341st Aviation Detachment

The 165th Combat Aviation Group (CAG) was activated on 17 February 1969 at Long Binh to assume the Air Traffic Control (ATC) mission over the entire length and breadth of South Vietnam. It included all flight following, ground controlled radar approach facilities, Army airfield and tower operations, and special operations when required. Prior to its formation, ATC was loosely organized but professionally accomplished by the 125th Aviation Company (ATC) and numerous aviation detachments organic to aviation companies and battalions located at airfields from the Delta to the DMZ. The requirements for ATC had grown rapidly with the employment of division-sized units and overwhelmed the capabilities of these units. The 125th and all the other entities providing ATC were assigned to the 58th Aviation Battalion activated on 1 March 1968 for centralized command and control purposes. The 58th was deactivated on 17 February 1969 when the 165th CAG replaced it and assumed its assets and mission. Assigned to the 165th CAG were: 125th Aviation Company (ATC) at Bien Hoa, 120th AHC at Long Binh/Saigon, the Command Aircraft Company equipped with U-21s at Plantation, and 36 Aviation Detachments operating Army airfields at 36 locations in South Vietnam. Those assigned to Army divisions had the word (Divisional) following their name.

The 341st Aviation Detachment (Divisional) (AD(D)) was located at Cu Chi, home of the 25th Infantry Division. (ID). The detachment commander reported to the CO, 25th Infantry Division Support Command (DISCOM) and the detachment was attached to DISCOM for rations, quarters, and supplies of all nature. The 341st AD(D) arrived at Cu Chi on 20 February 1967 with the mission of establishing ATC. However, it was then augmented by the attachment of the Cu Chi Airfield Support Detachment (Provisional) (ASD), which added responsibilities for the entire operation of the airfield to the detachment commander, who then earned the title "Airfield Commander". The 25th ID carried the detachment on their manning charts as the 341st Aviation Support Detachment and the two designations - AD(D) and ASD - are still causing historians to scratch their heads. The 341st had its facilities next to the runway and on the preimeter fence. Unit strength was approximately 70 -85 personnel, commanded by a lieutenant colonel, with two captains, one first sergeant in the grade of sergeant first class, and three sergeants commanding sections organized according to the functions performed, ATC, POL (Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants), and Rearmament. There were no aircraft assigned.

The detachment operated on a 24 hour basis to provide flight planning and ATC communications with other facilities in addition to providing refueling support and all types of munitions for both the 25th CAB "Little Bears" and "Diamondheads" based at Cu Chi and numerous transient aircraft. The 341st operated a Class "A" Army Instrumented Airfield with terminal flight facilities to include ground controlled approach radar. It also provided artillery and weather advisory services for all aircraft in the vicinity of Cu Chi. It was one of the three most active tactical airfields in Vietnam with monthly takeoffs and landings averaging 58,000, and reaching some peaks of 80,000 per month. The POL section dispensed an average of 620,000 gallons of fuel per month while the Rearm section issued over 11,000 rockets and 750,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition during the same period. In spite of all this activity, there had never been an aircraft accident or incident directly attributed to ATC, POL, Rearm, or the detachment.

We were activated on 1 Oct 66 at Ft Benning GA. There were eleven AODs beginning with the 338th who went to Vung Tau, 339th that went to Bam Me Thout, 340th at Phu Loi , 341 at Cu Chi, 342 at Qui Nhon, 343 at Nha Trang, 344 th at Pleiku, 345th at somewhere in t he mountains in II Corps area, 346 at Soc Trang, 347th at the other large city in the Delta, 348th at Kontum. These may not be perfect matches but each location mention received an AOD. They ranged in size from 18 men in the 348th to 31 in the AODs at Qui Nhon and Vung Tau who had a security section added. The TOE called for a LTC as commander and Qui Nhon and Vung Tau had LTCs, the two AODs in the Delta had Majors, the rest, except for the 348th who had a 1/LT, had captains as commanders. The two delta AODs commanded by majors were replaced by LTCs within 45 days. I think the rest of us served a full year as commander of the Detachments. Each AOD, except the 348th, had a second officer who was a 1/LT. The 341st had 24 men including myself.

