Chopper Talk, transcript
notes: "--" indicates unintelligible words in a sentence.
"-" indicates a short pause.
statements inside [] indicates editor's note. [?] indicates a guess on my part.
statements inside () refer to what's happening on the audio.
=====================================
Attack -- east, northeast flank, and they want the fire about a hundred meters out to the northeast right now, over.
-- roger, on the way.
OK, it a bunch of tanks is what it is, uh, and, uh, everything is --.
OK.
Roger --
--
uh, rog, I got a couple of rockets here, uh, do you want me to --?
uh, roger, uh.
put your rockets about, uh, a hundred and fifty meters to the, uh, north and east of where the tanks are. Do you have them in sight? over.
uh, negative I'm not quite there yet. but I'll be up about zero one minute -- to where I can see 'em.
OK, uh, when you come in, uh, there's beaucoup [many] gun ships in the area now, so you want to watch out for 'em. But the man on the ground, uh, wants all the fire power he can get, over.
OK.
Ah, Bikini aircraft -- 22 is gonna make another pass from the north to the south west --.
Ah, roger north south west --
Uh, 21 you're receiving fire.
--
Uh, roger, it's comin' just, uh, from the west of the road, uh, about 50 meters down this ravine here, um, -- fire was about 3 shots at you so, uh, I just got the general area.
OK, uh, I'm expended now, uh,
OK
I'll go and see if I can smoke it.
Next flight come up -- UHF
(pause)
OK, thank you
(long pause with building hum)
-- , uh, you flying right over the area where you see fire?
If, uh, you see that, uh, white smoke down there, uh, that's where the fire was coming from.
OK, I've got about enough to make one more pass --
(pause)
--
-- smoke --
Say again
Do you have contact with the ground troops? I've got CSR -- I can drop
Ah, rog, I've got contact with the ground troops, uh, we're gonna ahead and roll in on this smoke, uh, right here, we drop where you receive fire.
Roger
OK, go ahead and hit it, uh, watch out for gunships and stuff.
Ah, roger, they're working the east at this time.
(pause)
-- Bikini 21
Ah, -- go.
Roger, what's your position now?
Ah, Roger we're about, ah, 10 minutes out of your location.
OK, the, uh, push is 59 decimal 45. 59 decimal 45.
Ah, roger, 59 decimal 45.
--
--
(pause)
Dak To Tower, this is river -- 25[?] [435?]
(pause)
Dak To Tower, this is river -- 25[?]
(long pause with hum)
21, uh, 25 you monitored?
I copied.
(pause)
Oh, Bikini -- 2, is gonna make another pass, we're gonna, drop uh, 8 W Ps on his west side, north of --
925 roger real fine.
(pause)
--
Buccaneer 2, I got
(long pause with hum)
-- Bikini 21
(long pause)
Uh, roger we're dropping another smoke on it.
(long pause, hum)
That's affirmative
Roger, are we cleared for him? Uh, we still got --
Go in and hit it, uh, we threw a yellow smoke, uh, a little closer to it.
525 roger I've got it in sight. I'm dropin' down at this time, uh, see what we can do.
(long pause, hum)
Bikini 25 it's 21
25 go
roger. Uh, why don't you hold off a minute and let us go and re-arm this point and then you can go in, uh, stay out here and keep him all day to start directing gunships, over.
Uh, 25 roger will do. Climbing up, uh, I've got (sound cuts out) 3 on.
Roger.
(pause, hum)
--
They've got, uh, numerous, uh, wounded down here and, uh, they're, still, uh, still unsecure at this time, so if somebody calls me, we're goin' down in and, uh, uh, -- go for it, uh, I'll let you know as soon as he gives me a call what happinin' -- area [?]
OK -- one five more minutes of fuel, uh, understand that, I was monitoring the same push, that sounds like, uh, a leader[?] that was, just uh, -- wounded, uh, -- get that medivac in there, get those most critically wounded ones out of there -- pick up any kind of load they got.
Uh, roger, I don't know if I have a medevac on the way, that's the only problem, uh, only 'cause -- was Dak To Tower and said he had planned for a medevac, uh, I said slicks would do, uh, next I know, uh, you found out about it, but, uh, we're probably the only, one medivac ship and, uh, we'll probably have to take the rest.
