Text Box:  10th Combat Aviation Battalion - Soldiers of the Sky – Dong Ba Thin, Buon Me Thout - II Corps see article from CMH on 10th Aviation Lineage, See 1969 Hawk Article, See 1971 Hawk Article

 

Battalion Headquarters & Headquarters Co. – Dong Ba Thin

  Valorous Unit Award—1 Jan–24 Mar 66   Meritorious Unit Commendation—Dec 65–Sep 66  

 

 

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 
    •  Valorous Unit Award—1–20 Jun 66 for Operation Hawthorne   Meritorious Unit Commendation—5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

 

 

  • 339th Aviation Support Detachment 
    •  Meritorious Unit Commendation—5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

 

  • 130th Med Detachment 
    •  Valorous Unit Awards—1 Jan–24 Mar 66; 1–20 Jun 66   Meritorious Unit Commendations—Dec 65–Sep 66; 5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

 

 

The 10th battalion formed in-country November 1965 to support the 101st Airborne and Korean forces. Its support expanded to include the 173rd Airborne as well as MACV and ARVN units in the area. Known for it’s ability to rapidly re-deploy it’s companies to new locations in support of major engagements.

 

                                                                                               281st Intruders - by Jack Green III 1966

 

1966 Lineup:

1968 Lineup:

1970 Lineup:

Joining later

48th Air Mobile Light Co.

61st Assault Helicopter Co.

48th Assault Helicopter Co.

C/227th (60th) Assault Helicopter Co. (’71-72)

129th Air Mobile Light Co.

92nd Assault Helicopter Co.

92nd Assault Helicopter Co.

D/227th Assault Helicopter Co. (’71-72)

281st Air Mobile Light Co.

192nd Assault Helicopter Co.

281st Assault Helicopter Co.

 

 

196th Assault Support Helicopter Co.

155th Assault Helicopter Co.

 

 

 281st Assault Helicopter Co.

192nd Assault Helicopter Co.

 

 

 

243rd Assault Support Helicopter Co.

 

 

Below is a little about each company with the battalion in 1969 or later. Other companies which were with the 10th Bn at some point will be found under the battalion they were assigned to in June 1969 – see 1st Brigade Org Charts on the brigade home page.

  

 

Text Box:   Text Box:

48th Assault Helicopter Company - Blue Stars, Jokers - Phan Rang, Ninh Hoa – See 1970 article  See 1972 article

  Valorous Unit Awards—1–20 Jun 66; 8 Feb–24 Mar 71

 Meritorious Unit Commendations—Dec 65–Sep 66; 5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

 

http://www.48ahc.org/

 

  • 286th Med Detachment

 Valorous Unit Awards—1 Jan–24 Mar 66; 1–20 Jun 66

 Meritorious Unit Commendations—Dec 65–Sep 66; 5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

 

·         390th Transportation Detachment

 Meritorious Unit Commendation—31 Oct 65–31 Dec 66 http://www.390TC.com

 

 

The 48th Assault Helicopter Company served in Vietnam from Nov 1965 until Aug 1972.  The Blue Stars and Jokers were among the first Assault Helicopter Companies to arrive in Vietnam and one of the last to leave.  The 48th participated in 16 major campaigns and according to an ABC News report, was the most highly decorated aviation unit in the US Army.  The 48th entered combat operations in 1965 as the combat assault helicopter support for 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.  In late 1966 the 48th moved to Ninh Hoa and was assigned as the assault helicopter company in support of the 9th Korean (White Horse) Division.  The 48th continued this combat assault role until Jan 1971 when it was ordered north to Dong Ha in I Corps to support Lam Son 719.  The Blue Stars and Jokers remain on active duty today as Company A, 3-158th Aviation Regiment.  Today, as it was throughout the war years in Vietnam, the Blue Stars and Jokers rely on "Skill Not Luck" to accomplish the mission. A good side tour here is to the 390th TC who supported the 48th at www.390TC.com

 

 

Text Box:  Text Box:  92nd Assault Helicopter Company - Stallions, Sidekicks - Dong Ba Thin (Cam Ranh Bay)- See article

 

 Meritorious Unit Commendation—Oct 64–Dec 66

 

http://www.92ahc.org/ site


A second website for 92nd AHC is here                     

The 92nd began in Vietnam in Oct 1964 in Quin Nhon as a fixed wing "Caribou" company assigned to the 14th Battalion until late in 1966 when the Air Force took over all Caribous in country. It was reactivated at Ft. Carson, Colorado and returned as an all helicopter company. The 92nd AHC arrived at Dong Ba Thin in November 1967.  The 92nd worked for Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) units, Republic of Korea (ROK) units, and several Special Forces Units. In addition it provided combat support to elements of the 1st Brigade/101st Airborne Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 4th Infantry Division. The unit performed missions throughout the entire II Corps Tactical Zone (TZ), which was a jigsaw puzzle of flat coast, valley farmland, arid plains, humid triple canopy jungle, and high mountains it departed Vietnam in 1972.

 

 

 

Text Box:  Text Box:  155th Assault Helicopter Company - Stagecoaches, Falcons - Ban Me Thout  - See 1969 Article, See 1970 article

 

  Valorous Unit Award—28–30 May 66

 

http://155thahc.com/

 

 

  • 8th Med Detachment    Valorous Unit Award—18 Sep–28 Oct 65

 

  • 348th Aviation Support Detachment     Valorous Unit Awards—13–19 Aug 67; 12 May 68

 

 

The 155th arrived in Vietnam in April 1965 as Company A, 1st Battalion of the 1st Infantry division and was transferred to 1st Aviation Brigade in November 1965. It supported MACV, the 5th Special Forces on highly coordinated insertions; the ARVN and other U.S. troops in its area and participated in the Cambodian Incursion in Spring 1970  It departed Vietnam in 1971.

