PopasmokeReunion

Operation San Diego

by Choppergunner

POPASMOKE reunion at San Diego was a blast!

We took over the Town and Country Hotel.....over 2,000 Rotorheads attended: pilots, crewchiefs, gunners all; it made no difference as we all were the same this weekend: Marines.

Our group could easily be identified as that body of men who hugged each other for 3 days; updating our lives while whistling through the past viewing photos, slides, even 16mm film some of us brought to the reunion. A trip back in time.....frozen images of youth with no fear posing with our weapons, and with each other, so many years ago.

Looking around the room at who we are now, I saw that most of us were in pretty good shape. My Commanding Officer in Nam is in his 80's and he didn't miss a thing....sharp as all hell, he recalled many incidents and I was fascinated by his memory of what went on in Nam.

My most poignant moment was seeing Major Fred "Pat" Patterson again. He was the pilot who got shot in the head (and survived), along with the co-pilot on a routine resupply mission. We were sitting in an LZ when all hell broke loose, and the Major caught the first round. The true meaning of what Marines are made of came out that day some 35 years ago. It came from Major Patterson's wife (a former U.S. Navy nurse stationed in Japan at the time) who told of how "Fred" spoke of us who saved his life in getting the chopper out of that suddenly hot LZ. We're alive today.....all 4 of us (pilot/co-pilot/crewchief/me) to reflect on that day. We hung on each others words as if learning of the incident for the first time. Simply amazing.

There is something cathartic in these reunions; more so than our simply meeting up, and it's difficult to explain other than to say true emotions were never more apparent than what I saw the past few days in San Diego.

I am overwhelmed by the honor bestowed on us by the modern day Marines who are the current crewmen of HMH-361 at Miramar.

The squadron fell (HMH-361) into formation as we old guys filed into the hanger, and stood opposite of their formation. The Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Law spoke to his charges of us......the early HMM-361 Vietnam Veterans who carried the honor of our squadron in Vietnam; and, that they must carry on where we left off. Col. Law then called us the real hero's of the Corps, then dismissed the formation.

All the young Marines walked by us and shook our hands, some with tears in their eyes brought on by this incredible camaraderie we Marines share over the cross section of era's. We each had water in our eyes too.

I'm happy to report our Marine Corps' spirit is still alive and well; however, their sacrifices are different than ours were. They have to fight for flying time (most pilots only log in 15 hours a MONTH), their pay is too low. A lieutenant I spoke with told me he is married with one child; he lives in a 1,200 ft living space and pays $1,400 a month rent. He then spoke of the married enlisted, and the sacrifices they must make to be Marines today.

If there ever was a calling for action by former Marines, it is now. We need to make sure our government does not forget our Military..and fight for wages they surely earn everyday.

I'll be sure to relate some sea stories as the week unfolds.

Right now.....it's good to be home.

Missed all of youse guys!

Headlines: (The Scout)

Vietnam helo Vets reunite, salute fallen and missing comrades

SSgt. Daniel C. Hottle

MCAS Miramar -- More than 500 former Marine helicopter aviators and aircrew members and their families visited the air station Saturday to pay their respects to POW/MIAs and comrades killed in action and during combat operations in Vietnam.

In a one-hour, formal memorial ceremony, held in conjunction with the Vietnam Helicopter Association's 2000 reunion in San Diego, veterans and family members honored 791 Marines and Navy corpsmen who lost their lives in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975.

Overall, nearly 3,000 VHA members were present for the reunion, representing 29 aviation and support squadrons under former Marine Aircraft Groups 16 and 36, Provisional Marine Aircraft Group 39 and Marine Aircraft Group 11, which absorbed some of the fixed-wing components from the helicopter groups toward the end of the war.

Highlights of the memorial ceremony included guest speakers LtCol. Howard Christie, A Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, and Sgt. Vince Rios, A Co., 1/9, who offered their thanks to aircrews from the infantry's perspective on the ground. Motion-picture actor Tab Hunter -- whose brother, Walter Gelien, was a Navy corpsman killed in action -- was also present. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Band and bagpipers from the 42nd Highlanders Regimental Pipes and Drums performed musical selections. Navy Chaplain Victor H. Krulak delivered the memorial benediction.

