parent unit in Vietnam. The training at Ft Bragg was strenuous, since there was much to learn about the type of fighting that they would soon encounter. They began with operational tactics such as individual and squad maneuvers. Even the weather cooperated; training in the summer heat at Ft Bragg was good preparation for tropical jungle fighting. By June the unit was well on its way to being a Combat-Ready Battalion. During June they moved on to Platoon and Company operations, including Airborne Assaults.
    During the last part of July a field training exercise called CROATAN was held in the Croatan National Forest in the southern part of North Carolina. A Non-Commissioned Officer who had recently served with the 173d Airborne Brigade explained, "We conducted every type of tactical operations during our two-week field problem that I knew of while I was in Vietnam."
    During the next two months the Battalion spent most of their time preparing their equipment for the long trip to join their fighting parent unit in Vietnam. Shortly after their arrival in country they underwent a week of training conducted by the 173d Airborne Brigade Jungle School in An Khe. Later, the 3d Battalion moved to Tuy Hoa, where they have conducted extensive operations against the enemy.

    Their job is to increase the combat effectiveness of the Brigade, by performing tasks of construction and destruction, so as to improve the mobility of friendly forces, and to impede the mobility of the enemy.
    For the men of the 173d Engineer Company, the job boils down to three major responsibilities. Forward Base Camp development is one of them.
    Upon moving into a new operational area, the Airborne Engineers clear the tactical base camp site, and construct the defensive positions necessary for the safety of Brigade Headquarters Paratroopers. Using bulldozers and explosives, the Engineers carve fields of defensive fire from the surrounding terrain. Barbed wire and concertina complexes are then laid down to seal off the perimeter. Then the construction men move to supply the Brigade with an abundant source of potable water. The water point team's machinery has the capability of producing up to 1500 gallons of fresh water per hour.
    Clearing and maintaining the essential transportation links with nearby units takes much of the Company's time. It is the Engineers' task to make the road networks safe to travel upon. Minesweeping teams are frequently sent out to detect and eliminate enemy boobytraps and anti-vehicular mines.
    In addition, the troopers clear trees and dense underbrush from the roadsides, depriving the enemy of possible ambush sites. Road maintenance became a constant concern of the Airborne Engineers after the Brigade moved north to Catecka. The monsoon rains began to fall in earnest just as the first Airborne vehicles rolled into the Pleiku area. With the rains came the thickest mud ever to confront the Sky Soldiers. The Engineers began an endless battle to keep the roads safe and serviceable. Finally, the lengthy culvert system they installed to drain the roads brought the slimy tide under control.
    At Dak To, the mud reached nightmarish proportions. Heavy vehicles traveling in the small Brigade Base Camp area turned the existing road beds into vast pools of thick mire. The Engineers rose to the challenge, frequently grading the roads and laying down prefabricated lumber bases in the more congested areas. Although the severe traffic problem was never really solved, the Paratroopers kept the Brigade supply links open.
    Even more important than their work in the base camp area is the Engineers' role as active combatants in the fight against the often elusive enemy. The men of the 173d Engineer Company are Combat Engineers, whose support directly enhances the effectiveness of our fighting Battalions.
    Their Platoons are assigned to the Line Battalions of the Brigade. Two Demolition Specialists accompany each Infantry Company to detonate unexploded ordnance, destroy enemy structures, and blast helicopter landing zones from the unyielding jungle.
    Recently, near Dak To, the Airborne Engineers displayed a candid example of their combat capabilities. A Platoon of Engineers trained in rappeling dropped into an enemy infested area southwest of Dak To with the troopers of 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry to enlarge an existing landing zone. Quickly finishing that task, they moved on to an adjoining hill mass to clear a four-acre patch from the dense bamboo jungle for use as a Fire Support Base. Working around the clock, through sniper fire, the Engineers exhausted over 350 boxes of bangalore torpedoes, and over 3000 Ibs of high explosives to complete the job.     Shortly afterward, three 105 mm howitzers from the Brigade's Artillery Battalion were dropped in and placed in position. That evening, the howitzers played a decisive role in turning back a fierce North Vietnamese assault, thanks to the engineers' quick work.

