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During 1969 the 9^th Infantry Division Band traveled to assignments (bandsmen used the musician's term gigs) in a variety of ways. Although helicopter flight in a CH-47 Chinook was the most predominate method of transportation, the band also traveled on USAF C-7A Caribou, Slicks, trucks, and US Navy armored troop carriers. The bandmaster had to juggle the requirements of the job (how many musicians were needed in relation to the capacity of the transportation), the distance to be traveled (speed and range of transportation), the availability of transportation (non-combat support activities were, understandably, not high on the Army's transportation priority list*), the nature of the terrain traversed (trucks wouldn't suffice if roads had no river crossings, i.e., destinations on the south bank of the Song My Tho), and the landing and pickup capabilities of the destination installation (Caribous needed runways and Chinooks needed large unobstructed clearings). The full band compliment included approximately 38 musicians and one warrant officer. In addition to bandsmen and combat gear, a variety of large, fragile, musical equipment (drums, brass instruments, fiberglass Sousaphones, etc.) had to be transported. This equipment often filled the spaces that could have otherwise been occupied by soldiers. A Caribou and ATC could transport the entire band, a Chinook about 23 members, a Slick about 6, and a deuce-and-a-half from 12 to 14.

*This wasn't always the case with the band. Army commanders typically enjoyed pageantry and often demanded military music at their ceremonies. News release in THE OLD RELIABLE often mentioned when the Division band was in attendance. My assumption is that if you didn't rate the Division band you didn't rate with the Division! Also, if the dance band element had to play at senior commander's parties or their mess, the band got whatever it needed to get them back to Dong Tam in time for the performance. This was the case on July 4, 1969, when the full band compliment drove four miles to My Tho. The dance band had an evening engagement for the Division Commander - he ordered a gunship escort to insure the band's safety - in the process, unduly exposing the crew of the "Cobra"  to harm. They had to fly at treetop level and observe the speeds of the band convoy. "Cobras" were juicy Communist targets. Our escort got hit over Route TL-25 not far from Dong Tam. The crew survived.

View #1 - An approaching CH-47 Chinook kicks up a dust cloud of dirt and debris as it hovers over the old helicopter landing site near the main gate into Dong Tam. The windsock at the right informs the pilots of wind direction and hints at wind velocity, which are both crucial to a safe landing. The road to the right has been widened to accommodate the low-level flight of the 9^th Infantry Division's air cushioned vehicles, which used this section of base road between their ramp on the Song My Tho and their unit area.

View #8 - Chinooks and Slicks were armed with standard infantry .30 caliber machine guns. This weapon had been designed to be operated by a crew of two - a gunner who aimed and pulled the trigger and an assistant gunner who fed the cartridge belt into the breech. Since there were no assistant door gunners aboard helicopters, crews found that by wedging a C-Ration can on the feed side of the receiver it would prevent the belt from hanging straight down and, thus, eliminated jamming.

Views #2 & #3 - The Chinook was designed to transport 44 combat troops sitting on tubular aluminum, web-upholstered, folding, bench seats hung from each side of the fuselage. The band discovered that a Chinook could seat only 23 musicians equipped with combat gear and musical instruments. Large instruments and cases would clutter the aisle between the two rows of seats. This did not earn the admiration of the loadmaster/crew chief who required access to the front and rear of the aircraft for many reasons including lowering and raising the tail ramp. In characteristic fashion, he would tiptoe his way rearward, mumbling something unintelligible while avoiding feet, drums, Sousaphones, tubas, instrument cases, and weapons. The open loading hatch in the floor added a bit of excitement to his acrobatic journey.

