DAK TO MEMORIES
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From Steve Greene 2/19/2005

Ernie,
​

I just found your name and weblink on the Casper Aviation platoon website. Welcome Home. I was in Dak To from June '67 into November 67. I flew helicopters with the 173rd airborne brigade and along with a couple of Cowboy helicopters and Falcon gunships was the first helicopter to base there in early June, I think about June 14th. As the build up continued I used your services quite a bit. I did many VFR arrivals and departures and many GCAs into the airfield at all hours, sometimes landing with no lights, other times with 55 gallon barrels on fire. Thanks a lot for getting me in safely. I still fly helicopters, often near your home in Windsor. I fly for CALSTAR in a Bell 222, sounds a lot like a Huey. I am based out of Ukiah.
As I recall, memory may be a little bad after these many years, we parked our helicopters across the runway in revetments on the same side of the runway as your tower, nearer the approach end. When it started raining, getting to the helicopter in the mud was the supreme test. I saw one of your photos of a truck bogged down in the mud and I recall that. I lived in a tent right next to where the C-130s unloaded, near the special forces camp. I recall big battles on June 22, July 10 and then of course in November.
​-----------------------------------------------------------------

Ernie Camacho:
Steve,
 
I'm surprised and happy to hear that you're so close to me.
 
I got to Dak To in the middle of June 67. Our ATC group was the first
there. It wasn't until a few days later that anyone else came in. By then
we were set up with tower and radar approach control. You were definitely
there from the start, when I was there.
 
I worked radar until the beginning of August, so I'm sure I talked to you on
the radio. From Sept. thru Mar 68, I worked tower, so I'd have talked to
you from there too. Can you remember your call sign? I have some audio
tapes of myself working the tower. I can see if your call sign is
mentioned.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ernie,
There is a Casper Aviation Platoon page on Facebook. Casper was our callsign, we and the Cowboys and Falcons supported the 173d airborne out of Dak To. Casper was actually part of the 173d and the cowboys and falcons were attached to us. If you do Facebook, you might enjoy it.

We were there at exactly the same times, I think I arrived there on June 14, and was there off and on through November '67.

Those are our helicopters on both sides of the runway, we parked on the tower side but often stood by on the opposite side of the runway during the day. Until about October, my tent was one of those closest to the taxi-way were the cargo planes pulled in and unloaded. Pretty noisy every morning. I gotta tell you how many times you saved my bacon by bringing me on the GCA approach. great job...
warmest regards,
Steve Greene
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  • Home
  • Battles
    • Operation Hawthorne
    • Battle Of The Slopes
    • November Action Hills 823, 875
    • Defenders of Dak To 1969
    • Special Forces Camps >
      • Ben Het
      • Dak Seang
      • Dak Pek
  • Photos
    • AirfieldPhoto
    • Airfield Landmarks & Map
    • 125 ATC >
      • List-1 >
        • Arrival, June 1967
        • Airfield Attack 671115
        • ATC facilities
        • ATC Team Members >
          • ATC Roster
          • Bartlett
          • Camacho
          • Saveski
          • Scott
          • Short
          • Other Team Members
          • Christmas 1967
        • Runway
        • Runway Ramp
        • Road
        • Shooting Range
      • List-2 >
        • Aircraft
        • Vehicles
        • Weapons
        • Soldiers
        • EOD - Explosive Ordinance Demolition
        • Fuel Fire
        • A1E Skyraider Emergency landing
        • Rope Extraction
      • List-3 >
        • Air Strikes, Artillary
        • Arc Light Bombing Run
        • Around The Field
        • Local Folks
        • Outside Dak To Area >
          • Nearby Countryside
          • Trip to Pleiku
          • Holloway Airfield, Pleiku
          • Around The Country
          • Vung Tao USO show
          • Qui Nhon
    • 4th ID-HQ
    • 4th ID - Norm Spaulding >
      • Norm Spaulding
      • 2nd_Indochina_War
      • Dec. 1967
      • Jan. 1968
      • Mar. 1968
      • Apr. 1968
      • May 1968
      • June 1968
      • July 1968
      • Sept. 1968
    • Casper Aviation - Tony Bolivar
    • 4th ID - Chris Ross >
      • SwampFox
  • Documents
    • Ivy Leaf - 4th Inf. newsletter >
      • Nov. 19, 1967
      • Nov. 26, 1967
      • Dec. 17, 1967
      • Dec. 24, 1967
      • More Issues
    • Pacific Stars and Stripes >
      • Nov. 11, 1967
      • Nov. 15, 1967
      • Nov. 16, 1967
      • Nov. 22, 1967
      • Nov. 24, 1967
      • Nov. 25, 1967
      • Nov. 26, 1967
      • Nov. 29, 1967
    • News Items
    • Leaflets
    • ATC reports >
      • 30 November 1967
      • 18 December 1967
      • 29 February 1968
      • 18 March 1968
      • Definitions of terms
  • Audio
  • Stories
  • links
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Site Map