    The troops of the 173d Support Battalion proudly refer to themselves as the "Lifeline of the Brigade" and the phrase is unusually apt.
    The Support Paratroopers have had much to do with the many accomplishments of the Sky Soldiers, and rightfully deserve a lot of the credit. In football, many people tend to overlook the play of the linemen whose role affects the performance of the backfield. Support Paratroopers in the 173d have a somewhat similiar role. Their performance has a great effect on how well the maneuvering Infantrymen are able to accomplish their mission closing with the enemy and destroying him.
    The 173d Support Battalion, commanded by LTC Sherman Weisinger, is a complex unit. The skills in which its 674 officers and enlisted men are trained are as varied as the men themselves. Their jobs encompass everything from repairing canvas tents to making sure every trooper receives his monthly pay on time.
    One of the first priorities for any Army unit is supplies. Without continuous resupply, the Brigade could not function. Company C (Supply and Transportation) is charged with the responsibility of keeping the vital supply line flowing smoothly. Working under the control of the Brigade Supply Operations Center (BSOC), Company C distributes everything from M-16 rounds to the paper required for mountains of administrative work.

    During the last three months, the Brigade has moved its rear base camp from Bien Hoa to An Khe. At one time during the transfer, the 173d had personnel located at Bien Hoa, An Khe, Dak To and Tuy Hoa. Company C has been able to fill the supply needs of the Brigade split up and separated by hundreds of miles.
    Besides providing supplies, Company C provides the Brigade with the heavy trucks necessary to haul supplies and men. Every Sky Soldier has seen the familiar placards which identify the trucks of the Airborne Express. The 24 two-and-one-half-ton and 10 five-ton trucks which comprise the Airborne Express have played an important role in moving the Brigade from one base camp to another during the last three months. The trucks of the Airborne Express are also available to units in the Brigade when needed.
    Keeping the automotive wheels of the Brigade turning and the rest of its equipment functioning is the job of Company D (Maintenance). All equipment that requires third echelon maintenance falls into the hands of the men from Company D. The list of equipment they repair is as long as the list of skills the maintenance men possess.
    One such skilled Paratrooper is Specialist 5 Curtis Wright of San Jose, Calif. Wright, a senior Artillery Repairman, heads a team that travels to the fire support bases to perform on-the-spot repairs on the 105 mm howitzers. "We usually get a request for maintenance every other day," says Specialist Wright. Sight and elevation problems take up most of our time on the guns." The young Artillery Repairman explained that the skilled specialists learn their trade at one of the many Army schools, or right on the job, as he did.
    Besides repairing equipment, the Maintenance Company is capable of prefabricating parts for many types of equipment. The Company's Technical Supply Section distributes repair parts for every piece of equipment the 173d uses. According to Company Commander, First Lieutenant Richard O'Connor, Evansville Ind, special maintenance teams accompany motor convoys in case of a vehicle breakdown.
    The last three months have posed several problems for the maintenance Paratroopers. Our biggest headache," says Warrant Officer Arthur L Portis, Mobile Ala, Automotive Maintenance Technician, "has been caused by the mud at Dak To and then the dust at Tuy Hoa. The extreme weather conditions took a heavy toll on many of the Brigade's vehicles. Brakes, clutches and transmissions took the biggest beating."
