Low Level Hell: A Scout Pilot in the Big Red One by Hugh Mills

Author:Hugh Mills
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Military, Vietnam War, Aviation, History
ISBN: 9780307537928
Publisher: Presidio Press
Published: 2009-01-15T11:00:00+00:00

After that action, it took several days for the troop to get back to normal. We had wounds to lick. The ARPs needed replacements. I needed four new ships in the scout platoon. Everybody was a little skinned up and nervous.

By the end of July, however, our preoccupation with the crater incident was broken, at least for Willis, me, and gun pilots Sinor and Koranda. The Old Man called me in and said that he wanted two hunter-killer teams to go to Di An and be briefed for a “special combat mission.”

We couldn't figure out what they wanted with two combat-ready scout-gunship teams in this rear base area. But over we went on the morning of 30 July to get our briefing from a representative of the division G-3. He told us that he wanted our two teams to work for a couple of hours right around the immediate Di An base area.

We said, almost in unison, “But, sir, there isn't anything around here for us to work.”

The G-3 nodded his head as if he understood. “Well, I want you to work it anyway … carefully, very closely. Look for mines, foot traffic, anything that might be out of line.” He pointed to the map. “We want you to set up a screen in this immediate area just outside the base perimeter. Don't get closer than about five hundred meters to the perimeter, and don't get more than about a thousand out from it. Understood?”

As we rogered, he drew a tight little circle on the map around the Di An base area and dismissed us with a comment. “We've got VIPs coming to town, so keep a sharp eye out.”

When it was time to start patrolling, Sinor and I took the first shift. It wasn't long before we saw a Huey off in the distance on an approach pattern into the Di An base. I listened on the radio as the Huey pilot contacted the Di An tower for landing. He was obviously expected at the base, and I wondered if these were the VIPs we were covering.

Since the ground below me was practically sterile as far as any indication of enemy activity, I watched the ship as it settled down into the middle of the base. It landed near a formation of soldiers, and a group of people got out. One soldier in the group had on army “greens.” I hadn't seen anybody wearing a green dress uniform in the entire seven months I had been in Vietnam. I wondered who he was and where he had come from.

A brief ceremony was held, involving the formation of soldiers, then the group got back on board the Huey and it took off.

About the time the VIP bird departed, the G-3 came up on our frequency. “OK, Darkhorse, you are cleared to depart station. Your mission is completed and we appreciate your support.”

Sinor acknowledged and asked, “Say, Ops, who was that VIP anyway? What was that all about?”

There was a slight pause.

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