Throughout the four-day reunion, attendees shared personal stories and photographs, looked up old friends and saw how the Marine Corps of the 21st century differs from that of the 1960s. In addition to the memorial ceremony, former members of the "Ugly Angels" of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362 conducted a professional military education seminar with more than 120 active-duty helicopter aircrew members from MAG-16 at Miramar's Officers' Club. The meeting afforded today's pilots the opportunity to exchange aviation stories with their combat-experienced counterparts.

"It was an excellent opportunity for us to talk one-on-one with combat-trained pilots and learn their experiences," said Capt. Eric Ropella, HMM-163 assistant operations officer, whose squadron hosted the PME. "I think most of the pilots walked away with a greater appreciation for the type of flying these veterans did in Vietnam. It also refocused us on our own objectives and what our primary training goals should be in today's helicopter aviation."

Will Bartlett, a Navy chaplain of MAG-16 at Marble Mountain in De Nang, 1966 described the mood of the combat veterans during the reunion as a "pride you can't describe."

"10 minutes of 7, the first morning, in the hotel, one of the men went on the balcony of the top floor and blew reveille. There was also a piper in the courtyard that played the Marine's Hymn," he said.

The main purpose of this function was healing in nature, according to Bartlett. "We have a lot of hurting people in our group. One man came up to me and told me he has had trouble sleeping since Vietnam. It was a very emotional gathering," he said.

Bartlett was also able to make a pit stop at Camp Pendleton and visit modern day Marines and Sailors, as well as preside jointly with MAG-39 chaplain Cmdr. Robert Crossan over one of the worship services honoring the veterans.

Other interactions between the VHA veterans and modern-day Marines included a squadron tour and reception at Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 and a visit to a recruit graduation ceremony at MCRD San Diego. Punctuating the graduation was an MCRD flyover by a restored Vietnam-era UH-34D Choctaw helicopter. Affectionately known as the "dog" by its aircrew, the UH-34D was piloted by owner Jim Moriarty, a former Marine Observation Squadron 2 M-60 door gunner, and former VHA president Roger Herman, a former HMM-361 pilot.

Between reunion events, the veterans reflected upon intense fighting in areas such as Phu Bai, Khe Sahn and Da Nang. Some tearfully remembered fellow Marines who were lost along the way, while many tried to remain focused on the good times enjoyed during liberty calls or occasional down time. Even under heavy combat situations, a dose of humor could be extracted.

Herman recounted flying MedEvac and troop movement missions for two full months without receiving enemy fire, until one frightening UH-34D flight changed his life.

"From out of nowhere, the deafening sounds of automatic weapons fire erupted all around me. They were the loudest noises I had ever heard," said Herman, a captain at the time. "I came several inches out of my seat in total fear. I'm sure that I must have been yelling as loud as I could, but that it was being drowned out by the machinegun fire.

"I looked up to see that the windshield was covered with blood and what appeared to be body parts everywhere. It was total chaos. 'I must have been hit pretty badly,' I can remember thinking to myself. 'So this is what it's like to die.'

"Well, as luck would have it, at the very moment our M-60s had started firing, we had experienced a direct, head-on, mid-air collision with a couple of seagulls! I had learned a lot of lessons in a very short time on this one flight. We had taken several hits, but no serious damage had been done, except to my nerves. Our body count for the mission was two confirmed VC seagulls. Welcome to the war."

Alan Barbour, the current VHA president who served as a helicopter gunship pilot with VMO-2, said the VHA reunions continue to grow each year as new members find out about the organization. He said veterans and their families reach out to others in hopes of eliciting a collective understanding and remembrance of the Vietnam War.

"Our reunions have gotten bigger and better each year," he said. "This year by far has seen the best attendance and was truly a beautiful memorial service. We appreciate the hospitality of the Marines at Miramar and hope we impressed the young Marines as much as they impressed us."

Herman summed up the reunion and the memorial service by offering a favorite personal excerpt from former Marine infantryman Michael Norman, who wrote the book, "These Good Men"

"I now know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with the men who once acted their best, men who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped raw, right down to their humanity.

"I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the U.S. Marine Corps. But I know them in a way I know no other men. I have never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another."






