Return to the Echoes of Hell Vietnam Episode #4 The Huey Adventures

MACV-SOG AFTER ACTION REPORT (AAR) CONFIDENTIAL TO: Command HQ, 1st Aviation Brigade FROM: WO1 North, Aircraft Commander SUBJECT: Mission Report – OPERATION: SCORCHED CURRENT DATE: 14 July 1969 AIRCRAFT: UH-1D "Huey" Slick (Callsign: VALKYRIE) 1. MISSION OVERVIEW The primary objective was tactical insertion and extraction of long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs) within Sector 7. Due to the high threat level along the river routes, Valkyrie was modified from standard transport specs to include heavy defensive suppression capabilities. Crew Complement: * Pilot (AC): WO1 North * Co-Pilot: 1LT Vance * Door Gunner (Port): CPL Rodriguez (.50 Cal Specialist) * Door Gunner (Starboard): SPC4 Hudson (.50 Cal Specialist) 2. ENGAGEMENT LOG Phase I: Riverine Transit (The Delta) * 0430 Hours: While transporting a 6-man team, Valkyrie was engaged by three armed sampans and shoreline heavy machine guns. * Action: WO1 North banked hard to give the gunners clear lines of sight. Rodriguez and Hudson engaged with the M2HB heavy machine guns. The .50 caliber rounds proved essential for punching through the wooden hulls and thick shoreline vegetation. * Outcome: All three enemy vessels neutralized; transit continued. Phase II: Napalm Hill (The Meat Grinder) * 0915 Hours: Requested to perform an emergency hot-LZ extraction on Hill 872 following a napalm strike. * Action: The LZ was obscured by thick, oily smoke. North brought the Slick in low and steady. The door gunners used the reach of the M2HBs to suppress NVA units attempting to close the gap between the tree line and the extraction point. The heavy thump of the .50s provided the necessary cover for the infantry to scramble aboard the transport deck. Phase III: Urban Transit (City Sector) * 1300 Hours: Route took the aircraft through a dense municipal district to reach a rooftop extraction point. * Action: Enemy snipers engaged from concrete structures. The M2HBs were used to suppress window openings, as the .50 BMG rounds were the only ordnance available to the crew capable of penetrating the masonry walls of the city buildings. North executed a hover-taxi maneuver through the narrow street corridor while the gunners maintained 360-degree security. * Casualties/Damage: Valkyrie sustained significant small arms fire to the undercarriage; all crew and passengers remained intact. 3. EXPENDITURE SUMMARY | Munition Type | Amount Expended | Notes | |---|---|---| | .50 BMG (M2HB) | 2,200 Rounds | High effectiveness against fortified cover and hulls. | | Smoke Grenades | 4 Units | Used for LZ screening on Napalm Hill. | 4. COMMANDER’S EVALUATION Though primarily a transport "Slick," the Valkyrie and her crew utilized their heavy machine guns to devastating effect. WO1 North’s ability to manage a fully loaded transport under fire, combined with the precision of the two-man gunner crew, ensured the survival of the ground teams. STATUS: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.