Just got off the hook with Charles. He has a full copy of the book and he was reading the article you wrote about the Dust Off reunion. That would be on page 154 (you don't have those pages yet). Anyway Walt sent me the article and I decided to include it in the book. In the article you talked briefly about the Bo Loi forest mission. I had never even heard about it But Charles remembers it like it was yesterday. When he told me the story I told him that I wasn't on any of the missions. Because if I were I sure as hell would have remembered it. That was a funny story. Did the smoke actually form a cloud that put out the fire?

Charles said that he has slides from that mission and he asked me to e-mail to see if you would want the slides. If you do, let me know and I will send them to you after I have the opportunity to see if I want to include any of them in the book.

He said that prior to the AF trying to ignite the forest, several Harris Missions had been flown. I told him that Bloomquist wouldn't let me fly any Harris Missions because he said that they were secret and that I would write home and tell my mother about them. That's the truth. I had no idea what a Harris Mission was until about four months after they started. That was when I flew my first one (he finally let me go on one). I have to admit that when we came back from the mission I still didn't know what the Hell a Harris Mission was. All I knew was that there was a C-23 that was spraying something. I asked Bloomquist what they were doing and he told me that I didn't need to know. All in all he had a grand time keeping the objectives of the Harris Missions from me. I believe that I finally figured it out on my own.

So let's see. If a retired Col. pays $90 a night to stay next to Disney what would it be for a Sp/5. Probably around $400, right? In central Florida this time of the year it will pour buckets around mid-afternoon. Eventually it will shift around to evenings and then by Sept. it will be all over. Until then it can rain so hard that you can't see three feet in front of you. Apparently you ran into one of those on your visit. But I still think it rained harder in Nam.

I'm Glad you enjoyed your stay in our great State. Perhaps you should retire here. The cost of living is cheap and property taxes are next to nothing. That, plus the first $25,000 of your property taxes are eliminated. See, if you and Barbara purchased a trailer home for $24,000 you wouldn't have to pay any property taxes. Just something to think about.

Let me know about Charles' slides & have a happy 4th.

Bill

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Bill Hughes wrote:

Sgt. Allen and I were just talking about the so called Freedom Assault up at Tay Ninh. He remembers that the practice assault was held the day before. This would be the one where we were told to bring our gas masks. He remembers the practice assault as being the day before the actual assault at Tay Ninh.

He flew that day with Bloomquist but doesn't recall who the pilot was. He did remember leaving Ton Son Nhut and they were about 15 minutes into the flight when the crew chief (Sp/5 Clarence Wall) announced that he had forgotten to bring his gas mask. So Paul had to turn around so that Wall could get his mask (glad that wasn't me).

Bill

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Bill Hughes wrote:

Doug,

Sgt. Allen must have been the backup medic on the 25th with you. He remembers seeing the Bob Hope show as his ship taxied by the big hanger. Also in my book on page 129 is a shot that you gave me that had Christmas 1964 printed on the slide cover. If you look at that page you'll see someone with their back turned to the ship. That would be Sgt. Allen. Don't know who the pilot is but now we know 3/4 of your crew on the 25th. You, Charles & Thompson.

Bill

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Doug Moore wrote:

Bill,

Thanks for the offer, but I have slides of the burning too. It happened just that way. The B-57s and C-123s dropped napalm in a V shaped pattern hoping to get the southwesterly wind to begin blowing through it creating what is known as a venturi effect which turns a fire into a raging storm.

When the fire started, the heat began to rise and the clouds formed. Within a short time, it began raining like pouring pee out of a boot.

You do know the "Harris Missions" were named after a famous cyclo racer don't you? Sounds like Bloomquist pulled your leg for a long time on that one, but Jay and I got him back for you when we sicked the gay reporter from Time Magazine on him. The last time I saw the Blooms, he was still threatening to get even with Jay, Ed, and myself.

Doug

As for the Harris Missions guess we'll have to ask Walt. I know for a fact that Walt was Officer in Charge of the Motor Pool. Read the following story........

