On July 3, 1971, two Cobra AH-1G helicopters from A Battery, 4^th Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, 101^st Airborne Division were involved in a night-time mid-air collision southwest of Camp Eagle, Thua Thien Province, with the loss of both crews and aircraft. The lost crewmen included CAPT Phillip R. Bergfield and CAPT Terry J. Martell from aircraft 68-15185 and CW2 Robert S. Schettig and 1LT Gary P. Tomlinson in aircraft 67-15760. The following is a summary of the loss by Army investigators: The aircraft in question were on 2-minute alert status with an aerial rocket artillery battery. They received a contact mission at approximately 2320 hours and were immediately launched. Arriving on station at 2330 hours in trail formation, a circling orbit was set up by the lead aircraft and was observed by ground troops, who indicated the orbit got smaller and smaller. The last radio transmission monitored was that the lead aircraft, flown by CAPT Bergfield, was, "Rolling in hot." At this time the troops on the ground observed a large flash of fire and some rockets being fired. The burning aircraft fell to the ground over a ridge line 800 meters from the ground troops who also reported shortly after the flash of fire in the sky, there was another flash on the ground over the ridge line. The flash of fire in the sky was also observed by CW2 Barry Martens, of A Battery, 4/77th Artillery, 101^st Airborne Division, who watched the aircraft launched and depart the Phu Bai combat base to the southwest in trail formation. CW2 Martens observed the aircraft set up their orbit over the contact area and was watching for the section to commence their firing runs. CW2 Martens then observed a large flash in the area of the aircraft and could no longer see the aircraft positions lights. He went to the battery operations center and informed the personnel on duty, who initiated a radio search with negative results. The ground commander also radioed that it was possible that the aircraft had crashed. At this time the 4^th Battalion, 77th Artillery Headquarters Tactical Operations center was notified, who in turn launched a search and rescue team in a UH-1H helicopter. Upon arriving on the scene, two fires were observed approximately 200 meters apart and with close observation of the fires, it was determined that both aircraft were totally destroyed with little chance of survivors. [Taken from vhpa.org]

CW2 Bobby R. Williams (KIA) and I were both vying for the next fire team leader slot. For some unknown reason operations swapped his crew for mine and put them in the aircraft I had been flying the night before they were shot down. The pilot WO1 Richard G. Lewis (KIA) had been in country a few months, SP5 Glenn T. Fey (KIA) had been transferred from the 134th AHC two weeks prior and PFC Jerome E. Jacobs (KIA) was I believe a postal clerk who was working his tail off to be a door gunner. It is believed they were hit by an RPG on the right side of the aircraft; I have a photo of the aircraft in the air right after they were hit and it shows no damage to the left side. I heard the elapsed time from when the aircraft was hit until it was completely burned was only four minutes. We know that at least part of the crew was alive prior to impact because they were keying the radio while using the intercom. This was a heavy (48 rockets) and evidently they were unable to jettison the pods prior to impact. The aircraft burned with all hands. The next day I took the dental records to the morgue to help with identification of the remains. Story by Jim McLaughlin [Taken from vhpa.org]

The 134th got off to a sad start in 1970 with the loss of a gunship crew member. On January 11th while providing gun cover for a medivac in the Phu Cat Mountains, a Devil gunship (66-15151) went IFR and crashed into a mountain. SP4 Edward Hamrick was killed when the aircraft hit, rolled over and the transmission crushed him. The door gunner, SP4 R. D. Tipple, was not injured but the two pilots sustained serious injuries. Captain Porter suffered a broken leg and the copilot, WO Larry Ingle had a partially collapsed lung and was in shock. SP4 Tipple managed to pull the pilots out of the wreckage through the windshield and get them away from the crash site, successfully avoiding nearby NVA/VC troops. SP4 Tipple, a former infantryman on an extension, had the presence of mind to break off the magnetic compass from its mount on the instrument panel and grab a map of the area. They spent 3 days in the mountains, evading the enemy while seriously injured and slowly making their way east toward Phu Cat Air Base. On the 3^rd day they were finally spotted by search aircraft and rescued. SP4 Tipple was awarded the Soldiers Medal for his actions in saving the injured pilots from capture during this incident.

