A Chinook Helicopter basically just flew down our main street

[shadowknows69]

Lower than I've ever seen a military copter in the city before. There has been big cargo jets, probably "Hercules" coming in all day too but they don't get this low on their approach until they're farther east. I think this Chinook driver was doing some joy riding. It's no wonder why the one just got shot down in Iraq. They make nice huge targets in an urban area when they're that low. I don't even see the strategic logic of deploying them in a hot urban zone.

[TomInTib]

1. I used to dread riding in those things.

Often, we had to deploy larger-than-normal teams and we would go in on a Shithook (that's what we called them).

I actually felt safer on the ground than in one of those things.

[shadowknows69]

3. I've heard horror stories from guys in Afghanistan

one in particular that had a chinook flying near a taliban mountain outpost and special forces rappeling from it. Thing got taken out by two well placed RPGs. I think all hands were lost. Far too much time to be hovering that beast over a hot LZ.

[TomInTib]

5. We used to jump out of them.

If the LZ was level, we would just jump.

Try breaking a leg 20 clicks inside of Laos.

The arches of both of my feet are wrecked.

[shadowknows69]

6. I'm sure you weren't in Laos

officially anyway? Please don't tell me anything you'd have to kill me for later. B-)

[TomInTib]

9. Yeah, I wasn't there.

I was in Disneyland.

We were an extraction team based in Quang Tri (the northernmost province of S Vietnam) and would go after pilots who punched out over Laos or N Vietnam.

Them were some looney times, shadow.

That is why your accounts have sometimes punched me right in the sternum. I know those kids because I was one of them, myself, in what seems like another time - another life.

And I want you to know that I have read everything in your Journal, even though I think this is the first time I have ever replied to one of your posts.

Some things really are too hard to do.

Tom

[shadowknows69]

10. It's been hard to hear what I've heard from vets.

It's made me feel connected to this horror in a way I never thought possible. I was born in 69 so Vietnam was the war I just missed basically. I chose to learn as much as I could about it later in life. I think "The Nam" by Mark Baker maybe was his name was the first book I read outside the history books. Having grown up around a military base I've always had a fascination with the military, in my youth, bordering on the glorification of it. There is no measure of appreciation I can express for what you and all our vets go through Tom but brave souls like you and some of the kids who have unwittingly donated their tales to my columns are invaluable to the education of the masses in learning the lesson that the only glory in war is someday finding a way to end it as a foreign policy. Thanks again for your attention and of course your service Tom.
S

[tmlanders]

13. You guys now have me completely freaked out!

My son is currently at Fort Campbell learning how to rapell out of helicoptors. He will be a sophomore at Norwich this year (Army ROTC), and did all kinds of extra tests and stuff so that he would be chosen for this training. I was kinda happy when I spoke to him on Sunday, 'cuz he says he might want to fly coptors when he goes active duty. He had been saying that he wanted to go kick down doors, so I was thinking coptors would be much better and safer.

How did your mothers survive when you were in VN? I am already freaking out, and he won't be going anywhere until 2010!

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. He might miss all this mess

and my brother in law, he had a chance to become a copter driver while in the Nam,

He said no... becuase it was the deadliest MOS in-country, no wonder they asked a navy man if he wanted to fly a copter and become either a warrant or straight out field commisioned officer... basically nobody in their right mind chose to do it

He retired at his 20 at a PO1.. Petty Officer First Class.

On edit, as a military wife, you live your life as best you can and try not to worry

Right... easy, not

[tmlanders]

22. My son's plan is that this mess will be over with

and the country will have such a Vietnam-like hangover that the Army won't be alot of places fighting. I just hope he is right...

[rfranklin]

2. Maybe you could give your location?

If it doesn't make you a target?

[shadowknows69]

4. Pshaw, if Agent Mike reads this board

he already knows exactly who I am. I'm in Northern New York near Fort Drum. City of Watertown.

[sharp_stick]

7. We get a few over our house every 5 or 6 weeks

My daughter (2 1/2) just loves them, she hears them coming from miles away and runs out onto the deck to watch the "BIG HELICOPTERS" always said with a note of awe. Now that she's seen those, regular helicopters no longer cut it and she hardly even looks up.

[shadowknows69]

8. This guy was on a very specific path right down our main drag

he banked hard left near about where you'd turn in a car to go toward post. Wonder if there were possibly some nav problems and he was following the roads. Litterally. We hav traffic all the time too but never this low and directly in the town center.

[EnricoFermi]

11. Maybe they were going after Lobster Martini np

[shadowknows69]

12. Ok, I've clearly missed a few threads

What exactly is a Lobster Martini. Beyond a really nasty sounding drink?

[EnricoFermi]

14. He is a poster on DU

who left a rather cryptic message about being beat up in a museum the other day.

I can't find the message.

[stirlingsliver]

15. They're Looking For People Who Have Left DU Recently

They're looking for people who have recently left DU.

There are some that I miss.

;-)

[Warpy]

16. Wait until you are treated to Osprey fly overs

Those things are LOUD. They won't have to have guns, they'll rattle everybody to death.

[TX-RAT]

18. There has been big cargo jets, probably "Hercules"

When did they take the props off the Herc?

[shadowknows69]

20. I guess I'm in error about that

these were jets. I thought they were still the c130

[BrotherBuzz]

19. I'll trade your Chinooks and C130 Hercules anyday....

for all the C-5's and C-141's flying over my place. The damn planes use out town water tower to mark their turn for final approach to Travis AFB. I call it 'down shifting', but I guess the horrendous noise they make are just the flaps being deployed, the wheels dropping, and changing the PRMs on the engines. Them puppies are really loud.

[shadowknows69]

21. that's probably the jet I saw

and yeah, loud suckers. Especially banking.

[Solo_in_MD]

23. Are you sure of your identification?

I ask since the C-130 Hercules has propellers...