	Operation San Diego by Choppergunner POPASMOKE reunion at San Diego was a blast! We took over the Town and Country Hotel.....over 2,000 Rotorheads attended: pilots, crewchiefs, gunners all; it made no difference as we all were the same this weekend: Marines. Our group could easily be identified as that body of men who hugged each other for 3 days; updating our lives while whistling through the past viewing photos, slides, even 16mm film some of us brought to the reunion. A trip back in time.....frozen images of youth with no fear posing with our weapons, and with each other, so many years ago. Looking around the room at who we are now, I saw that most of us were in pretty good shape. My Commanding Officer in Nam is in his 80's and he didn't miss a thing....sharp as all hell, he recalled many incidents and I was fascinated by his memory of what went on in Nam. My most poignant moment was seeing Major Fred "Pat" Patterson again. He was the pilot who got shot in the head (and survived), along with the co-pilot on a routine resupply mission. We were sitting in an LZ when all hell broke loose, and the Major caught the first round. The true meaning of what Marines are made of came out that day some 35 years ago. It came from Major Patterson's wife (a former U.S. Navy nurse stationed in Japan at the time) who told of how "Fred" spoke of us who saved his life in getting the chopper out of that suddenly hot LZ. We're alive today.....all 4 of us (pilot/co-pilot/crewchief/me) to reflect on that day. We hung on each others words as if learning of the incident for the first time. Simply amazing. There is something cathartic in these reunions; more so than our simply meeting up, and it's difficult to explain other than to say true emotions were never more apparent than what I saw the past few days in San Diego. I am overwhelmed by the honor bestowed on us by the modern day Marines who are the current crewmen of HMH-361 at Miramar. The squadron fell (HMH-361) into formation as we old guys filed into the hanger, and stood opposite of their formation. The Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Law spoke to his charges of us......the early HMM-361 Vietnam Veterans who carried the honor of our squadron in Vietnam; and, that they must carry on where we left off. Col. Law then called us the real hero's of the Corps, then dismissed the formation. No one left. All the young Marines walked by us and shook our hands, some with tears in their eyes brought on by this incredible camaraderie we Marines share over the cross section of era's. We each had water in our eyes too. I'm happy to report our Marine Corps' spirit is still alive and well; however, their sacrifices are different than ours were. They have to fight for flying time (most pilots only log in 15 hours a MONTH), their pay is too low. A lieutenant I spoke with told me he is married with one child; he lives in a 1,200 ft living space and pays $1,400 a month rent. He then spoke of the married enlisted, and the sacrifices they must make to be Marines today. If there ever was a calling for action by former Marines, it is now. We need to make sure our government does not forget our Military..and fight for wages they surely earn everyday. I'll be sure to relate some sea stories as the week unfolds. Right now.....it's good to be home. Missed all of youse guys! SF Chopz



