Forward Support Platoon - E Company Aviation -704th Mnt. Bat. 4th. Infantry Division – Vietnam 1967 – 1968
Defending the airfield were bunkers 24 to 56, manned by E-Co. Aviation, 4th. Aviation Blackjacks/Gambler Guns and our neighbors to the west, the 20th. Engineers. Our 1-10 and 7-17 Air Cavalry Units were located on the northeast side of Enari.
E-Company was located east of our hanger at Hensel Airfield and on the southeast corner of Camp Enari. The Ia Drang Valley at the forefront of the picture was the favored approach used by Sapper and Rocket teams attacking our Dragon Mountain Base.
CAMP ENARI RVN (1967-1968)
Camp Enari Home of the
Dragon Mountain Gunslingers.
Our CO's jeep E-6. E-Company Aviation Hanger at Hensel Army Airfield. The world famous E-Company Aviation “Tail Rotor Club” Visible in the upper right corner of the picture below/right.
Camp Enari Home of the Dragon Mountain Gunslingers
Our Guardian Angel:
He dressed like the local Viet at night, and then he would disappear.
Some said that he had a family in a neighboring village, others contested
He could never get threw security without high-level support.
I addressed the question to my platoon sargent do to the fact that
I was in charge of the M-16’s for our hooch. His weapon was not
on the inventory and was not accounted for. I was told my Forward Support Team was on a need to know basis and I was smart enough to fill in the rest. So much for SOP!
The Sargent Pinson incident when Pinson went ROCK N ROLLING in the Forward Support Hooch was still fresh in my mind.
I was determined to know if I could trust this unaccounted stranger of the night. I tried to strike up conversation on several occasions following all night guard duty. He would get to the hooch just before we arrived. He respectfully said it was best that I not know anything about him.
It is hard to say this but he had the “Look”. Something told me he was never going home and he knew it. Sometime after this he did not come back, he had disappeared.
Sargent Russell and I were assigned to inventory his area and turn his footlocker and belongings in to HQ.
Some said he had been killed, others said he acquired a lethal communicable decease and had to be sent to a secluded Pacific Island to die. Sargent Russell said, he was Hensel Army Airfields
“Guardian Angel”
FYI
The Pinson Incident may have led to General Stone's orders to have Camp Enari's M-16's to be locked and secured.
This was unnerving because our perimeter was just outside our backdoor.
The attempted fratricide was swept under the PSP along with my Soldiers Medal.
Specialist 5 Danny Delgado
Forward Support
E Company Aviation 704th.
4 th. Infantry Division Nam
Wilson & Delgado: RVN 1967
Forward Support M-16's Ordered Locked Up
Ia Drang Valley - Sweep
Gary H. Carter (Front), Bruce Waterman, Tim Kinsel, (unknown), Alan R. Vance.
Our 11-Bravos were on our wings
Firebase New Jersey Off the RVN Coast (1967-1968)
First Modern EM Shower At Camp Enari October (1967)
After Carl returned from Vung Tao, in February of 1968, he was assigned to Buzzard 600 as Crew Chief.
Tet of 1968 had just started and this Super charged UH-1 H Model was Dragon Mountain AO’s Honcho Recovery Bird and Wrecker Service.
Carl served as Buzz 600 Crew Chief until his DEROS In August of 1968.
Carl Bourgoise 1967 - RVN
Sgt. Allan Royce Vance (1968, RVN)
James Minish (1968, RVN)
Gunslinger Ching Gunners (1968)
Rodrigez, Delgado, Benavidez, Carter, Roland Atkins (Not Seen in Photo: Bourgoise, Mackenzie, Minish & Waterman)
Saturday Night At Forward Support
Camp Enari October (1967-1968)
Gunslinger Makes Marriage Proposal t0 Girlfriend Back Home
SUPER SHELL WITH PLATFORMATE WILL GET YOU PLACES WHERE YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO!
SUPER SHELL WITH PLATFORMATE WILL GET YOU PLACES WHERE YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO!
One of Camp Enari's Div Arty portable fire bases.
Sam Monkey Wrench: Forward Support Mascot
Allegedly Sam and his bigger brother had been trained to deliver the strangest things to the strangest places.
Sam was reformed his big brother was not. So he was flown to the other side of the river and was never seen again.