One day Lt. Harris came up to me and said, "Hughes you're being promoted to Sgt." My reply was one of total disbelief. I was a Pfc. and here I was going to be made a Sgt. For a moment I started to think that maybe this man's Army will be ok for me. Then Lt. Harris took me down from the high I was on when he said, " Well you're not going to be an actual Sgt. You're being promoted to acting Sgt. of the motor pool." Then he proceeded to outline my duties.

For a while I actually liked the job as it was a way to get out of Sgt. Allen's shit details. When Sgt. Allen would come up with one of these I would tell him that I had to go wash the majors jeep. Then I would go to Major Huntsman and tell him that I was going to go wash his jeep. That was in case Sgt. Allen asked if Hughes was washing the jeep.Washing the jeep didn't involve going over to the motor pool and physically washing the jeep. For 10 pi I would get the jeep washed right outside the main gate at the Esso Station. They washed the jeep and when it was done they rubbed it down with discarded motor oil. It really looked great when they got done. The only problem was that during the dry season the jeep would, within one day, get a heavy coating of dust all over it. But then of course it would have to be washed again. I used to take the jeep to wash it and not return for hours. I would drive downtown to see my girlfriend at the Victoria, or just drive around. After all it took a long time to properly wash a Army Jeep.

Some day I'll tell you how I tricked Lt. Harris into firing me when I got tired of being acting Motor Pool Sgt. It's a good story.

You know Walt really took his Army duties very seriously. I recall one day he asked me to sit down. Then he proceeded to tell me about the great opportunity that awaited me at the West Point. I tried to interrupt him but he told me that he was the re-up Officer and that I had to listen to him. I told him that I was counting the days until I got out but he told me to be quiet and listen to him. He rattled on for about an hour. He told me how I was officer material (he really didn't know me) and how West Point was made for me. He told me about how easy it would be for me because of my decorations etc. Several times I tried to get a word in but each time he would stop me and tell me to sit there and listen to him. I believe he told me that it was every enlisted mans duty to listen to the benefits of re-enlisting. But I wasn't just going to re-enlist I was going to go to West Point. Anyway when he finally finished his long lecture about the virtues of West Point he asked me how I felt about it. My reply was that It sounded great. He said, Great, Hughes!!! We'll sign you up and then you can take the entrance exam and you'll be on your way to a great military career. I told him that I would love to go to West Point but that I couldn't. He looked at me in total disbelief and said that I was wrong. I told him that I wasn't wrong. then he said, "Why the Hell can't you go to West Point." Then I told him the I was 22 years old and that the cut off age for the Point was 21. He then proceeded to chew my ass out for wasting his time. I told him that I tried to tell him that I was too old but every time I tried he told me to be quiet and listen to him.

Walt was a funny but dedicated guy back then. Come to think of it I would have looked good in a cadet's uniform.

Bill

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Walt harris wrote:

That's a true story I am sorry to say! Pretty crafty though, twernt I?

I knew he was going to the ESSO cause he never came back wet from all the washing. I didn't care, it was clean enough for Si to use when he would come up to Saigon. I did not fire you, you asked for a replacement and I think Langley the Admin guy took over, but could be my memory is going.

Walt

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Bill Hughes wrote:

No Walt you fired me. I didn't want the job anymore and I had a hell of a time trying to figure out how to get out of it. So one day as I was returning to Ton Son Nhut from Saigon The guards at the main gate stooped me. When I was cleared to go I pulled on the emergency brake and drove all the way back to the flight line. By the time I got there the jeep looked like it was on fire. I pulled up ran inside and told you that my jeep was on fire. You grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran, I mean ran, outside. When you discovered that the emergency break was on you gave me a lecture and said the magic words. You said, " Hughes if you mess up again I will have to replace you as Motor Pool Sgt." then you sent me to the motor pool to get the emergency break repaired.