We formed up at Ft Benning as a composite group with each commander serving as a staff officer and one captain serving as the composite commander. I was the S-4 and the 339th commander was Asst S-4. We drew our equipment directly from the post who was receiving it direct from the manufacture. We were supposed to deploy on 1 Dec 66 but could not because we did not have sufficient equipment to perform our missions. Each AOD was supposed to receive a Crash Rescue Vehicle but none were obtained. The rest of the TOE was pretty well on hand when we deployed on 16 Feb 67. Our vehicles and equipment CONEXs went by sea except for the equipment classified as Red TAT and Yellow TAT (TAT=TO ACCOMPANY TROOPS). This was such equipment as was expected to be needed upon arrival or sensitive equipment like the weapons, ammunition and secure communication radios that were handcuffed to the operator.

We departed by C-141 and C-130s from Lawson Field at Benning and stopped enroute at Elmendorf AFB Alaska for refueling, and Kyota Japan for refueling with our destination at Bien Hoa. Aboard that bird was the 340th, 341st and 338th. We arrived in country on 17 Feb 67 and proceeded to Long Binh for in-processing. We were transported from Long Binh by CH-47s. When we arrived at Cu Chi on 18 Feb 67 there were four hootches constructed on 16 X 32 feet tent kit formats for the enlisted but no administrative, or BOQs. We built the Orderly Room and converted one hootch to a supply and Arms Room. Between the supply and Orderly Room we constructed a day room with two Sr NCO quarters on the back side. We first erected a GP Medium tent and started with a floor under it and finally obtained the lumber and tin for the roof to finish the building. No lumber or materials were provided and we obtained everything by scrounging and swapping something we had for something we needed. Poncho liners were premium trade items as were enemy weapons. There were a lot of three way trades to obtain the needed items. I was the Chief Scrounger and I am amazed at what I got for the mission. The criteria for scrounging for anyone in the unit was everything for the unit but nothing for personal use. This way there was no thieving for personal gain or comfort.

Our equipment arrived at the Saigon Docks approximately one month later and we drove it back to Cu Chi. We had already assumed the mission of operating the airfield. There were a control tower, POL section, fire/crash rescue .and ammunition sections operating on the airfield and manned by personnel pulled from the 25th Aviation Battalion. We assumed control of airfield operations and POL and OP CON of the ammo, fire and tower sections. Refueling was accomplished by using miniports which was a 100 GPM pump hooked to a bladder or 500 gal collapsible tank (the donut) and the fuel hose went to a four way splitter that had four hoses fanned out to permit four birds to refuel at once. The pumps had been in operation for a year, having come over with the Avn Bn from Hawaii, and each hose had a restriction in it that limited the flow to 25 gpm. The flow was more like 10 gpm per hose and it took 30 minutes to refuel a UH-1D. At this time there were A and B companies of 25th Avn Bn, the 116th AHC and D Trp, 3/4 Cav on the airfield. Our mission was to also provide POL for all transient aircraft and A/C in support of the division.

We were pumping 20,000 gallons of JP-4 per day. It was evident that an improved system was needed immediately.

The 1st Log Cmd delivered a 500 bbl, low bolted steel tank in a carton to be erected by the 554th Const Engr who were on the post. The Engr could never get it on their priority of work schedule so after four months in country the 341st started constructing the first tank after the 554th scraped a pad for it. This was the East POL at Cu Chi located just inside the perimeter wire behind the defensive bunkers on the east side of the base. Four inch vitaulic couplings on 20 foot metal tubing was obtained for the pipeline and I went to Saigon and searched the supply depots for 30 nozzles, 30 each 4 inch vitaulic Tees, 30 each 4 inch to 2 inch reducers, 30 each 2 inch galvanized pipe tees and 30 valve coupler elbows from the collapsible tanks. The valve coupler elbows screwed into the 2 inch galvanized tee and had a 1 1/2 inch OPW fitting that mated with the fuel delivery hose. Of course with this set up we also needed filters, gate valves and a pump. The pump was obtained from Cam Rahn Bay Supply Depot and I went to obtain it myself. To get it shipped to Cu Chi I tried to get it classified as Combat Essential which would have gotten in on the next aircraft but was overruled by the S-4 of 25th Avn Bn. Using my scrounging technique of three and four way trades, I got it on a C-130 that made an unscheduled landing at Cu Chi the next day and delivered the 6 inch, 1200 GPM, Gorham-Rupp, Single Stage pump. It was packed in 1947 and was a booster pump for use in a pipeline. This meant we had to start and stop it for each refueling. Later we obtained a 6 inch, 2 stage, 2000 GPM pump that did not have to be shut down. We built a manifold system of gatevalves and pipes for the 3 each 375 GPM filters and we could charge the pipeline with JP-4 for refueling. This was all in the open but later a building was built over the pumps for the operators. Until this time all JP-4 was hauled in my M-49C tankers from the Div Cl III yard to the bladders and donuts. Now I could receive 5000 gallon tankers from the resupply convoy every day and replenish my tank. Each tank held 25,000 gallons.