    At Tuy Hoa, just weeks prior to the move back to Dak To, the maintenance crews went to work around the clock to remedy the situation. The automotive section handled more than 175 repair jobs alone with other maintenance sections handling even more repairs. When the 173d Airborne Brigade was deployed back to Dak To, its wheels were turning again.
    Another problem encountered by the Company was the transporting of their many repair vans. "The vans were just too big to fit inside a C-130 aircraft," explained WO Portis. The vans had to make the long trip from Tuy Hoa to Dak To by convoy.
    With the thick oozing mud replaced by the dry whirling dust, WO Portis sees even more work for the men of Company D. "Highly sensitive electrical equipment will be affected most by the dust, but we will be ready for it," he said.
    Four Doctors and one Dentist head up the team of medical personnel assigned to Company B (Medical). The Company runs a 25-to 40-bed holding station where Paratroopers are taken for medical attention and observation. The average time a patient spends at the holding station is from 48 to 72 hours. If after that period the condition of the patient does not improve, he is sent to the nearest hospital. "At Tuy Hoa, we were able to have the more seriously wounded taken directly to the 91st Evacuation Hospital, but at Dak To, where there is no close hospital, the Company must handle all the cases," said Company Commander Captain Stacy McMarlin, Springfield, Va.
    At Tuy Hoa, fevers of unknown origin (FUO) continued to be the most common ailment suffered by the patients at the holding station. A series of simple blood tests is performed to determine whether or not the patient has contracted malaria. "Most of the patients are found not to have malaria and are soon after returned to duty," said Captain McMarlin.
    During Operation Bolling, B-Med treated more than 2000 Paratroopers for wounds or illness. In addition the Medical Company treated 55,000 Vietnamese this year during Brigade MEDCAPS.
    For the first time since the 173d arrived in Vietnam, B-Med was able to have almost the entire Company in the forward area. "With our key people in the field," says the Doctor, "we can better accomplish our mission. We can assign more Medics to the Infantry Companies when needed."
    At Tuy Hoa, the Company was able to have serious battle casualties lifted straight to the 91st Evacuation Hospital. As a result, doctors spent more time than usual giving refresher courses to the Medics. Some Company Medics worked at the hospital to gain further experience.
    Returning to Dak To, the Brigade engaged in bitter fighting with well-trained North Vietnamese Army regulars. At times, the Sky Soldiers suffered heavy casualties.
    Dustoff choppers flew a vast number of evacuation missions. Medics raced their fellow wounded Paratroopers from the Choppers to the awaiting Doctors. Everyone in the Medical Company worked around the clock performing their livesaving mission. Specialist 4 Gerald F Carter, a Medical clerk from Brooklyn described the situation best. "The professional attitude displayed by the Doctors and Medics was tremendous. It made me feel proud to be a member of this unit."
    Within every large organization there must be people to handle the vast amount of paperwork and the many personnel actions. In the Brigade, the Paratroopers from Company A (Administration), take care of this important function. Mail is vital to everyone in the Brigade. The 45th Army Postal Unit, attached to Company A, has personnel located in An Khe and in the forward base camp to ensure that the mail is delivered quickly and efficiently. Money orders can also be purchased from the Brigade postmen.