Uh, rog, and -- think is good enough to go in? I'm ready.
Uh, rog, I'm gonna get the word from -- before we go in, uh.
--
(pause)
(garbled)
Uh, this is -- 11, I'm enroute to the -- I'll be there by five. I've got, uh
(long pause)
--
Roger
roger, I'll stay on station until you get here.
OK
(pause)
Say what?
Oh, roger, I, you know where it's at?
(pause)
Oh, roger, understand a couple of medivacs come in from Gladiator, I'm not sure.
(long pause, with hum)
Uh, we're on station in an orbit out here to the west, uh, might as well stay out of there until everything gets out, uh, you can go on in and refuel now.
Uh, roger, uh, I shouldn't[?] have medivac on the way and six one (sound breaks up, stutters) -- 43 report 3 -- ground --. About the medivac, he's got five wounded and at least one KIA at this time.
Uh, roger, as far as that aircraft gets out of the way --
Uh, roger, uh, real fine, I'll go back right --
(hum)
Bikini 21, it's Bikini -- uniform[?]
--
Uh, roger, just contacted four zero, he wants, uh, you, myself, and the Bucks and the Avengers to return, and uh, we're going to put a lift into the area immediately and, uh, they need us back from the airstrike and, uh, get in there.
Uh, roger, understand.
If, uh, you contact the Bucks and the Avengers, uh, I'm going to head back and refuel and, uh, go shut down and grab --.
Roger
-- kilo if, uh, so, uh, stay along the river, uh, say again stay along the river, they're puttin' in airstrike on the road, uh, 100 yards each side, uh, come on up, uh, grassy --, we'll shut down and, uh, wait for the Bucks and the Avengers to re-arm, refuel and, uh, guess we'll be, uh, headin' back out there.
That's not good.
-- come on up -- VHF
(end of tape)
[note]
I believe I must have placed my tape recorder next to a radio tuned to the frequency used for aircraft operations. I don't know if those operations were near the Dak To airfield or if they were further to the west. And, I don't know the date of this recording.
"-" indicates a short pause.
statements inside [] indicates editor's note. [?] indicates a guess on my part.
statements inside () refer to what's happening on the audio.
=====================================
Attack -- east, northeast flank, and they want the fire about a hundred meters out to the northeast right now, over.
-- roger, on the way.
OK, it a bunch of tanks is what it is, uh, and, uh, everything is --.
OK.
Roger --
--
uh, rog, I got a couple of rockets here, uh, do you want me to --?
uh, roger, uh.
put your rockets about, uh, a hundred and fifty meters to the, uh, north and east of where the tanks are. Do you have them in sight? over.
uh, negative I'm not quite there yet. but I'll be up about zero one minute -- to where I can see 'em.
OK, uh, when you come in, uh, there's beaucoup [many] gun ships in the area now, so you want to watch out for 'em. But the man on the ground, uh, wants all the fire power he can get, over.
OK.
Ah, Bikini aircraft -- 22 is gonna make another pass from the north to the south west --.
Ah, roger north south west --
Uh, 21 you're receiving fire.
--
Uh, roger, it's comin' just, uh, from the west of the road, uh, about 50 meters down this ravine here, um, -- fire was about 3 shots at you so, uh, I just got the general area.
OK, uh, I'm expended now, uh,
OK
I'll go and see if I can smoke it.
Next flight come up -- UHF
(pause)
OK, thank you
(long pause with building hum)
-- , uh, you flying right over the area where you see fire?
If, uh, you see that, uh, white smoke down there, uh, that's where the fire was coming from.
OK, I've got about enough to make one more pass --
(pause)
--
-- smoke --
Say again
Do you have contact with the ground troops? I've got CSR -- I can drop
Ah, rog, I've got contact with the ground troops, uh, we're gonna ahead and roll in on this smoke, uh, right here, we drop where you receive fire.
Roger
OK, go ahead and hit it, uh, watch out for gunships and stuff.
Ah, roger, they're working the east at this time.
(pause)
-- Bikini 21
Ah, -- go.
Roger, what's your position now?