We took the manual and assembled the tank "by the book" and it worked. Of course there were problems to be solved with every step of construction such as collars and gaskets for the pickup pipes in the side of the tanks and the 6 inch to 4 inch reducers necessary to connect the pumps to the 4 inch pipe we had available The refueling pipeline ran approximately 200 yards east of the pump house, turned south and had 24 refueling points. Twelve on each side of the pipeline. This refueled ten slicks on each side with their two gun ships. Additionally, there were three resupply pads constructed for CH-47s and pipelines were run to each pad with two hoses on either side of the pad so Chinooks could be refueled while being loaded and from each side simultaneously. Furthermore, a 2 inch high pressure refueling nozzle was installed for the Flying Crane at the north end of the pipeline. We estimated that each UH-1D took on 250 gallons, each CH-47 got 500 gallons and the Crane took on 750 gallons at each refueling.. As we became more efficient we pumped more fuel until the daily average was 40,000, all going into helicopters. We took 8 tankers from the resupply convoy each day and established an off load circle where we unloaded three tankers at a time. It took only four minutes to off load a tanker and by the time the next tanker was hooked up we were ready. For the eight tankers to unload was approximately 45 minutes total.

The refueling time for 24 helicopters from the time the nozzle went into the first helicopter until the last nozzle was removed was 4 1/2 minutes. I've time this many times with senior officers present who could not believe it could be done so fast.

After constructing the first tank we immediately started on the second and the third and fourth were soon to follow. The 554th scraped the pads for each tank and erected a containment berm around each tank. Just before TET 68 I got the 554th to raise the height of the berms to the height of the tank so that direct fire from outside the perimeter, just 100 yards away, could not be fired into the tanks. While constructing the berms I asked for a bunker to be dug immediately behind the pump house and it was bulldozed out 7 feet deep, 12 feet wide and 12 feet long. We constructed overhead cover using bridging timber obtained from the Engineers and about five layers of sandbags.

While the POL project was on going we were also building our orderly room, the day room and NCO quarters as well as constructing a sidewalk made from dismantled 2.75 inch aerial rocket boxes. Additionally we moved the ammunition resupply area from the main airfield to an area south of the POL resupply points.

Since we all went over on the same aircraft we all had the same DEROS date of 16 Feb 68. Two men returned early. the 1SGT to retire and one EM was ETS. They were !SGT John Hood of Columbia TN, and Sp-4 Billy Robinson of Puryear, TN. When TET 68 occurred we had 17 days remaining in country and suddenly the remaining days were filled with activity and a lot of incoming rockets, 81mm mortars and 75mm recoilless rifle fire. We did not have an attack on the base camp although the division was deployed near Tay Ninh on Operation Junction City 2.. The bunker line was manned with admin, mechanics, supply and aviation personnel. Each bunker had a senior NCO in it and they were the most nervous. The entire perimeter opened up each night until their ammunition was expended. Thank goodness there were no attacks as there was no ammo remaining to repel anyone.

Shortly before the TET Offensive I had coordinated with the ATC at Saigon for a new control tower and it was in process of being built between East POL and the runway. The structure of the tower was complete but no avionics were installed. When we departed it was still in the same state as when TET started.

Upon the date for our DEROS there was no ground transportation to Long Binh and no aviation available as fuel was cut off to all but Med Evac emergency aircraft and gunships. If you were a transient we would give you enough to get to your home station and no more. We pumped over 80,000 gallons daily until we almost ran out of fuel. C-130s brought in 500 gallon donuts, opened the ramp, rolled them out and continued to roll for take off. We got away from Cu Chi by me knowing a captain in the 242nd ASH who had a CH-47 that needed a test flight after maintenance and we loaded aboard for the flight to Long Binh. Nineteen of us were aboard and the only personnel remaining at Cu Chi was the new commander, Maj Bob Zion and one EM whom I do not remember his name.