    Personnel and administrative matters are the job of the Adjutant General's Office. Some of their tasks include orders, promotions, re-enlistments, transfers, awards and decorations, records, and special services. In addition, Company A Paratroopers man the Finance Office, the Chaplains' Office, and the Information Office. Company A's Replacement Detachment processes all Brigade Paratroopers on arrival, R and R and DEROS.
    In order to carry out their motto, "Service to the Troops," the men from Company A as well as the rest of Support Battalion moved to the Brigade's new Base Camp in An Khe. Nearly 800 conexes loaded with records, equipment, and personal belongings, along with rear detachment vehicles, were convoyed and trucked to the Saigon docks where they were loaded on LSTs for the trip to Qui Nhon and An Khe.
    Plainly, Support Battalion is the Brigade's lifeline. The many services performed by its Paratroopers are vital to the total effectiveness of the rest of the Brigade. Without the Support Trooper, the Sky Soldier Brigade could not have attained its matchless record as a fighting unit in Vietnam.

    The mobility and firepower of Company D, 16th Armor, have enabled its Paratroopers to perform quite a variety of missions with excellent success over the past few months. Mounted in their 17 armored personnel carriers, which they operate in lieu of their authorized Sheridan tanks, the Armormen have provided everything from fire base security to a search and destroy, even including night ambushes.
    "The Company is unusual in many respects," said Captain Robert D Mackey, Los Angeles, Company Commander from May to December. "This is the only Airborne Tank Company in the Army, and also the only separate Tank Company. We have more radios than an Infantry Battalion, and we provide all first and second echelon maintenance for our complex equipment from our own resources."
    D Company's weaponry makes it a formidable force to tangle with. Each APC is armed with a 50 caliber machinegun, two M-60 machineguns, and a rocket launcher. In addition, there are three APCs with 90 mm recoilless rifles. The two-inch thick aluminum armor will stop rifle bullets and shell fragments.

    Since May the Armormen have served mainly as convoy security and fire support base security, although they have conducted Search and Destroy missions on occasion. "We can sweep an area twice as fast as an Infantry Battalion can," said Captain Mackey, "if the terrain is right. Rolling hills in the highlands or marshy paddies around Tuy Hoa are no problem. Neither is jungle brush, after all our APCs will knock down trees up to ten inches in diameter. Steep hills are really the only place we can't operate effectively."
    While at Dak To during Operation Greeley, the Paratroopers of D Company logged some 4800 miles of convoy duty, and secured three different fire support bases. At Tuy Hoa the APCs averaged 100 miles per day per vehicle. At times the company ran as many as nine convoys a night, each containing ten trucks escorted by three APCs.
    According to Captain Mackey, one of the Company's most interesting missions has been their night ambushes at Tuy Hoa. Not having to dig in, the Company would go into position just after dark, much later than an Infantry ambush, and would move very slowly to keep down the noise and dust. After camouflaging their tracks, the Armormen would settle down and wait, keeping careful watch through starlight scopes.
    "One night," recalled Captain Mackey, "six enemy soldiers walked within 200 meters of our ambush without seeing those big APCs. When we gave chase, we encountered a group of 30 and then another group of 15, running in the opposite direction. We called for more of our tracks to handle the second bunch, and we got them in 20 minutes, from 7000 meters away, cross-country, in the dark. It was a profitable evening."

    Specialist 4, Paul G Dinardo, of Miami, Fla, was named the 173d Airborne Brigade's Sky Soldier of the Month for October.
    Specialist Dinardo, a member of A Battery, 3rd Battalion, 319th Artillery, is the chief computer for the Battery's Fire Direction Center. The l9-year-old Paratrooper received a free R&R, and $50 cash as his prizes. In addition, he spent one day as a special aide to Brigadier General L H Schweiter, Brigade Commander.
    "It really felt good to go into a competition like this and win," said Dinardo, smiling.

    Specialist 4, Kenneth S Cox, 19, was selected as the 173d Airborne Brigade's Sky Soldier of the Month for November.
    The young Paratrooper has been with the Brigade for eight months during which time he has served as a 81 mm mortar forward observer with Company C, 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry. Specialist Cox received a plaque and a $50 prize from Brigadier General L. H. Schweiter, Brigade Commander. He also received a free R & R in Australia and spent a day with the Commanding General.
    Hailing from Worcester, Mass., Cox graduated from North High School and, shortly after graduation, enlisted in the Army, taking Basic Training at Ft. Dix, N. J. After completing Advanced Infantry Training at Ft. Gordon, Ga, he earned his Airborne Wings at Ft. Benning.
    Concerning his tour in Vietnam, Cox says he is very impressed with the friendly Vietnamese people and their beautiful country. He is seriously considering extending his tour by six months.

    Specialist 4, David J Kutzer, WilkesBarre, Pa, was chosen the 173d Airborne Brigade Sky Soldier of the Month for December.
    Specialist Kutzer, of E Troop, 17th Cavalry, was chosen for his outstanding knowledge of military duties and responsibilities. In addition to a Sky Soldier plaque, he received a $50 cash award and a one week R and R. He plans to spend his week in Hawaii with his wife.
    Prior to entering the Army, the 22-year-old Paratrooper was graduated from Gar High School in l965 and attended Meyers Vocational and Technical College. Specialist Kutzer is a vehicle commander in the Recon Platoon, E Troop, 17th Cavalry.