On 6 February 1969, the 134th conducted a Combat Assault with ROK units near Phan Rang. At the landing zone, the VC were waiting in spider holes for the incoming aircraft. The lead ship was hit by ground fire and crashed in the LZ while another (66-16326) was destroyed by a B-40 rocket as it landed. CW2 William M. Harrison, the AC with 24 days left in country, was killed by shrapnel from the B-40. The crewchief, SP4 John Baxter, was hit numerous pieces of shrapnel and also took a hit in a leg that had to later be amputated. The last ship (66-16319) in the 3 ship formation went around the crashed lead ship. As it did, it was hit by a hail of fire and a round hit the gunner, PFC William Ogden, in the neck killing him instantly. The rest of the crew somehow escaped serious jury and managed to get the badly damaged ship back to Phan Rang Air Base.

On 7 February 1968, the 134^th suffered it's first combat casualties. An entire crew and aircraft were lost while on a MACV support mission at Phu Bon near Cheo Reo. The aircraft flew MACV senior advisors and local commanders to a village that was to have been secured earlier in the morning by nearby PF (Popular Forces) ground troops. On arrival over the village there was no radio contact with the ground unit supposedly at the site but smoke was popped by someone on the ground and the crew landed. However, the PF troops had not yet arrived and the village was occupied by VC who had taken it over the previous night.

After landing and shutting down the aircraft, the crew and six others were ambushed and killed. The aircraft was set on fire and destroyed. Members of the crew were CW2 Roy E. Worth, CW2 Guido S. Reali, SGT Ronald R. Loveland and SGT Harold O. Hoskins. This was a very traumatic experience for everyone in the unit since the 134^th was a close knit group and everyone knew the lost crewmembers well. The war hit home to all in a very personal way. After this, aircraft from the 134^th were not allowed to land in remote locations without establishing radio contact with ground personnel or positive identification.

In a bizarre twist, less than an hour before the ambush of the crew, WO Trainee Hall and WO Mike Harding had been searching for a MACV advisor with the PF troops and had landed at the same village after smoke was popped on the ground. However, they did not shut down or get out of the aircraft. They saw what appeared to be local troops, waved to them (their waves were returned) and realizing their intended passenger was not there, they took off again.

On 7 February 1968, the 134^th suffered it's first combat casualties. An entire crew and aircraft were lost while on a MACV support mission at Phu Bon near Cheo Reo. The aircraft flew MACV senior advisors and local commanders to a village that was to have been secured earlier in the morning by nearby PF (Popular Forces) ground troops. On arrival over the village there was no radio contact with the ground unit supposedly at the site but smoke was popped by someone on the ground and the crew landed. However, the PF troops had not yet arrived and the village was occupied by VC who had taken it over the previous night.

After landing and shutting down the aircraft, the crew and six others were ambushed and killed. The aircraft was set on fire and destroyed. Members of the crew were CW2 Roy E. Worth, CW2 Guido S. Reali, SGT Ronald R. Loveland and SGT Harold O. Hoskins. This was a very traumatic experience for everyone in the unit since the 134^th was a close knit group and everyone knew the lost crewmembers well. The war hit home to all in a very personal way. After this, aircraft from the 134^th were not allowed to land in remote locations without establishing radio contact with ground personnel or positive identification.

In a bizarre twist, less than an hour before the ambush of the crew, WO Trainee Hall and WO Mike Harding had been searching for a MACV advisor with the PF troops and had landed at the same village after smoke was popped on the ground. However, they did not shut down or get out of the aircraft. They saw what appeared to be local troops, waved to them (their waves were returned) and realizing their intended passenger was not there, they took off again.

October 1971, was a sad month for the unit with the loss of three crewmembers in the first major accident in over 250 days. Captain Gerald F. McGlone, SP5 Addison W. Page Jr. and SP4 Rafael Perez-Verdeja were test flying a UH-1C model aircraft when it crashed and burned for unknown reasons onto the PSP runway at Phu Hiep. All three crewmembers died in the crash.

