268th Combat Aviation Battalion - Black Lightning - Phu Hiep, Tuy Hoa - II Corps - See article

The 268^th Battalion arrived in Vietnam May 1967 and operated there until some point in 1972. After departing Vietnam, the 268th returned to the U.S. and was active as an attack helicopter battalion in the 1980's at Fort Lewis.

238th Cobra at dawn by Norm Miller - Sep 1971, Lt. Tom Hamilton's ship

over South China Sea

1968 Lineup:	1970 Lineup:
48^th Assault Helicopter Co.	61^st Assault Helicopter Co.
129^th Assault Helicopter Co.	129^th Assault Helicopter Co.
134^th Assault Helicopter Co.	134^th Assault Helicopter Co.
180^th Assault Support Helicopter Co.	180^th Assault Support Helicopter Co.
192^nd Assault Helicopter Co.	196^th Assault Support Helicopter Co.
335^th Assault Helicopter Co.	238^th Aerial Weapons Co.
	355^th Heavy Helicopter Co.

Below is a little about each company with the battalion in 1969 or later. Other companies will be found in the battalion they were a part of in 1969 – see 1^st Brigade Org Charts

Headquarters & Headquarters Co. – Phu Hiep

• 342^nd Aviation Support Detachment

433^rd Med Detachment – Phu Hiep – See 1970 article

(patch is Bob Duke’s 67-68)

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 433^rd was one of our brigade’s 30 medical facilities, staffed by 50 Doctors and 300 specialists throughout the country. These facilities were used as a quick close location to stabilize medevac patients until they could be moved to the larger base hospitals in country or outside the country.

268^th Pathfinders Detachment - Phu Hiep – See 1968 Article, See 1970 article, See 1971 Article, See photos from Bob Duke, 1967

www.268pathfinders.com

The 268^th Pathfinders deployed on 3 May 1967 with the 268^th CAB to the Republic of South Vietnam. On arrival in Vietnam at Cam Rahn Bay and after about two weeks of acclimation, the Pathfinders moved on to their new home at Phu Hiep Army Airfield in the Tuy Hoa area of Phu Yen province. The Pathfinders began to support the Korean Tiger and White Horse divisions and the 173^rd Airborne Brigade. In addition to their other duties, the Pathfinders flew as door gunners (earning Crewmember Badges), served as reactionary forces, and defended the battalion’s area. The pathfinders filled a critical role since WWII being the first in "Semper Primus" to drop zones for airborne parachute drops including D Day.  In Vietnam they played a similar role in clearing areas for LZ's and also in helping with rigging of difficult loads to be carried by our Chinook and Sky crane choppers.  Several of our battalions had pathfinder detachments including the 11th, 222^nd, 268th and 269th.

61st Assault Helicopter Company - Lucky Star, Starblazers - An Son, LZ English

http://www.61ahc.org/

Meritorious Unit Commendation—Oct 64–Dec 65

• 193^rd Med Detachment

Initially arrived in Vietnam at Vung Tau in July, 1963 as the 61^st Aviation Company; flying fixed wing CV-2 Caribou and Caribou aircraft out of Vung Tau. When the Air Force took over all Caribou aircraft in 1967, the 61^st was reorganized as a helicopter company and joined our 268^th Bn. They moved to An Son in December 1967. The 61st flew support for 173rd Airborne, MACV, 1st Air Cavalry, 4th Infantry and the ARVN divisions. It stood down in February 1972. 

129th Assault Helicopter Company -  Bulldogs, Cobras - Tuy Hoa, Dong Ba Thin, Quin Nhon – See Article

http://www.129th.net/

Patch from Mark Jackson

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

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

The 129^th arrived in Tuy Hoa in October 1965 as part of our 10^th Bn, and then moved from there to Dong Ba Thin then to Quin Nhon in 1966. They flew in support of the Koreans, the 101st, the 25th and the ARVN.  During the Cambodian invasion in 1970, they supported the 4th Infantry.  They departed Vietnam in Mar 1973.  There is a website for the 129th at www.129th.net. In 1979 the 129th became part of the 82nd Combat Aviation Battalion as Company B, and has since served in Grenada, Desert Storm and the current Iraq conflict.

