Tales of Bien Hoa

Tales of Bien Hoa

By

Robert L Chappelear

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Tales of Bien Hoa

Published by Robert L. Chappelear at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Robert L Chappelear

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people, If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Other books by this author

Tales of Phan Rang

A story of the author’s first tour in Viet Nam during which he flew C-123K Tactical Airlift Aircraft.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Mission #479

Chapter 2 – Phan Rang AB RVN

Chapter 3 – Myrtle Beach AFB SC

Chapter 4 – Alex

Chapter 5 – Snake School Again?

Chapter 6 – Mission #1

Chapter 7 – Mission #5

Chapter 8 – Mission #15

Chapter 9 – Alert Pad

Chapter 10 – Squadron Close

Chapter 11 – The Push

Chapter 12 – Hello Tree

Chapter 13 – Back to Cambodia

Chapter 14 – Missions #477 & 478

Epilogue

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A-37 firing rockets (Photo: USAF)

Chapter 1 – Mission #479

It is 0650 (6:50 AM) the morning of 20 March 1971 and I had just finished preflighting my A-37 after returning from my second scramble of the night. I knew that we were allowed to fly only two night missions and I was looking forward to my relief replacing me on the alert pad. Besides, I was going home today!!!!!! My Freedom Bird leaves at 1000 (10:00 AM) this morning!! After my second tour in South East Asia I finally felt that I had done enough and was looking forward to an assignment as a T-38 instructor pilot at Williams AFB AZ. The sun is coming up over the eastern horizon and it is already getting hot enough to start the stains under my flight suit armpits. I ‘m feeling pretty good because my replacement is due to relieve me in 10 minutes.

Then the scramble phone rang.

Scramble Hawk 1 flying Hawk 5 and Hawk 2 flying Hawk 6, crackled the voice at the other end of the line.

I can’t believe it, but I’m Hawk 1 so off I go. My A-37 Super Tweet close air support fighter is parked in the fifth shelter from the east end of the alert pad, and my wingman, Hawk 2 is parked in the sixth revetment from the east end. He is close behind as we run to our aircraft. The sun is just coming up blazing red over the eastern horizon and that’s what makes this mission legal for me. You see we are allowed to fly only two night missions - which I already had that night – but since the sun is coming up I’m now allowed to fly a third mission. That would be just fine with me except I’m supposed to be getting on the Freedom Bird in 3 hours and 5 minutes - - - I’m going back to the world today!

As I climb into the cockpit I have to ask myself, How the hell did you get yourself into this situation?

No time to think about that now. I’ve got a mission to fly. As I arrive at the aircraft I first jam my left foot into the kick step on the side of the airplane, I grab the canopy bow with my left hand, swing my right leg over the canopy rail and put it on the seat. I then stand up in the ejection seat before stepping down to the cockpit floor. The crew chief already has the Ground Power Unit (GPU) running and supplying electrical power to the aircraft. As I sat down into the ejection seat I make the Start Number 1 hand signal with my right hand and reach down with my left hand to press the number 1 engine start button. I then push the number 1 engine throttle forward to the idle position and connect the left leg strap of my parachute harness to the left connector, right leg strap to the right connector and then connect the cross chest strap. I reach up to the canopy bow, grab my helmet, put it on and snap the chinstrap in place. I reach behind my neck to grab the ejection seat shoulder straps, pull the straps over my shoulders and grab both the left and right straps in my left hand while I take hold of the right half of the lap belt with my right hand. I place the loops of the shoulder straps on the metal latch of the lap belt, hook up the goldkey, and grab the left half of the lap belt with my left hand. I connect the lap belt halves and slap the latch shut. I give the External Power Disconnect and Chocks Away hand signals to the crew chief and advance power to the number 1 engine. While he pulls the chocks, I fasten my kneeboard to my right thigh. This board is what I will use to make notes about mission details and Bomb Damage Assessment or BDA after the mission. I taxi forward out of the concrete revetment and glance to the right to see my wingman also pulling out of his revetment. I make the Starting Number 2 signal, press the number 2 engine start button and place the throttle in the idle position.

Now it is time to communicate.

I press the UHF radio transmit button on the right engine throttle and say, Hawk 1.

My wingman transmits a crisp, Two.