 

 

 

Text Box:  Text Box:  192nd Assault Helicopter Company - Polecats, Tiger Sharks -  Phu Hiep, Phan Thiet, Phan Rang  - see article

 

  Valorous Unit Award—31 Jan–25 Feb 68

 

http://www.frontiernet.net/%7Eflewhuey/192/index.html

 

http://192nd-ahc-redux.hostoi.com/

 

 

  • 198th Med Detachment
  • 363rd Aviation Support Detachment   Meritorious Unit Commendation—12 Sep 71–15 Jul 72

 

 

The call sign "Polecat" was in honor of a pet skunk named Waldo who made the trip to Vietnam on the boat with the men and aircraft in Sep 1967.  In December 1967, the 192nd moved to Phan Thiet; between Cam Rahn Bay and Vung Tau, then in 1970 to Phan Rang.  They supported many units in the southern II Corps area, including the White Horse division of the army of the Republic of Korea, the 101st Airborne, 75th Infantry Rangers, 173rd Airborne and MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam).           

 

 

 

Text Box:  243rd Assault Support Helicopter Company - Freight Train - Dong Ba Thin – see article

 

The Freight Trains were in Vietnam from Oct 1967 to Dec 1970 as a Chinook company supporting the 101st Airborne and other friendly units. They moved everything from troops, artillery and supplies to assembling everything for hill top firebases in record time and lifting downed hueys for a ride back home. Chinooks (CH-47's) had a crew of 5; Aircraft Commander, Pilot, Flight Engineer, Crew Chief and Door Gunner. The Flight Engineer was called "chief" none-the less. The crew chief was someone who had gone through the schooling but was new to the job. We flew crew chief as kind of O.J.T. under the flight Engineer and generally the crew chief took over the Flight Engineer position when the present FE rotated back to the "World".  The chief stayed with his bird as did the Flight Engineer generally. The gunners rotated thru all the aircraft and were not assigned to any one particular aircraft. This situation may have been different in different Hook units, however. Gunners were responsible for two (2) modified M-60 machine guns (these were stripped of the ground unit cooling pieces as moving thru the air, there was no need for cooling via the heat transfer system). Additionally, these weapons had an attachment at the rear of the piece that had a butterfly (either) thumb activated way of operating the weapon.  Still shot the standard 7.62 NATO (.308) round in a belt with every fifth round being a tracer. The Flight Engineer carried a .45 pistol and M-79 grenade launcher.

 

 

Text Box:  281st Assault Helicopter Company -  Intruders - Nha Trang – See 1969 Article.  See  1970 Article

 

281st Association Site

 

Original 281st Intruder Site

 

  Valorous Unit Award—4 Mar–4 Apr 68

  Meritorious Unit Commendation—5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

 

 

The Intruders were in Vietnam from Jun 1966 to Dec 1970 operating in the mountainous Central Highlands.  Most of the units in the brigade supported some element of the 5th Special Forces at some time. The difference is - the Intruders supported them all the time until 1970. At that time they began also providing support to the 4th Infantry and Korean and Vietnamese troops in the area.  The Intruders’ three helicopter platoons were the Rat Pack, Bandits and Wolfpack.

 

 

Text Box:  B/227th Assault Helicopter Company – Potato Masher - Phouc Vinh

 

When the 1st Cavalry Division stood down in Vietnam Mar 1971, a number of units remained in country. The 3rd Brigade continued to operated with the addition companies of their 229th Aviation Battalion.  Six of the 1st Cavalry helicopter companies came over to serve with our brigade in various battalions for the remainder of 1971 and early 1972.  Companies B, C and D of the 227th Bn went to our 10th Bn, 17th Group. A/228th was assigned to the 11th Group.  Companies A/227 and C/228 went to our 52nd Bn, 17th Group. Company B/229 went to our 222nd Bn 12th Group. You can find them on the appropriate battalion pages of this site.

The companies had been in country since late 1965.

 

 

Text Box:  C/227th Assault Helicopter Company (60th Assault Helicopter Company) – Ghost Rider - Phouc Vinh

http://www.urnserenity.com/Memorial.html

 

 Valorous Unit Award—1–31 Oct 67

 

The Ghost Riders were in Vietnam from 1965 to 1971 as C Company, 227th Aviation Battalion of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. When reassigned to our brigade, the Ghost Riders moved to Ninh Hoa in II Corps and were re-designated later as the 60th AHC, part of our 10th Aviation Battalion.  From January 1971 to their departure in March 1973, they provided support to the Koreans and ARVN.

 

      Patch is Mike O'Neil’s from VHPA Museum site

Text Box:  D/227th Aerial Weapons Company – El Lobo- Phouc Vinh

 

  Presidential Unit Citation—26 Jan–4 Apr 67

 

2d Platoon    Valorous Unit Award—1–31 Oct 67

 

    3d Platoon    Valorous Unit Award—1–31 Oct 67

 

 

When the 1st Cavalry Division stood down in Vietnam Mar 1971, a number of units remained in country. The 3rd Brigade continued to operated with the addition companies of their 229th Aviation Battalion.  Six of the 1st Cavalry helicopter companies came over to serve with our brigade in various battalions for the remainder of 1971 and early 1972.  Companies B, C and D of the 227th Bn went to our 10th Bn, 17th Group.

 

Return to 17th Group                      Return to 1st Aviation home page