134th Assault Helicopter Company - Demons, Devils – Can Tho, Phu Hiep then Tuy Hoa – See Article

http://webdev.loyola.edu/hunder/TuyHoa.html

The company arrived in Vietnam at Can Tho with the 13^th Battalion in July, 1963 as the 134th Aviation Company flying fixed wing CV-2 Caribou. When the Air Force took over all Caribou aircraft, the 134^th was reorganized as a helicopter company and joined our 268^th Bn. The 134^th departed Vietnam December 1971. It primarily supported the 173rd Airborne, the Korean White Horse and Capital Divisions.  It also provided support to the 4th Infantry Division, MACV and the 5th Special Forces. 

180th Assault Support Helicopter Company - Big Windy - Phu Hiep, Tuy Hoa – See Article

http://www.bigwindy.org/

A Chinook company, the 180th became operational in Dong Ba Thin Vietnam in September 1966 with our 10^th Bn. Soon it had units distributed at An Son, Tuy Hoa, Dong Ba Thin, and Kontum.  Their first year involved supporting the 101st on several major operations including Geronimo, Pickett and Farragut. They supported the Korean Capital and White Horse Divisions, and the ARVN. In early 67 they also took part in Operation Junction City, a multi-divisional operation. They moved to Phu Hiep when the 268th Battalion set up there. The unit departed Vietnam in Feb 1973.

196th Assault Support Helicopter Company - Flipper - An Son, Chu Lai 

• 546^th Med Detachment
• 318^th Aviation Support Detachment

Arrived in February 1967 and was initially part of our 14^th Battalion. The 196^th supported the 173rd Airborne, ROK Capital and Whitehorse Divisions, the 1st Air Cav and 4th Infantry.  Missions included defoliating forests, recovery of downed choppers and delivery of heavy loads.  The company was transferred to the Americal Division in Chu Lai in Aug 1968.  It left Vietnam in 1971 for reassignment at Ft. Bragg, NC.

 238th Aerial Weapons Company - Gun Runners - An Khe, Phu Hiep, Tuy Hoa – See Uptight article

, See Hawk 1971 Article

• 587^th TC Detachment

http://238awc.org/

Valorous Unit Award—8 Feb–24 Mar 71

The 238th Aerial Weapons Company served in Viet Nam as part of the 286th Battalion of the 1st Aviation Brigade. It was stationed first at An Khe, then Phu Hiep, near the air base at Tuy Hoa, and finally on the Tuy Hoa airbase. The unit was an all gunship company and was normally assigned as general support for II Corps. During early 1971, the unit was moved to Dong Ha, near the DMZ, and took part in the Lam Son 719 operation in Laos. The four "flashes" around the outside of the patch indicate the areas the unit operated in. II Corps, our normal operations area, Cambodia, during early 1970 when U.S. units went into Cambodia near Plieku, I Corps during the lead up to Lam Son 719, and Laos during that operation. The unit received the "Valorous Unit Award" for operations during Lam Son 719. All of those operations were flown in the "Bravo" and "Charlie" model Huey gunship. In mid 1971, the unit converted to the AH1G Cobra, and flew that aircraft until it was withdrawn in January 1972.

 355th Heavy Helicopter Company - Work Horse - Pleiku, Phu Hiep – see article

Meritorious Unit Commendation—13 Jan 68–12 Jan 69

• 662^nd Transportation Detachment Meritorious Unit Commendation—13 Jan 68–12 Jan 69

http://www.ch54skycrane.com/478th%20page.htm

The 355th arrived in Vietnam in January 1968, originally assigned to the 52nd Battalion, and transferred to the 268th in October 1968. Its CH54-A Sky Cranes carried ammo, bridges and other heavy loads, rescued downed choppers in support of our 4^th Infantry and 1^st Field Forces Vietnam. It departed Vietnam in December, 1970.

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