If you recall we had just received the new M-151 jeeps. The Army called them a sport car and they were pretty quick. My duties required me to do a daily inspection of our two jeeps , our duce and a half and our 3/4 ton truck.

I'm not proud of this but I will tell you how I got out of the motor pool. About one week after I drove with the emergency break on I was doing my daily inspection of Major Huntsman's jeep. If you remember the battery was located under the passengers seat. You had to lift up the seat and open a compartment to get to the battery. Now if you laid a screw driver across the battery terminal and closed the compartment so that the metal from the cover hit the screwdriver..... fini battery. Of course you were very sorry that you had to let me go. And I swore that I would be more careful but after the emergency break and the battery you had no choice. You are correct Langely did replace me.

That was a shame I loved that job. But you were very kind and understanding when you let me go. I don't believe that I was ever given a job of responsibility after that. Other than being a medic. And of course my almost daily trips to Saigon to pick up items for the unit and personal items for the officers and men.

Bill

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Jay McGowan wrote:

Jeez oh man Bill couldn't you do anything correctly? The motor pool, the monkey, no Harris missions. What else are you hiding?

Jay

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Bill Hughes wrote:

Jay,

I guess if we do this thing long enough all of my secrets will be out. When Sgt. Allen left Nam he told Ken Eaton this, "Everybody thinks Hughes is so dumb. He's one of the smartest men I've ever met. I've never seen anyone get out of details like he does. The man was never around when something had to be done."

You see it was a full time job getting out of the so called shit details and I did do my fair share of messing up. But I do believe that I was a pretty good medic. And when push comes to shove that's the main reason why I was there. As for Schexnader's Monkey that was poetic justice. Why should an enlisted man suffer because an Officer went to town and did something stupid. Now I'm not saying that Chuck was stupid I'm saying that he did something stupid while under the influence. Not much of a difference but there is a slight one.

At the last reunion I told Si & Bob how I used to get out of all of the shit details. I owed it all to Major Kelly. Some day I'll clue you in on how easy it was. Remember you guys used to buy a lot of stuff downtown.

Bill

OK, since I can't get into The Cabin till next week, I'll peck out a question about what u guys have been discussing...I gather the Harris Missions was the spraying of the defoliant so we could find the enemy & protect the world from the Red Menace. I do not recall "Harris Missions". What I remember is "Ranch Hands". Is this the same thing?

Alex

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Bill Hughes wrote: Exactly. You new timers probably called them, incorrectly, Ranch Hand. In the beginning, when they were classified, we call them "Harris Missions" after our famous Lt. Harris. Although it is still to be determined as to why they were named after Lt. Harris.

My best guess is that Bloomquist started it all. I made up the charts that were on the Orderly Room walls. Bloomquist told me what he wanted them to look like and he filled in the data on the charts. So my best guess would be that when the first flight came in he wrote down that it was a Harris Mission. Remember what I said. He wouldn't tell me what a Harris Mission was and it took me months to find it out. I still think that Walt was our Security Officer at the time and Bloomquist named the flights for that reason. Jay thinks it's because Walt went on the first flight. But I think that Harris Missions were being flown before Jay arrived. I think that I was a Pfc. when the missions started and I believe I was a Sp/4 when Jay arrived, or shortly thereafter.

Anybody have any input???

Bill

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Jeff Grider wrote:

If my memory serves me right, the Ranch Hand crew had been asked, based on the suggestions of a new advisor (Chemical Corps officer) assigned to the compound at Song Be to defoliant the rice crops in the valley beyond Song Be. The area was inhabited predominantly by VC or people hostile to the government. Walt was the representative at the first briefing by the Air Force on the new mission, and as I recall that is how they were named.

I remember my surprise when I flew the first mission in support of this, because the C-123's used to spray a road or at least straight stretches of area. I finally realized after about 20 minutes that they were spraying only the rice fields.

As I recall, although most of the action occurred after I left country, the people were so pissed off that they overran every compound between the valley and Song Be, including Song Be.

