For the last few days I have been remembering the holidays of 30 years ago. Today, January 1, 2002, marks the 30th Anniversary of the stand down of the 128th in Vietnam! According to my flight records, I flew 7.5 hours on Dec 31, 1971. So we were very active right up to the last day. For that period in VN, that was a pretty full day. It was a General Support mission since the first platoon's last Combat Assault was on the 27th.

During the weeks leading up to New Year's a few of my friends and I hit the class 6 store at Red Carpet and bought up as much Lancer's wine as we could get, (we had no taste in those days). Had a great New Year's party! I remember standing around the hootch area with the CO CPT Handy right after 12 midnight. A young EM came running through, right off the flight line, stopped, pointed his M-16 straight up in the air and let go with a quick burst of automatic fire! Don't know whatever happened to him after that.

On New Years day we had a formation, COL Arnold, the 12th Group Commander was there and we bid farewell to the 128th as an operating unit in Vietnam. We even had a fly over of a couple of our aircraft. My memory is a bit faded at this point in time. I wish I had kept a journal and taken more pictures Anyway, I remember some of that day, and I also remember that was the day our last man died, Charles Kalani.

This past week in Church I thought of the 128th, the guys I served with, and those that came before us. I prayed that we who are still around will have a long and bright future, and I prayed for those who are no longer with us. The men who didn't make it on to the "Freedom Bird", and
those who have died since coming home.

Happy New Year and I look forward to our next reunion this year!
Peace,  Mike Waugh 
Tomahawk 16, Aug 71- Jan 72 
 email: mwaugh@webtv.net

TOMAHAWKS IN KOREA 

A message from a former member of the new Tomahawk unit in Korea. Sent December 2001. 
From Ballard M. "Mad Mike" Barker - Tomahawk 6

I have to admit that I stumbled across your web site while doing some research prep for my university teaching job in aviation, and was fascinated by it--my first time to "revisit" the period. You guys are doing a great job with it.

Yes, I have quite a bit of photographic and documentary memorabilia from the Korea Tomahawks, and I'll try to start digging it out to see what can be of general interest.  We went to great effort to do a comprehensive unit yearbook each of the two years I commanded, and they are chock-full of everything--happy snaps, C of C, parties, work shots, unit shots, formations, facilities, etc.  I just don't know how well the stuff might scan or otherwise be transmitted--but we can work it out.  The verbal history is something else--we may have to censure it!

We were a hard flying and hard playing unit. Flying the DMZ of Korea during the '70s was about as stressful and challenging as some of the time in VN.  We got a lot of tough flying hours using a mix of highly experienced VN vets and the usual flux of newbies.  The 128th AHC, along with 117th AHC, and 54th(??-temporarily brain-dead mode) Avn Co (corps GS unit),  comprised the 52d Cbt Avn Bn of 17th Cbt Avn Gp.  The 17th Gp and 52d Bn were headquartered in Seoul, while the 128th was permanently based at Camp Red Cloud near Uijongbu, where it performed general support for forward units along the DMZ--mostly flying ROK and US troops into forward positions for their "real time" DMZ defense mission, or conducting airmobile assaults into every conceivable type of Korean terrain.  Line pilots were getting as many as 600 flying hours a year--a
lot less than VN, but about 5-6 times as many as Stateside at the time, or in the present day Army.  

I believe we were the first unit in Korea to become NVG qualified, and actully flew NVG formations using the first generation stuff that "sucked" one into wires!  Most exciting and
unpleasant. Well, enough rambling for now, but I do believe that the 128th lineage has been "absorbed" into one of the new phoney "regimental" structures--probably the regiment/avn bde still in Korea. I'll check on that--my son in law has recently completed his second short tour flying Blackhawks with them.

Please, just give me a shout and bug me if you don't hear from me in the near future.  I travel a lot, and am typically overloaded when I'm back on campus.

Again, thanks for the web site, thanks for contacting me, and I'll do what I can.  I look forward to the effort.

Ballard M. "Mad Mike" Barker
Tomahawk 6

ROBIN HOOD & TOMAHAWK REUNION - MORE INFORMATION FOR 2002
Message & information from Leilah Ward
The planned reunion in New Orleans, had to be cancelled. Now both the Robin Hoods and the Tomahawks will be meeting at the site of the VHCMA reunion in Phoenix, Arizona - from June 26th through the 23rd. (All other units from the 11th CAB are also welcomed)

We are going to be located at 
The Airport Marriot
1101 N. 44th Street
1-602-273-7373
Room Rates are $82.00 plus tax. You may have up to 4 people to a room.  Make your reservations early to insure your room. Be sure to tell them that you are with the VHCMA

The following Activities are planned for Phoenix:
Trip to a Ghost Town via bus.
Golf Tourney
Static Display
------------------------------------------------------------
For the 2003 reunion, we are looking to the following cities:

1st Choice BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
2nd Choice ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Do you want to host a unit reunion in conjuction with the VHCMA?
We can help. Contact us at 1-800-842-6201

ATTENTION: If you are planning to have a mini-reunion with us
in Phoenix next year, we need to know ASAP. We have to make the arrangements with the hotel.

The following units have had mini-reunions in conjunction with the VHCMA last year and some new additions next year

11th CAB 
NEW 13th CAB
NEW 1/4 CAV
Darkhorse 92nd AHC  117th AHC
128th AHC
NEW 129th AHC 135th AHC 161st AHC 162nd AHC
NEW
173rd AHC 175th AHC
NEW 227th AHB 229th AHB 273th AHC
295th ASHC 355th ASHC 478th ASHC Sky Crane Association Blue Max Association

The 173rd AHC Robin Hoods had the highest turn out of all the units, let's make that happen again, for those of you that think that this is  out of reach, come for the dinner dance on the Saturday of this weekend or the Friday night pool party BBQ, this is fun and family oriented. Hope to see more new faces there this time. Leilah Ward

A FEW WORDS FROM BILL McDONALD

There was a long gap in time between newsletter - the last one just being posted prior to September 11th. I have taken this time to spend with my family and work on important relationships in my life. There is a mountain of good news items to be posted in coming issues - I just want to thank all those who have been so patient and those who have gifted this website with funds, so we could continue this coming year. 

I am very serious about going back to Vietnam this year and as I research the options and costs I will share what I have learned for those who may be interested in doing the same. 

I wish all veterans and their families and those who honor America in other ways - a very Happy New Year ahead!  Bill McDonald