Headlines: (The Scout) Vietnam helo Vets reunite, salute fallen and missing comrades SSgt. Daniel C. Hottle MCAS Miramar MCAS Miramar -- More than 500 former Marine helicopter aviators and aircrew members and their families visited the air station Saturday to pay their respects to POW/MIAs and comrades killed in action and during combat operations in Vietnam. In a one-hour, formal memorial ceremony, held in conjunction with the Vietnam Helicopter Association's 2000 reunion in San Diego, veterans and family members honored 791 Marines and Navy corpsmen who lost their lives in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975. Overall, nearly 3,000 VHA members were present for the reunion, representing 29 aviation and support squadrons under former Marine Aircraft Groups 16 and 36, Provisional Marine Aircraft Group 39 and Marine Aircraft Group 11, which absorbed some of the fixed-wing components from the helicopter groups toward the end of the war. Highlights of the memorial ceremony included guest speakers LtCol. Howard Christie, A Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, and Sgt. Vince Rios, A Co., 1/9, who offered their thanks to aircrews from the infantry's perspective on the ground. Motion-picture actor Tab Hunter -- whose brother, Walter Gelien, was a Navy corpsman killed in action -- was also present. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Band and bagpipers from the 42nd Highlanders Regimental Pipes and Drums performed musical selections. Navy Chaplain Victor H. Krulak delivered the memorial benediction. Throughout the four-day reunion, attendees shared personal stories and photographs, looked up old friends and saw how the Marine Corps of the 21st century differs from that of the 1960s. In addition to the memorial ceremony, former members of the "Ugly Angels" of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362 conducted a professional military education seminar with more than 120 active-duty helicopter aircrew members from MAG-16 at Miramar's Officers' Club. The meeting afforded today's pilots the opportunity to exchange aviation stories with their combat-experienced counterparts. "It was an excellent opportunity for us to talk one-on-one with combat-trained pilots and learn their experiences," said Capt. Eric Ropella, HMM-163 assistant operations officer, whose squadron hosted the PME. "I think most of the pilots walked away with a greater appreciation for the type of flying these veterans did in Vietnam. It also refocused us on our own objectives and what our primary training goals should be in today's helicopter aviation." Will Bartlett, a Navy chaplain of MAG-16 at Marble Mountain in De Nang, 1966 described the mood of the combat veterans during the reunion as a "pride you can't describe." "10 minutes of 7, the first morning, in the hotel, one of the men went on the balcony of the top floor and blew reveille. There was also a piper in the courtyard that played the Marine's Hymn," he said. The main purpose of this function was healing in nature, according to Bartlett. "We have a lot of hurting people in our group. One man came up to me and told me he has had trouble sleeping since Vietnam. It was a very emotional gathering," he said. Bartlett was also able to make a pit stop at Camp Pendleton and visit modern day Marines and Sailors, as well as preside jointly with MAG-39 chaplain Cmdr. Robert Crossan over one of the worship services honoring the veterans. Other interactions between the VHA veterans and modern-day Marines included a squadron tour and reception at Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 and a visit to a recruit graduation ceremony at MCRD San Diego. Punctuating the graduation was an MCRD flyover by a restored Vietnam-era UH-34D Choctaw helicopter. Affectionately known as the "dog" by its aircrew, the UH-34D was piloted by owner Jim Moriarty, a former Marine Observation Squadron 2 M-60 door gunner, and former VHA president Roger Herman, a former HMM-361 pilot. Between reunion events, the veterans reflected upon intense fighting in areas such as Phu Bai, Khe Sahn and Da Nang. Some tearfully remembered fellow Marines who were lost along the way, while many tried to remain focused on the good times enjoyed during liberty calls or occasional down time. Even under heavy combat situations, a dose of humor could be extracted. Herman recounted flying MedEvac and troop movement missions for two full months without receiving enemy fire, until one frightening UH-34D flight changed his life. "From out of nowhere, the deafening sounds of automatic weapons fire erupted all around me. They were the loudest noises I had ever heard," said Herman, a captain at the time. "I came several inches out of my seat in total fear. I'm sure that I must have been yelling as loud as I could, but that it was being drowned out by the machinegun fire. "I looked up to see that the windshield was covered with blood and what appeared to be body parts everywhere. It was total chaos. 'I must have been hit pretty badly,' I can remember thinking to myself. 'So this is what it's like to die.' "Well, as luck would have it, at the very moment our M-60s had started firing, we had experienced a direct, head-on, mid-air collision with a couple of seagulls! I had learned a lot of lessons in a very short time on this one flight. We had taken several hits, but no serious damage had been done, except to my nerves. Our body count for the mission was two confirmed VC seagulls. Welcome to the war." Alan Barbour, the current VHA president who served as a helicopter gunship pilot with VMO-2, said the VHA reunions continue to grow each year as new members find out about the organization. He said veterans and their families reach out to others in hopes of eliciting a collective understanding and remembrance of the Vietnam War. "Our reunions have gotten bigger and better each year," he said. "This year by far has seen the best attendance and was truly a beautiful memorial service. We appreciate the hospitality of the Marines at Miramar and hope we impressed the young Marines as much as they impressed us." Herman summed up the reunion and the memorial service by offering a favorite personal excerpt from former Marine infantryman Michael Norman, who wrote the book, "These Good Men" "I now know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with the men who once acted their best, men who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped raw, right down to their humanity. "I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the U.S. Marine Corps. But I know them in a way I know no other men. I have never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another."

		A few Popasmoke pictures ~~~~Click here.