Of course that is the memory of an older person, and you know how we are?

Jeff

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Bill Hughes wrote:

Well your story makes the most sense but wouldn't it also make sense that Walt attended the meeting as our Security Officer? I certainly wouldn't have been privy to Walt attending such a meeting. Hell, it took me months to figure out what Ranch Hand was up to.

I recall very well the VC over running of Song Be. I'm sure Tom Christie remembers it also. The date would have been Feb. 9, 1965. That would be the day the after Bein Giah where Capt. Thompson got zapped through the wrist (see page 8 in the Book)

Jeff, you may be older than dirt but your memory seems to be functioning like a 20 year old. Alex could use some of whatever it is that you are taking.

Well Walt, is Jeff's memory correct so that we can put this one to rest?

Bill

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Walt Harris wrote:

OK, Once and for all! No mystery, no brave heroics, just the simple answer ---- that I attended the first briefing for the 57th. As well as I remember it ('cause it was a 'classified' mission--forgive me Lord, now I have to kill Bill Hughes-'thanks Si for reminding me'- because we all know he can't keep a secret and probably would not have worked out at West Point anyway--"what was I thinking of?").

The first mission was with Jeff Grider (he outranked me and always let me know it, and probably put Bloomquist up to it!) and (I) we had our first briefing in the wee A.M.(0400-0500 or as Jay would say O-dark hundred?) and no one wanted to get up and go, so Bloomquist said simply, "Walt, you go and do a good job!" Just for being there and making the simple arrangements to answer the call for many, many (Jeff, I don't know whether he was a engineer or not). The OPS Officer for that little rag tag flying machine (they were great pilots and brave (somewhat dumb) pilots also 'cause we saw them get shop up day after day and they kept coming back for more!); at any rate he said he'd just call for a Harris mission and we would know to come a runnin!

The first missions were, I think, to clear the sides of the highways of jungle where the VC would continuously attack and destroy convoys. After awhile, they sprayed just about everything that gave cover, including some agricultural areas.

Oh, I remember a sort of funny mission early in the morning when Tom Christie and I were flying cover and it was dark and we were out on the wing a ways of the 123 and all of a sudden they disappeared and the next thing I know we are in the soup (IFR and it was really dark) and we slowed up a little to let the 123 get ahead and we couldn't talk 'cause we had radio silence and after a little while I looked at Tom and he looked at me and together we said, "guess we better do a 180" and finally broke out and went on the deck to try to find those guys! We finally located them after they broke in on the radio and said where are Dustoff? We already dumped our load and everything is fine and we're going home! Hope to see you another day.

That's it.

I am sure after I left, the name was dropped to simply Ranch Hands 'cause from what we saw, the VC knew that they were coming anyway. Now does that confuse everyone?

Walt

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Bill Hughes wrote:

Nope. Clears it up for me. Guess I was wrong you weren't security officer. You were selected because Jeff outranked you and Bloomquist didn't want to get up in the middle of the night. Makes sense to me.

You are right about them being crazy.I do recall that the name of one of their ships was "Patches". That ship had about 1,000 or more little red circular patches all over it. The patches were to cover hits from the VC. After seeing that ship I changed my opinion about Harris Missions being a cake walk. We were up at 1500 feet while these guys were getting their asses shot up.

I never liked Harris Missions because we had to get up before sunrise to get out to the target area. It would take us (sometimes) an hour and a half to get there and they would be on target 1/2 hour after leaving Ton Son Nhut.

Were any of you guys on the Harris Mission when one of the C-123's got his engine shot out and Bloomquist flew on his wing tip until he landed safely at Ton Son Nhut. I didn't know you could push a UH-1B that hard. I was in the back waiting for the ship to fall apart. I do recall turning around and looking at the instruments and the air speed indicator (enlisted mens slang) was well into the red line area. But everybody came out of it ok and I think after that Ranch Hand knew that we were there for keeps. Of course I didn't stop shaking for three days.