Now I transmit, Hawk Ops, Hawk 1 ready to copy.

They reply, Hawk 1 you are scrambled to a Troops in Contact mission located on the 315 degree radial at 124 nautical miles off of channel 73. Call when airborne.

Hawk 1 copies.

Two.

I looked to my wingman and he is watching me. I tap my helmet with my right hand and hold up one finger. He nods his head. I change the UHF radio to channel 1. Just as the radio tunes, I hear Attention all aircraft at Bien Hoa AB, this is Bien Hoa ground control, scramble is in progress. All aircraft hold your position.

Pressing the radio transmit switch I say, Hawk 1.

Wingman says, Two

I say, Bien Hoa Ground, Hawk 1, scramble 2.

They reply, Hawk 1 cleared to taxi runway 27 Left - contact tower when ready for take off.

I advance the power and make a left turn onto the parallel taxiway and head toward the eastern arming area. My wingman and I pull into the arming area and aim the noses of our aircraft into the open space east of the airbase. If during the arming process something like the gun decides to fire, it’s better to have a clear area to discharge the weapon into instead of shooting back into the base or into your wingman. The wingman and I place our arms high on the canopy bow so that the arming crew can see that our hands and fingers are clear of the trigger and bomb release buttons. We sat there for a short while as the munitions crew and last chance inspection crews perform their tasks. They remove the safety pins from the bombs, rockets, and gun. These pins prevent inadvertent release or firing of munitions when the aircraft is on the ground. When the arming crew is finished the crew chief steps in front of each aircraft and holds up these pins for easy viewing. I count the pins and confirm that the proper number have been removed. I then remove the safety pin from the canopy emergency jettison handle located on the left side of the cockpit and the ejection seat safety pin that is in the right handle of the ejection seat. I hold up the two safety pins for the armament crew to see and stow them in a pocket of my flight suit. The crew chief motions toward the runway and the ground crews hasten off the taxiway/arming area and crouch behind a sandbag barrier to protect themselves from the jet blast as we turn toward the runway. As I taxi in front of my wingman I give him the signal to lower the canopy and to change his radio to tower frequency.

I push my radio mike button and say, Hawk 1 is number one.

My wingman then interjects a, Two.

Tower comes back with, Hawk 1 cleared for take off runway 27 Left, winds are 280 degrees at 10 knots.

I align my aircraft in the middle of the left half of the runway and look to my right to find my wingman stopping in wingtip position in the middle of the right half of the runway. I give the engine run up signal with my right hand and advance my throttles to 85% power on each engine. The A-37 has enough power that it can overcome the brakes if we go to 100% power. I check my engine instruments, flight instruments and flight controls. It all checks good and I look to my wingman who gives me a big head nod indicating that he is complete with his checks and ready for takeoff. I wave bye bye and release my brakes while advancing the throttles to full power. I make a last check of my instruments and begin to add backpressure on the control stick. At about 110 knots the nose has rotated off the ground and the main landing gear struts are starting to extend. At 115 knots there is a noticeable thud as the Foreign Object Damage (FOD) screens that cover the engine inlets when the airplane is on the ground, perform their automatic retraction. This provides an increase of approximately 15% in thrust and is easily recognizable in the airplane. I come off the ground at a little over 125 knots and raise the landing gear and flap handles. As the gear and flaps retract I start a turn to the north and look out the right side to see my wing man who had delayed his take off by 15 seconds due to the fact that we are carrying ordinance, was completing the rejoin and closing into route formation. I give him a wing dip to the outside wing and he makes a slow cross under maneuver from my right wing to the left side and scans my airplane for any fluid leaks or trailing red streamers that would indicate that someone had missed removing a safety pin. He pulls up on the left wing and gives me a thumbs up indicating that everything is clean. I make the signal for him to take the lead and I also fly a cross under and scan him for leaks and streamers. I move forward on his wing and give him a thumbs up also. I resume flight lead position and responsibilities while number two moves to a tactical spread formation which is 6000 feet line abreast and approximately 500 feet above me.

At this time I am climbing at 180 knots indicated airspeed, passing 10,000 feet and about 15 miles north of Bien Hoa AB. It is now about 4 minutes since the telephone rang and someone called out, Hawk 1 . . ..

I radio