    A new company of Sky Soldiers was added to the 173d Airborne Brigade in August when the 723d Forward Area Signal Platoon arrived in Vietnam, united with a Platoon of Signal Paratroopers from Brigade Headquarters, and formed the 173d's first organic Signal Company.
    Now under the command of Captain Ray Willis, the Company is responsible for keeping the lines of communication open between Brigade Headquarters and all subordinate units and between the Brigade and outside points.
    To accomplish its mission, the Signal Company is organized into two Platoons; Radio, and Command Operations. The radio Platoon has two basic radio networks. There are the secure voice network and the standard field network. The Command Operations Platoon operates the Brigade switchboard, lays and installs telephone lines and runs the Operational Communications Center.
    According to First Lieutenant Wesley Green company executive officer from Grand Rapids, Mich, Signal's biggest problem at one time during the last few months has been keeping communications flowing smoothly between four different locations separated by hundreds of miles. "It took a lot of hard work and much coordination between our Company and various signal units in Vietnam," said the Lieutenant.

    From a rocky hillside, an Artillery Forward Observer surveyed an enemy column moving through the valley below. Seconds later, the valley floor erupted with the blasts of Artillery shells. The men of the 3d Battalion, 319th Artillery had again met the elusive enemy on their own terms, with devastating effect.
    The particular scene may be fictional, but the rapid reaction and deadly accuracy it describes certainly are not. The Artillery strikes conducted by the 319th give the Brigade an explosive punch which breaks not only the strength but the morale of the enemy.
    The Forward Observer assigned to each Infantry Company is the key figure in every effective Artillery strike. It is his job to plot the target coordinates, and then to make adjustments when the rounds come in. The Observer is in constant radio communication with his Battery's Fire Direction Center back at the Fire Support Base.
    At the FDC, all target information is computed for the battery's 105 mm howitzers and then passed on to waiting gun crews who are responsible for sending the rounds on their way.
    When the gun crews prepare for an Artillery strike which will fall in the vicinity of friendly troops, several safety precautions are taken. A smoke round is fired by one howitzer to confirm the target's location. The smoke round is quickly followed by a high explosive shell fired from the two howitzers whose rounds will drop closest to the friendly forces. Once the Forward Observer makes any necessary corrections, all six howitzers in the Battery begin the barrage.
    Since the Artilleryman directly supports the Infantryman, he too must be flexible. When the Infantry moves into a new operational area, the Artillery follows close behind. Twin-rotor Chinooks sling the heavy pieces to a new Fire Support Base within range of the Infantry's movement.
    Once the guns have been secured at the new location, the Artillery Paratroopers await their next fire mission. Often a strike is requested by a Company in close contact with an enemy force. In this situation, the ground observer is assisted by an aerial observer who can make pinpoint target adjustments to protect the Sky Soldiers below.
    In addition to contact missions, the Batteries fire certain routine missions which provide the Infantrymen with movement security. Defensive concentrations are normally fired each night in the vicinity of a Company's laager site so as to block likely enemy approaches and restrict his movement. Preparation fire is often laid down in suspected enemy areas through which units of the Brigade plan to move. Finally, harassing and interdicting fire is frequently poured into areas of likely enemy activity to deny their forces free movement.
    The Sky Soldiers of the Brigade's Artillery Batteries pride themselves on their mobility and accuracy. Shortly after reaching Dak To during Operation Greeley, the Airborne Artillerymen were called upon to cordon off a friendly village that was under assault by a large enemy force. When the urgent fire mission was over, the communist attackers had been severely battered, but the village stood completely intact.
    Capable of an enormous output, the 319th Paratroopers displayed their skill many times at both Tuy Hoa and Dak To. In one instance during Operation Bolling elements of C Battery delivered 500 rounds in two hours, in conjunction with airstrikes. The gun crews had set up in the early morning, and after performing their feat were quickly lifted out to another location where their firepower was needed.
    During the heavy contact of Operation MacArthur, the Batteries fired more than 30,000 rounds in a 15-day period. On the nights of November 21, 22, and 23, they planned and coordinated the firing of some 15,000 rounds of all available calibers so as to prevent enemy reinforcement of Hill 875, southwest of Dak To.