Bill

One of the few things I remember is someplace in the delta were a village had been over run and the parents had to watch while the children were soaked in gas and then burned and the families had to watch as the kids ran around. Hell, I wish I had not remembered that!! I try not to think about the horrible things!! Probably the worst was the Caribou crash. Bloomquest told me not to get out of helicopter but I did anyway. Was a BIG mistake.

Bob

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Bill Hughes wrote:

You're right. I'll never forget that Caribou crash. I was amazed at how messed up a person could get. In that crash I think I saw just about everything horrible that can happen to the human anatomy. We had body parts all over the place and bodies that were burnt beyond recognition. I prefer not to remember things like that.

None of us remember everything and that's the neat thing about our little loop. Collectively we can, perhaps, remember things and get the details straight.

You guys are great.

Bill

I've long been trying to get the bloody time to sit down and do the Vietnam War's version of M*A*S*H, which could very easily be D*U*S*T*O*F*F, or some such thing.

We can bloody well get enough goofy and poignant (somebody explain 'poignant' to Billy) stories out of us and the others still lurking about to make this real. Like M*A*S*H, there's enough slapstick humour, gore, fear, heart-wrenching pain and recovery, side stories, love of various sorts to include lasting, and so forth to make it marketable as Hell.

We had a dude in LA working toward that end several years ago but he never got there. Roy Leatherberry was headed that way but got siphoned off.

We could make this sucker happen and perhaps make a buck or two on the residuals working with guys we love and revere and haven't seen in all but 30 or so years in some cases and others we like to poke fun at.

Hell, the Ghost would be a great presence in many an episode even if we never actually saw his character, which is probably as it should be. I've never been real sure he ever flew a mission. I can just see the famous Billy Hughes doing business in a comic fashion with Cheap Charlie downtown and, moments later, policing up blasted bodies at the US Embassy.

Chuck Kelly, Tiny Simmons, Timmy Cole, Bob Cottman, Otha Poole, Bill Ballinger, Bernie Ephland all had so many wonderful and different sides. There are several hundred of those kinds of stories and hundreds of those who didn't pay the full price.

We could do this, gentlemen.

I think we need several things:

1) the resolve, 2) the basic material from everyone, and 3) someone to put us into a posture to organize, write, and do the cinematography. We're all great technical advisors.

Let's hear some response and some ideas. Everybody respond to the 'all' category and let's figure this out. It's a Hell of a lot more productive than wasting 27 pieces of e-mail on Si's shitter.

DUSTOFF!!!

Jim

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Bill Hughes wrote:

I originally said it would make a great story. I believe that the sequence works something like this. The book usually comes first. Then you sell it to Hollywood for the Big Bucks.

We all (except T2) have humorous and sad stories to tell. I see our big problem as putting it into some chronological order. Hell, we couldn't even agree on when the Bob Hope show was held.

Although I haven't saved our Nam stories I believe Alex has a file on the stories we have sent out. If he hasn't I would be willing to set up a file system and get the stories into some manageable order. After all the basis of the "Movie" would be our stories. Next we would have to decide on a time frame. would it be 64-65 or take into consideration second and third tours?

There was a M*A*S*H* episode that involved "One Shot Charlie" It was about a Korean that took one shot a day at the same time of the day. I know for a fact that the story came from Nam. Walt Harris was at that air strip with me on the day that we heard the shot and were concerned about it. The ground advisor informed us not to worry because it was just "One Shot Charlie." He said not to worry because he never hit anything.

Guess what I'm saying is that perhaps sequence isn't all that important. The stories are. M*A*S*H ran for 11 years and borrowed from Viet Nam but their time frame remained the same. You can't have UH-1B's in one shot and "H" models in the next.

I vote for 64-65 beings we were all there during that time frame and if you have poignant ( yes James I am familiar with the word) story from a different era it could be inserted.

All we need is someone to take the bull by the horns and start the organization aspect.

That's my input. Except for this..... I would like Brad Pitt to play the part of Hughes.

Bill