General Fulton/Omar Bradley Honoring Army KIAs on the Benewah Last 5 Star General Dong Tam 1967 A PUBLICATION OF VOLUME 23, NUMBER 2 THE MOBILE RIVERINE FORCE ASSOCIATION SUMMER 2014 From the Galley and okay and having some nice weatherHope thisafter finds all the everyone bad weather well we have had the last few months; it was a wicked winter that went into the spring. Not much going on—the asso- ciation is up and running on all cylinders with no problems. Lively Tom Some of you have asked how Al Moore you can get on the base at Coro- nado to see the CCB and other boats, and the memorial wall as well. Member Tom Fire Direction Control Mason explains below. by Tom Lively 3rd/34th Arty on call at all times with two guys on map- Update on the Unit ([email protected]) ping charts. If we got a call from a unit that needed some help, I would take the Memorial and Albert—Of all my experiences and now basic info including grid location and Boat Visitation stories about the RVN, this is the one that what contact had been established (am- Requirements is most difficult for me and causes me the As we work most problem even today. I guess I just etc.). My job was to get things started and daily and weekly need to get it out there to purge my mind offer them immediate assistance. The on the Memo- or something like that. bush . taking fire from bunkers . sniper, two guys on the charts would identify rial, we are always Like I said, I was one of the RTOs for complimented their grid location and verify the same on both charts and then plot distance, on its appear- some miles south of Ben Tre. We were a etc. I would be on the radio to battalion ance. The site is Charlie105-mm Battery Battery at located a fire base in the called middle KLAW of right next door to a rice paddy and set up on platforms just and giving them the info the forward ob- the Amphib base to get us above the water line. For a peri- server had given to me. At the same time, housing and those od in 1969, we ran a number of split mis- in Dong Tam requesting clearance to fire I would get the guns up and moving with folks utilize our sions and kind of followed the infantry “Guns, Battery Adjust, Fire Mission, and spot daily. Since wherever they might be operating with the Navy has cut became strictly between us and the guys way back on basic the other three moving further out into Contact.” Once we got clearance to fire, it grounds mainte- three of our guns staying at KLAW and nance, our site is locations). My one disclaimer is still the burst, or ground explosion), but the FO referred to as the same—my memory is not always real out in the field. We controlled the amount the field (and into some pretty spooky could request whatever he thought nec- real green oasis clear on what happen back then, but this and type fire (high explosive [HE], air essary since they were the ones on the amongst a sea of is the way I remember it. brown, dead grass. The way we worked in Fire Direction The tenet commands utilize our site weekly for retire- Control (FDC) there would be one RTO CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ments, commissionings, picnics, changes of command, ground and taking fire. And we always and graduations. It would be hard to give a number of visitors but there are folks there every day, if they can Veterans Day 2014 Washington, DC get on the base. The MRFA and 9th Infantry Division must make your reservations under our For people who ask for guidance, they have to go to will be placing wreaths at the Vietnam group code prior to the cutoff date of Oc- our web site for direction (www.vummf.org). A guide Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, tober 15, 2014. has to be someone with the proper ID (retired service- on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, The Arlington Court Suites is located - 2014. We will be gathering at the steps at 1200 N Courthouse Rd, Arlington, Vir- stance, since I did not retire from the service, my ID only of the Lincoln Memorial at 8:30 a.m. and ginia 22201. For more information on proceed to The Wall at 9:00 a.m. on No- this hotel, go to http://www.arlington- man,covers DEA, me etc.)and NOTin order my wifeto vouch or 2-year-old for the visitors. granddaugh For in- ter. Security is very sticky on that. vember 11. courthotel.com/. Take care, Albert, and thanks again. Tom Mason COS We have blocked 40 rooms at the Ar- The MRFA and 9th Infantry Division RivRons 9 and 13 (1968-69) lington Court Suites, a Clarion Collec- will have a hospitality room available **************** tion Hotel, in Arlington, Virginia, from November 8 to 11. Come join us as we Doing The River Currents November 8 to 11 (check out on 11/12). honor our fallen Brothers on Veterans Folks, I think you will enjoy the newsletter. Some of Room rates are $119 (plus tax) per night. Day 2014. We look forward to seeing you you may think I do the newsletter all on my own. That’s For reservations, call 1-703-524-4000 in DC. ext. “0.” Please state our group name For more information, contact Board CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE “MRFA” and give your dates of arrival Member Bob (Doc) Pries, (513) 659- and departure. If you plan to attend, you 4974, [email protected]. 2 • River Currents, Volume 23, Number 2 • Summer 2014 The Smallest Flight Deck . “It’s like driving on an express- and we have never had any serious the Terrell County (LST- way with your eyes closed.” said War- problems.” 1157) into a Helo Sup- rant Officer John Held, in explaining Now that helicopters can use port Vessel, with the his first reaction to night landing op- the recently conceived Helo pad on erations aboard what is considered the ATC at night, it gives the Mobile a fuel tanker. to be the smallest helicopter flight Riverine Force an around the clock tank Now deck that being would refit have like deck in the world, aboard a craft capability for medical evacuations, been an ‘interesting’ only 56 feet long . resupply, and troop lifts. Boats Lloyd ride . X # of gallons A U.S. Army UH-ID “Huey” he- Amos Dillavou passed away in 2005; of fuel while bouncing licopter lands on a U.S. Navy Ar- he was living in Lakeside, CA. around in a typhoon or, Photo by PH2 E. P. Shinton U.S. Navy mored Troop Carrier (ATC) in the Albert Moore mrfa35@charter. in some instances, those ComRivFlot ONE Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. net Ts would be a rough ride The ATC, part of the joint Army- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ if you were ‘riding the question and answer period ar- Navy Mobile Riverine Force, has I never landed a Helo on an ATC swells.’ George O’Connell USS Ter- rived, I asked the helicopter pilot if been equipped with a detachable rell County (1960-62) groconnell@ he ever landed on a Tango boat. He did. I landed as a passenger on a Lst1157.com said that yes, he had, many times. He smallest. flightTango deck “Flight but Deck” I was once on a inHelo a Huey that ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ said that the thrill wasn’t just land- flightThe deck—probablyArmy pilot was the testing world’s a . it was like taking a crap and not Amidst all of these serious life ing on a postage stamp he couldn’t newly developed night landing sys- really knowing if your butt was over and death matters, we always see, but of taking off again. He ex- the toilet or not; all landings re- on an ATC. His landing the 200th quired the help and directional as- to get us through the hard times. Tango boats were not big enough to temaboard aboard the boat the flightsince deckthe Helo installed deck sistance of the boat crew. Until the seemedI’d like to to share find some a personal kind of story humor re- plained that the flight decks on the was added last August. The occa- skids made contact with the deck, I garding the 100th Landing. Uh . or so pilots basically had to nose their sion was celebrated later when the was positive we would wind up in was it the 101st Landing? I’ll let you givebirds the off rotorthe decks enough and lift over for waterflight boat captain Boatswain’s Mate Sec- the river. The terror of a landing, be the judge. First, here’s a recent to get airborne again. He said that ond Class Lloyd Dillavou invited the however, was experienced equally quote from Bill Janes who piloted could be a real problem if the boats pilot to cut a special cake commem- by the boat crew: a slight miss Hueys for the U.S. Army 191st As- were grouped close together. Dave orating the event aboard the boat. caused by a puff-of-wind and they’d sault Helicopter Company: “What Raybell M-111-3 (11/66-02/68) “You have no idea what’s it’s like” have some WHOPPING terror de- did you guys call them boats that [email protected] scend upon them; it was a no-miss had the elevated helipad installed ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ a Helo down on something that and no second-chance situation.