Monthly Archives: January 2012

Vietnam Nose Art


Legacy of Valor

Not to be confused with official markings or insignia, nose art personalizes an aircraft for its crew, because it is the crew members who name the aircraft and create the art, imbuing it with an identity of its own. ‘Nose Art’ is important as an historical and societal indicator over time, an example of folk art or popular expression, and a record of the past. Charlie Troop 1/9th Lift bird Cobra gunship Scout bird Bravo Troop 1/9th Lift bird Bravo Troop Cobra gunship The original Pink Panther nose art was designed by 1st LT Joe Waters (Weapons Platoon) C Troop 1/9th, 1st Cavalry Division


Mike Thompson (crew chief) 228th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, 1970-71 This and the following thirteen nose art photos were taken by Mike and provided to me by Mike’s brother-in-law Specialist 5 Jordan Green (Maintenance Platoon) Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1969-70

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 W.O.1 Matthew Lawless with A Troop gunship

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Image courtesy of Michael Dwyer, Sp 4, Victor call sign “Blivet” 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion Gladiator Huey CH-47 Chinook, South Vietnam Photo by David Parsley UH-1D Dolphin 605 “Ruptured Duck” with WO1 Boyd Mitchell and CPT Bill McCurry. Photo by Captain Bill McCurry, 1966-1967 CH 47 Nose Art Photo by John Lippert Sr. Song Be Province, Vietnam Photo by Dave Simmons Photo by Jerry Walker

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Photo by John M. DeCillo

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Photo by Joe Schwarzer

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Col. Thomas E. Colvin, USAF (Ret.), Danang Air Base, Vietnam, 1969-70

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‘Mr Groovy’ of the 11th ACR out of Blackhorse.
Photo by Lloyd Goldston III

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Flew in from Bien Hoa to FSB Buttons December 1970
Photo by Joe Saad

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Puff the Magic Dragon (Spooky) AC-47 gunship

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Vietnam – weather girl

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Bridges over Vietnam


Bailey Bridge

Below are some photos Chris Bussells (31st HHC) provided of a Bailey bridge project built by the 31st Engineer Battalion over the Song Be River and completed in 1970. Chris worked on the design part of this project as a draftsman.

The original concrete bridge piers had been partially destroyed, and he needed to design formwork and reinforcing for the reconstructed piers. These photos were taken by Chris at the request of the operations officer, who wanted the photos for the unit historian. He had to turn over the negatives, but kept a set of prints for himself.

 

Below are views of an E-48 AVLB (Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge) deploying its bridge in the Central Highlands, 1968.
Photos by Tommy Truong79 Flickr

 

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2011 in review


The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 27,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 10 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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