Old Military Photos from Hunttalkers

[T Bone]

Have to keep this going guys.....

My father's flight helmet, recovered 30 years later, "over the fence" in Laos.

He was a FAC pilot, drove an OV-10 Bronco. Was shot down and MIA, recovered safe and mostly sound after a couple days of near capture.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Have to keep this going guys.....

My father's flight helmet, recovered 30 years later, "over the fence" in Laos.

He was a FAC pilot, drove an OV-10 Bronco. Was shot down and MIA, recovered safe and mostly sound after a couple days of near capture.View attachment 150618

Glad he evaded and made it home.

 

[NWmontanaOutdoors]

Current pictures from myself in a country full of sand, featuring a British RAF M-134 mini and some NVG action.

 

[T Bone]

My father loved the OV-10 Bronco. The maneuverability topped the ugly.

He said it only needed one prop and one wing to fly.

it amazes me how frequently his aircraft was shot to pieces and it was considered normal.

 

[T Bone]

This 12.7mm AA round burned his cheek and started a fire on the instrument panel.

The writing on the plexiglass is from the interior, marked with a grease pencil, he'd keep count of fastmovers, their ordinance, and fuel levels.

 

[tarheel]

My father loved the OV-10 Bronco. The maneuverability topped the ugly.

He said it only needed one prop and one wing to fly.

it amazes me how frequently his aircraft was shot to pieces and it was considered normal.

View attachment 150630

A schoolmate flew OV-10's out of one of the bases in Thailand, had water in his fuel at takeoff, lost power shortly after gear up and had to deadstick it onto a narrow rural highway.

 

[DirtyMedic]

Out in Nangahar province shortly after we had a pretty wild day.

 

[OleRedbeard]

Fallujah and Ramadi way back when. Doesn't seem like it's been 15 and 16 years ago.

 

[robsev]

View attachment 140209
Al Amara, IQ 2008. Toughest 15 months of my life. 12 years ago still seems like yesterday.

I was at Al Amara in 04. We lived on a British post for about 3 months. Hottest place on the planet. Saw a couple of days where the temp hit 150.

 

[Wyomingbackcountry]

Thank you all for your service and god bless you all.

 

[coleslaw]

I was at Al Amara in 04. We lived on a British post for about 3 months. Hottest place on the planet. Saw a couple of days where the temp hit 150.

You ever read that book, Sniper One by Dan Mills? That was set in Al Amara about the same time frame. Kind of a forgotten place in the grand scheme of things.
We took over that AO right after the Brits left, and nobody had ever heard of it lol

 

[robsev]

You ever read that book, Sniper One by Dan Mills? That was set in Al Amara about the same time frame. Kind of a forgotten place in the grand scheme of things.
We took over that AO right after the Brits left, and nobody had ever heard of it lol

Yes, I did read it. I was there when this all happened. I remember the day when the British soldier was killed when a heavy gate fell on his head. This was mentioned in the book. We lived in a tent right next to the snipers who were taking a break from the Pink Palace. we took rocket and mortar incoming almost daily for the two months we lived there. Luckily they weren’t very good aims.

 

[coleslaw]

Yes, I did read it. I was there when this all happened. I remember the day when the British soldier was killed when a heavy gate fell on his head. This was mentioned in the book. We lived in a tent right next to the snipers who were taking a break from the Pink Palace. we took rocket and mortar incoming almost daily for the two months we lived there. Luckily they weren’t very good aims.

Lots of incoming for sure. That never changed.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Happy Veterans Day 2020 to all who served! God bless all - past, present, and future. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, & Space Force.

 

[Crossbowguy]

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day 2020!!!! Thank you to all of you that have served or are still serving! Come home safe to the ones over seas now!!!

 

[Straight Arrow]

Below proudly displayed in office, this array of trinkets represents over thirty years service from Army ROTC roots, active Army stint including two all-expense paid trips to RVN flying Hueys, through a Montana Army National Guard career of twenty-five years.

Nothing exceptional about it as it also represents the other hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of veterans who served their nation.

It is with sadness and humility that I recognize my comrades-in-arms and friends who sacrificed all and never had the opportunity to display their service as I have.

 

[Straight Arrow]

QuiNhon Airfield circa 1969

SHORTY THE NUN, DALAT RVN
​

The QuiNhon Leprosarium, several miles south of the airfield on the South China Sea beach was run by Franciscan sisters and overseen by the French Catholic church. Clothing, books, and other materials were provided by my aviation unit in support of this facility. During a tour in Vietnam as a Huey helicopter pilot I was asked to fly Catholic Church dignitaries, visiting from Paris , to Dalat in the central highlands. Dalat is a hub for vegetable and other farming with gorgeous terraced plots in the surrounding hills. It was the site of military training for South Vietnamese officers and also a center for research. The middle of the city is a large beautiful lake, which enhances the tourism attraction for those travelling from Saigon or the muggy coastal areas to vacation in this pleasant environment. A large segment of the population is comprised of Montagnards, a distinctive “mountain people” so designated by the French colonists.

As I briefed the copilot, crew chief, and gunner and prepared for this flight, I adamantly stressed safety and specifically told them that upon landing, it was imperative that our four passengers are escorted and seen walking forward away from the helicopter tail rotor danger zone. The flight was uneventful and even pleasant travelling inland from the coast across the beautiful central highlands of South Vietnam . Gently alighting on the skids at the Dalat airfield, the throttle was reduced to flight idle to cool the engine prior to shut-down. As I sat monitoring the crew and passengers exiting from the helicopter, I counted three nuns walking forward and the alarm rang in my skull under the flight helmet. I quickly unbuckled safety harness and began looking back toward the tail boom.
Sure enough … there was one nun venturing back toward the tail rotor! My heart stopped and jumped to my throat as I watched her nonchalantly saunter right to the tail rotor and directly under. Thank God and the apparent over watch of the Pope, as “Shorty the Nun” walked unscathed right under the tail rotor and moved toward the excited arm-waving crew chief forward of the aircraft.

After my blood pressure and heart rate subsided and I pulled the crew aside to berate them, we were transported to a classic Catholic church and school facility where we were lavishly treated to a meal of colorful delicious local vegetables, chicken, ham and other fresh foods not enjoyed by these Army troops in many, many months. Then we were presented with a bottle of wine which looked very old and expensive, but required a pass as we had to remain alert for our return flight to QuiNhon airfield. But to our delight, the next presentation was an ornate wooden box filled with cigars resembling what you might envision as Cuban. We did accept those gifts and eagerly enjoyed them.

That day stands out as a surreal experience with a different kind of combat zone stress, followed by a delightful meal and visit … and at the “end of the day” one of the highlights of my life.

Daiwi (Captain) Straight Arrow, aka Big Kahuna 749

 

[Seeleylakehunter]

I know it's not a pic but everyone needs to watch this.

 

[Donnachaidh]

 

[Donnachaidh]

I took the above photos near Porlock in Somerset last year. The US forces who were based in England during in World War 2 are still very much respected and not forgotten. God bless them all.