    Troop E, 17th Cavalry, is unique in being the only Separate Airborne Cavalry Troop and part of the only Separate Airborne Brigade in the United States Army.
    Initially organized at Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1916, as a traditional Horse Cavalry unit armed with sabers and pistols, the Troop was inactivated and finally disbanded in 1951 without ever having been in Combat.
    The reactivated unit, long since blooded, has always lived up to its motto, "Ahead of the Best." The 173d was the first Army ground Combat Unit to arrive in Vietnam and the Cav was in the lead even then.
    Unlike the normal Armored Cavalry unit, E Troop has no tracked vehicles. Each Platoon's Scout section is mounted in Jeeps, and Jeeps armed with 106 mm recoilless rifles comprise the "Tank" section of each Platoon. In addition, each Platoon has two three-quarter ton trucks, one carrying an 82 mm Mortar Squad, the other a Squad which operates as regular Infantrymen. As a result, the entire unit is air-droppable.
    The Cav Paratroopers are capable of many kinds of missions. When attached to another Brigade unit, they serve as a security force, a blocking force, or a reconnaissance and surveillance force. When operating separately, the Troop runs road-clearing operations, escorts convoys, and conducts mounted and dismounted reconnaissance missions. Occasionally, the unit even deploys as a separate Infantry force.
    The most unusual feature of Troop E, however, is its Headquarters Aero-Scout Section. These Sky Soldiers work with four Light Observation Helicopters, currently OH-13s. The bubble choppers make it possible for the Troop to perform air reconnaissance and surveillance missions using their own resources.
    During Operation Cedar Falls in January 1967, for which the Troop won the Valorous Unit Citation, the Cavalrymen used the "Aero-Cav" concept quite effectively. How did it work?
    "It's really simple," explained Major Corless W. Mitchell, Troop Commander. "Two bubble helicopters fly out, one at treetop level, the other above, behind, and covering. They attempt to draw enemy fire or see signs of enemy presence in the area. In addition to the Pilot, each of these ships carries a Cavalry Observer, an "Aero-Scout," who mans an M-60 machine gun. Once the enemy is detected, smoke is put out to mark the area and UH-1D helicopters, flying up out of sight and loaded with seven Combat Troops each, quickly land and drop off the Troops. These Troopships also have escorting Gunships to take care of unusually intense ground fire."
    In recent months, the Cav has continued to operate as diversely as ever. During Operation Greeley in the Central Highlands, Troop E alternated as an attached unit and as a controlling unit. The Cavalrymen provided fire base security, checked roads, and conducted clearing patrols in conjunction with the Infantry Battalions. The LRRP Platoon ran many different kinds of missions, often under fire. As usual, they accounted for their share of enemy killed and gathered much valuable information about enemy activity in the process.

    A Platoon of Cavalrymen on Jeeps armed with machine guns and recoilless rifles accompanied the Brigade advance party to Tuy Hoa for the start of Operation Bolling. After the rest of the Brigade arrived in the new area of operation, the Troop served as the Brigade Base Camp security force.
    The major contact for the Cav during Operation Bolling came while Troop E was serving as convoy escort. Moving through the village of An Nghiep, the head of the security force encountered tank traps in the road. While extracting the vehicles, the Troopers received small arms fire from houses along the road. They returned fire and soon had 17 Viet Cong to their credit. In other contacts during the operation, the Airborne Cavalrymen killed an additional seven enemy soldiers and captured 30.

