I know there were all kinds of pets and mascots in Vietnam. Some had snakes;
exotic birds as well as other creatures. Our sister unit, the 173rd AHC at
Lai Khe, had a pair of monkeys that were renowned in III Corps. I'll leave that
story to the Robin Hoods.
In the 128th AHC, the Tomahawks, at Phu Loi, we had a dog, WO1
Nerd. Legendary big old yellar dog. He was just a pup when I
arrived in June of 67. I don't even know where he came from. We fed him out of
the mess hall. He grew quickly. Nerd was always in prime condition. One old
papa-san that worked around the area was always eyeing him as if he were a blue
ribbon Angus steer. He'd say, "I give you one thousand P for dog". No
deal. Nerd watched over us. He always went out to the flight line during launch
to make sure everybody got off okay. He was always there when we came back. He
looked as if he were counting. 'Let's see...12 ships out...okay there's the
twelfth one back in, everything is OK'. If a ship were held over late for a
mission, he just couldn't settle down until they were back. He'd pace out to the
flight line and back. When they returned he could finally relax and have some
chow.
One time Nerd disappeared for a few days, couldn't find him. It seemed that Doc
Daugherty from the 3rd platoon Gunslingers was the one that looked
after him the most while I was there. Doc borrowed a jeep and searched all over
the compound at Phu Loi. He finally found him half dead, next to the runway. We
learned later that he had tried to take on an O-1 Bird Dog. We don't know if he
was trying to protect his turf from the "Bird Dog" or if he just
didn't care for fixed wing aircraft. Doc hauled him back to our company area and
promptly put him in Jon Easton's bed. Doc didn't think Jon would mind.
Jon was Doc's hooch mate and Jon was convalescing in Japan at the time
recovering from a wound to his leg. Doc fed old Nerd by hand every evening and
nursed him back to health. Nerd got to feeling himself just about the time that Jon
Easton returned to the 128th from Japan. Nerd couldn't understand why this
guy was sleeping in his bed and Jon was not too happy to find his bed had become
a flea motel.
John Swizer of the Gunslingers tells about the time that all
the pilots were rounded up for a big "secret briefing". Windows were
covered, identification was checked and all attendees had to sign a roster. When
Nerd wandered in with some of the pilots someone thoughtfully entered "WO1
Nerd" on the attendance roster. John says in about two weeks, Army
CID and security types were wandering around the company area. They were
trying to find out who this WO1 Nerd was that had attended the briefing.
It seems there were no other records verifying a security clearance or his
assignment to the unit.
When the young men that were the unit pilots spent time playing with Nerd, a
smile would come to their face and take them back somewhere private, to a place
and time that seemed so very remote but nonetheless comforting in it's
remembrance.
WO1 Nerd died of natural causes during his tour some time before the 128th
stood down in 72. He was a faithful friend and great companion to those that
knew him.
Jay Riseden
Gunslinger 35
128th AHC
Phu Loi 67-68
This story originally appeared in the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots
Newsletter in the fall of 1995.
i often wondered what happened to him? he was quite a guy, if I have the
right guy.I always thought he was cid. I remember a story that he had
maintenance problems on an a/c that they wouldn't, or couldn't fix ,so he flew
it into the ground ( carefully, so as to get out) and that eliminated that
problem.
I often thought he was the most natural pilot I ever met. - I knew him as
Rick vs. Norman.....make sense? - 1967-1968 RVN
Bill Means BillMeans1@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 3:41 PM
Thanks for the update on Goeringer. I believe he was in my flight
class
66-19/21. He extended for at least once and maybe twice in the Tomahawks. I
believe he was a Gunslinger. He was assigned to Savannah, Georgia along
with
some of the Tomahawks who were already there. I do remember him coming
over
to Jim & Jane Eastons for one of the many get togethers they hosted.
Bill Means
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 7:55 PM
I have plenty of photos of Viet Nam which I made on this trip. I have
one of the entrance to Phu Loi Base. I had to sneak and take the picture. It
is only of the entrance. I have a fair amount of Phu Cong, now called
something else. Many things have changed. We went all the way up to hue.
travel there is easy and cheap. The tourist bus from Saigon to Hue is only
$20 one way. It is a long trip so you can stop along the way and catch
another bus the next day, or whenever you want to move on. Our favorite
places were Na Trang and Hoy An, just south of Danang. We hope to go back
again in January. It is a fun trip. If any of the guys want to go back, I'll
be glad to tell them how to do it cheaply. I am getting ready to go to
Turkey on 4 Sept for the month. We'll be back around the first of Oct. Keep
up the good work. Bill Davis
More messages from Bill
Thanks for getting the info in the web site. It has been so long since
I have thought much about the 128th. I went to Phu Loi in January. It is
not
difficult to get there by hired car, but you cannot get into our base. It is
now a Vietnamese Helicopter Base and no one gets in. I even went around to
the back of the area but could not see the base. Phu Cong is a fairly large
city now. The market area has doubled. The old women our age looked at me
with blank stares wondering whether they recognized me or not. I did the
same to them. I saw no one I recognized.
The bridge is rebuilt, but is further up the river. Everything is very
overcrowded.
Long Bien is now a huge industrial complex and Bien Hoa is a big city. The base
is
used by the Air Force. Saigon is about 4 million people now. Too big. US Embassy
has been
bulldozed. There is little evidence of a war ever having occurred. Ch Chi
tunnels are
a propaganda joke. Save your money. I would advise everyone who has not been
able to
go back to do so. It clears away a lot of the cobwebs.
On a lighter note, are all of the guys aware of the PTSD issue? Anyone with
any combat stressors can put in a claim with the VA for PTSD. It should not
be complicated with any other claim. If they have had combat stressors it is
worth a try. If you get declared 100% permanent and totally disabled, they
will pay you $2250 per month tax free and you can get social security and
medicare. You also get free medical for the rest of your life, regardless of
income. This will give them approximately a $40,000 per year tax free
income. The spouse gets champ-va medical also and you get a free ten
thousand dollar life insurance policy. Some people might need this. They can
talk to their county veteran affairs officer or the American Legion of DAV.
You can find out more about this in the American Legion web site or the VA
web site at