On 6 February 1969, the 134th conducted a Combat Assault with ROK units near Phan Rang. At the landing zone, the VC were waiting in spider holes for the incoming aircraft. The lead ship was hit by ground fire and crashed in the LZ while another (66-16326) was destroyed by a B-40 rocket as it landed. CW2 William M. Harrison, the AC with 24 days left in country, was killed by shrapnel from the B-40. The crewchief, SP4 John Baxter, was hit numerous pieces of shrapnel and also took a hit in a leg that had to later be amputated. The last ship (66-16319) in the 3 ship formation went around the crashed lead ship. As it did, it was hit by a hail of fire and a round hit the gunner, PFC William Ogden, in the neck killing him instantly. The rest of the crew somehow escaped serious jury and managed to get the badly damaged ship back to Phan Rang Air Base.

October 7, 1971, was a sad day for the unit with the loss of three crewmembers in the first major accident in over 250 days. Captain Gerald F. McGlone, SP5 Addison W. Page Jr. and SP4 Rafael Perez-Verdeja were test flying a UH-1C model aircraft when it crashed and burned for unknown reasons onto the PSP runway at Phu Hiep. All three crewmembers died in the crash. Addison Page arrived in the unit on 02/02/71.

October 1971, was a sad month for the unit with the loss of three crewmembers in the first major accident in over 250 days. Captain Gerald F. McGlone, SP5 Addison W. Page Jr. and SP4 Rafael Perez-Verdeja were test flying a UH-1C model aircraft when it crashed and burned for unknown reasons onto the PSP runway at Phu Hiep. All three crewmembers died in the crash. Rafael arrived to the unit on 10/12/70. He was due to DEROS on 10/12/71.

Under the cover of darkness on January 10, 1968, North Vietnamese Army forces crept into Kotum Airfield in the Central Highlands in Kotum Province, RVN, and destroyed several aircraft, killed six Americans, and wounded 21 others. Between 2:04 to 2:35 AM, the enemy breached the perimeter and conducted a raid on the airfield with B-40 rockets, small arms fire, and satchel charges. The lost Americans included SP4 Loyde D. Armor, SP4 Thomas Carpenter Jr., PFC Richard D. Devine Jr., PFC Andres A. Gomez, PFC Robert W. Muncy, and SP4 Robert Pfeister. Seven UH-1H helicopters were destroyed, eight others damaged, and eight trucks damaged. At least five NVA were killed during the attack, some reportedly by explosions from their own satchel charges. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, redwarriors.us, and Pacific Stars & Stripes, January 11, 1968]

SP4 Robert Pfeister was serving with the 57th Assault Helicopter Company on his second tour at the time of his death.

On 7 February 1968, the 134^th suffered it's first combat casualties. An entire crew and aircraft were lost while on a MACV support mission at Phu Bon near Cheo Reo. The aircraft flew MACV senior advisors and local commanders to a village that was to have been secured earlier in the morning by nearby PF (Popular Forces) ground troops. On arrival over the village there was no radio contact with the ground unit supposedly at the site but smoke was popped by someone on the ground and the crew landed. However, the PF troops had not yet arrived and the village was occupied by VC who had taken it over the previous night.

After landing and shutting down the aircraft, the crew and six others were ambushed and killed. The aircraft was set on fire and destroyed. Members of the crew were CW2 Roy E. Worth, CW2 Guido S. Reali, SGT Ronald R. Loveland and SGT Harold O. Hoskins. This was a very traumatic experience for everyone in the unit since the 134^th was a close knit group and everyone knew the lost crewmembers well. The war hit home to all in a very personal way. After this, aircraft from the 134^th were not allowed to land in remote locations without establishing radio contact with ground personnel or positive identification.

In a bizarre twist, less than an hour before the ambush of the crew, WO Trainee Hall and WO Mike Harding had been searching for a MACV advisor with the PF troops and had landed at the same village after smoke was popped on the ground. However, they did not shut down or get out of the aircraft. They saw what appeared to be local troops, waved to them (their waves were returned) and realizing their intended passenger was not there, they took off again.