    Versatile, aggressive, efficient and reliable, that's the Cowboys of the 335th Assault Helicopter Company, who have supported the 173d Airborne Brigade ever since their arrival in Vietnam.
    At that time the Cowboys were the Brigade's Company A, 82d Aviation Battalion. In September, 1966, the aviation unit was re-designated the 335th Assault Helicopter Company, 173d Airborne Brigade. Then during Operation Cedar Falls, in January, the Cowboys were placed under their present parent unit, the 1st Aviation Brigade.
    Although in separate units now, the association between the Cowboys and the Sky Soldiers is greater than ever. According to Company Operations NCO, Staff Sergeant William Wade, Clarksville, Tenn, more than 50 per cent of the Company's Gunners and Crew Engineers are former Sky Soldiers. Wade himself worked in the Brigade's Supply Office.
    To fulfill the Brigade's aviation needs, the 335th consists of two Platoons of "Slicks" (UH1H model) and one Platoon of deadly Gunships (UH1B model).

    Most Paratroopers are more familiar with the "Slick," the Company's workhorse. These extra duty aircraft are used primarily for Resupply missions, Heliborne Assaults, Command and Control, and Medevac missions. A typical day for the helicopter crews often finds them flying all these assignments, averaging 10 hours a day in the air.
    Flying long hours can become quite tedious at times, says Cowboy XO, Major Frank Powell, Phoenix, Ariz. According to the Major, "a good definition of aviation is hours and hours of pure boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. "
    During the bitter fighting around Dak To in November, the Cowboy helicopter crews have experienced more than their share of combat. At Hill 875, the Company had 10 choppers shot down. Two choppers were completely destroyed while the others managed to limp back to nearby Fire Support Base 16 or other secure areas. Three Pilots and five Crew members were wounded or injured while attempting to resupply the fighting Paratroopers and lift the wounded and dead from the battlefield.
    For the week ending Thanksgiving Day, Cowboy helicopter crews dusted off 223 allied Infantryman from Hill 875 and other battle areas. The 335th lifted in 116 tons of supplies and spent 750 hours in the air supporting the Brigade.
    Cowboy pilots described the one-ship landing zone carved out on the slope of Hill 875 as one of the most difficult they have ever had to land on. "The rough terrain eliminated all avenues of approach to the LZ," said Warrant Officer Jerry Freeman, Cowboy Pilot. "We were forced to hover the chopper 100 to 150 feet above the LZ before descending at 20 miles per hour," he said.
    Pilots reported groundfire as some of the fiercest they have ever flown through. "The NVA would stand out of their holes and fire at our ships as they circled the hill and attempted to land," said Major Jon R. Dickerson, Cowboy Operations Officer from Walla Walla, Wash. "The enemy stood their ground when our Gunships laced the hill with rockets and machinegun fire. They didn't run like the VC did down south," he said.
    All the Cowboy Pilots that landed on Hill 875, had high words of praise for the exceptional job turned in by their Gunners and Crew Engineers. "They had to guide us in under extreme pressure," said one Cowboy Pilot.
    Recalled Specialist 4 Joe Prater, a Door Gunner from Temple, Okla, "Our chopper's rotor blade cleared the trees by just inches. It was hell landing, but we were too busy to be scared."
    Another Door Gunner, Specialist 4 Dana Lockwood, Newfane, N.Y., spent nine months on line with the Brigade before transferring to the Cowboys 16 months ago. "In case of a crash, he said, "it's a matter of teamwork. The Crew Engineer and the Gunner would help the Pilots out of the ship, retrieve our weapons and then set up a small perimeter. The Aircraft Commander and the Pilot would become our ammo bearers. If necessary, we would destroy the ship to keep the enemy from getting to the valuable radio."
    In the air the Gunner and Crew Chief are constantly watching for approaching aircraft and keeping an eye open for the Pilots' safety. If the Pilots were wounded, the Crew Engineer would take control of the ship, while the Gunner administered first aid to the Officers.
    Keeping the Cowboys flying takes long hours of work from dedicated people on the ground. Maintenance Crews from the company's 166th Transportation Detachment work into the waning hours of the night and early morning to have the helicopters flying the next day. The delicate and highly expensive electrical systems are maintained by the 234th Avionics Detachment, and keeping the Cowboys fit to fly is the responsibility of the 25th Medical Detachment. "It's one big team effort that keeps the helicopters flying," said Major Powell. "Morale is no problem here."