Ah, Roger we're about, ah, 10 minutes out of your location.
OK, the, uh, push is 59 decimal 45. 59 decimal 45.
Ah, roger, 59 decimal 45.
--
--
(pause)
Dak To Tower, this is river -- 25[?] [435?]
(pause)
Dak To Tower, this is river -- 25[?]
(long pause with hum)
21, uh, 25 you monitored?
I copied.
(pause)
Oh, Bikini -- 2, is gonna make another pass, we're gonna, drop uh, 8 W Ps on his west side, north of --
925 roger real fine.
(pause)
--
Buccaneer 2, I got
(long pause with hum)
-- Bikini 21
(long pause)
Uh, roger we're dropping another smoke on it.
(long pause, hum)
That's affirmative
Roger, are we cleared for him? Uh, we still got --
Go in and hit it, uh, we threw a yellow smoke, uh, a little closer to it.
525 roger I've got it in sight. I'm dropin' down at this time, uh, see what we can do.
(long pause, hum)
Bikini 25 it's 21
25 go
roger. Uh, why don't you hold off a minute and let us go and re-arm this point and then you can go in, uh, stay out here and keep him all day to start directing gunships, over.
Uh, 25 roger will do. Climbing up, uh, I've got (sound cuts out) 3 on.
Roger.
(pause, hum)
--
They've got, uh, numerous, uh, wounded down here and, uh, they're, still, uh, still unsecure at this time, so if somebody calls me, we're goin' down in and, uh, uh, -- go for it, uh, I'll let you know as soon as he gives me a call what happinin' -- area [?]
OK -- one five more minutes of fuel, uh, understand that, I was monitoring the same push, that sounds like, uh, a leader[?] that was, just uh, -- wounded, uh, -- get that medivac in there, get those most critically wounded ones out of there -- pick up any kind of load they got.
Uh, roger, I don't know if I have a medevac on the way, that's the only problem, uh, only 'cause -- was Dak To Tower and said he had planned for a medevac, uh, I said slicks would do, uh, next I know, uh, you found out about it, but, uh, we're probably the only, one medivac ship and, uh, we'll probably have to take the rest.
Uh, rog, and -- think is good enough to go in? I'm ready.
Uh, rog, I'm gonna get the word from -- before we go in, uh.
--
(pause)
(garbled)
Uh, this is -- 11, I'm enroute to the -- I'll be there by five. I've got, uh
(long pause)
--
Roger
roger, I'll stay on station until you get here.
OK
(pause)
Say what?
Oh, roger, I, you know where it's at?
(pause)
Oh, roger, understand a couple of medivacs come in from Gladiator, I'm not sure.
(long pause, with hum)
Uh, we're on station in an orbit out here to the west, uh, might as well stay out of there until everything gets out, uh, you can go on in and refuel now.
Uh, roger, uh, I shouldn't[?] have medivac on the way and six one (sound breaks up, stutters) -- 43 report 3 -- ground --. About the medivac, he's got five wounded and at least one KIA at this time.
Uh, roger, as far as that aircraft gets out of the way --
Uh, roger, uh, real fine, I'll go back right --
(hum)
Bikini 21, it's Bikini -- uniform[?]
--
Uh, roger, just contacted four zero, he wants, uh, you, myself, and the Bucks and the Avengers to return, and uh, we're going to put a lift into the area immediately and, uh, they need us back from the airstrike and, uh, get in there.
Uh, roger, understand.
If, uh, you contact the Bucks and the Avengers, uh, I'm going to head back and refuel and, uh, go shut down and grab --.
Roger
-- kilo if, uh, so, uh, stay along the river, uh, say again stay along the river, they're puttin' in airstrike on the road, uh, 100 yards each side, uh, come on up, uh, grassy --, we'll shut down and, uh, wait for the Bucks and the Avengers to re-arm, refuel and, uh, guess we'll be, uh, headin' back out there.
That's not good.
-- come on up -- VHF
(end of tape)
[note]
I believe I must have placed my tape recorder next to a radio tuned to the frequency used for aircraft operations. I don't know if those operations were near the Dak To airfield or if they were further to the west. And, I don't know the date of this recording.