Views #9 & #10 - The rectangular belly hatch opening was slightly forward of mid ships and its was primary function was to allow the winch cable (attached to the airframe in the ceiling of the fuselage) to descend through the bottom of the aircraft. This enabled small loads to be hoisted on board when necessary, permitted the cable lateral movement, and gave the loadmaster/crew chief a view of slung cargo. On a hasty pick up I once fell through the open hatch. I hadn't been paying attention to where I was hurrying. The short drop to the ground wasn't as painful as the embarrassment of having to climb back into the aircraft in front of the band and door gunners. On the next Chinook flight the bandmaster advised that we should watch where we put our feet when walking on board. UGH!

View #4 - Although it is hard to believe that a human being could fall asleep on a Chinook in flight - what with all of the noise, vibrations, and general bumpiness - it happened. In this view SSG William K. Ward, Jr., is demonstrating the technique. Demonstrator, POST!

View #11 - Chinooks loaded from the rear via a moveable ramp. This ramp was operated by the loadmaster/crew chief. The electrical control box was tethered on a long wire which enabled the ramp to be operated from outside the aircraft if necessary. Chinooks would typically set down with their twin, rear mounted, turbo jets whining. It was a bit of a feat to scramble up the ramp with bulky objects, such as a base drum, in the face of the 30+ mile an hour wind created by the motors. Eyes had to be diverted and soft caps held on your head.

Views #5 & #6 - Chinook pilots liked to fly with the belly hatch open, which in addition to offering passengers and crew a stiff breeze along the length of the fuselage - gave passengers a good view of eternity and the crew chief a little practice ledge walking when moving forward. The two fellows on the right, SP-5 Thomas Kane and SSG Fred K. Keesey, are leaning forward enjoying the view. The bench seat across the open hatch is in the UP position. This ship must be the deluxe model, it has quilted padding on the ceiling as well as the sides (compare with View #2).

View #12 - Sometime during April 1969 the PZ/LZ for Chinooks was moved from the old site near Dong Tam's main gate to the opposite side of the base. Four large concrete helipads had been poured and another three larger pads for Skycranes in the northward expansion area outside the original, now abandoned, north perimeter berm. An opening through the old berm had been cut and a paved road swung past the new Chinook pads to the northeast corner of the perimeter (where the relocated POL had been installed). In this view the bandsman/driver, SP-5 Larry Wolf, watches along with the band's mascot, Bummer, (in the bed of the truck) while the Chinook fires up its turbo-jets and twin rotors.

View #7 - When American advisors were first sent to assist the Republic of South Vietnam during the late 1950s, most of the military equipment they brought was left over from World War II and the Korean War. The ongoing cold war against Communism and America's commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had consumed the attention of both US politics and its military architects. The military doctrine of this era had been geared to conduct conventional warfare in Europe. The escalating war in Vietnam remained a sideshow until it caught the attention of the press and public. Even as late as 1969 US troops were forced to field modify (improvise) their equipment to make it more suitable for combat. This door gunner has enhanced his firing position with a stable seat consisting of a carton of lube oil and a folded cargo pad. The large aluminum container hanging from the flight deck bulkhead (to the right of the gunner) is a marmite can insulated to prolong the temperature of contents, in this instance, ice chilled potable water.

Views #13, #14 & #15 - Traveling on a Slick was the ultimate expression of helicopter flight. A machine invented for the purpose of waging war shouldn't have been so enjoyable. Slick pilots were a refined bunch of gunship pilots. They had the same instincts and daring but were restrained by having passengers on board. It would have been unacceptable to have troops sliding out of open doors. Slick pilots cultivated flying relatively level and keeping their ship's movements stable. They transformed combat aggressiveness into angelic responsibility for their passengers' well-being, both in the air and on the ground! They were, without question, killer angels. Once a small contingent of the band had been dropped off at an unknown village somewhere in the boonies for the purpose of distracting the villagers during a weapons sweep. We arrived before the infantry. One of the Slicks stayed behind, watching over us, circling in the heavens above. When I later typed the monthly activity report to battalion, I asked the bandmaster what the helicopter had been doing. Mr. Jones said that the pilots hadn't liked leaving us alone on the ground!

VIEWS OF IV CTZ FROM A HUEY SLICK