A Doorgunner's Diary



      SP4 Walt Weber
      240th Assault Helicopter Company
      Greyhounds, Blue Flight
      Bearcat, South Vietnam
      1969-1970




      3/18/1969 ~ Inducted into army
      9/27/1969 ~ Arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam
      9/30/1969 ~ In transit, arriving at Bien Hoa, RVN
      10/4/1969 ~ Arrived at the 222nd Aviation Battalion, Bearcat, RVN
      10/6/1969 ~ Assigned to the 240th AHC with the MOS 67N20
      12/2/1969 ~ Became doorgunner with MOS 67A1F
      10/8/1969 ~ Our neighboring company, the 135th AHC had a crew member killed today. This man was a good friend of our Mad Dog gunner, Mike DeAngelis.
      10/24/1969 ~ Three of our ships went down today. Two of them were shot up and the other struck a tree with the rotor blade. The pilot who hit the tree is in bad shape.
      10/26/1969 ~ One of our doorgunners got shot up today.
      10/30/1969 ~ Two of our ships were shot down today and were wrecked. Saw them brought back by Chinook.
      10/31/1969 ~ The 240th flew to Cambodia today.
      11/10/1969 ~ One of our Greyhound slicks came home shot up today.
      11/12/1969 ~ Mad Dog gunship went down today. Problem was the tail shaft rotor bearing.
      11/13/1969 ~ Promoted to E4 rank. Also, ship #489 has a fuel leak again.
      11/16/1969 ~ Ship #723 crashed today due to engine failure. This ship just had engine installed from ship #431 (this was a bad wreck).
      11/25/1969 ~ The 240th is very overloaded with repairs on the ships. A lot of guys are working late.
      11/31/1969 ~ Ship #498 was shot down today.
      12/4/1969 ~ My first flight as a doorgunner on ship #497. I feel like I'm in heaven.
      12/7/1969 ~ A Mad Dog pilot plants a rocket in the back of a VC on the run. One hell of a shot. Also, Mad Dogs get two deer and bring them home.
      12/9/1969 ~ Captain Fitzgerald assigns me to work on our company truck. This truck needs a lot of repairs on it.
      12/10/1969 ~ Our Mad Dogs get 23 Viet Cong kills today in Bien Luk.
      12/12/1969 ~ Bien Thu and Saigon flight-2 kills.
      12/28/1969 ~ Picked up two dead VC today. What a fucking mess of body parts. I almost heaved.
      1/6/1970 ~ Mad Dogs get 9 kills today.
      1/10/1970 ~ A pilot tells me that I have the best M60 set of guns in the company.
      1/17/1970 ~ Phouc Binh-Mad Dog gunship goes down. Took a hit in the tail rotor- tail boom wrecked-the pilot got a cut on his chin, gunner broke his nose and crewchief went for X-rays.
      1/26/1970 ~ Mad Dogs throw a party. There is deer meat (venison) and beer for all. Had a hell of a good time with the guys.
      1/30/1970 ~ It's payday-\$374.00 for the month. Will send $200.00 home.
      2/12/1970 ~ Bien Son flight-Mad Dogs kill 2 elephants.
      2/15/1970 ~ Took fire, ship hit.
      3/3/1970 ~ Mad Dog ship with engine fire goes down into trees near Bearcat. Very bad wreck.
      3/4/1970 ~ C-model gunship crashed.
      3/13/70 ~ Greyhounds receive two 50 caliber machine guns.
      3/22/1970 ~ Slick crashes after running out of fuel. The gunner got a broken arm. This gunner was in three wrecks in the last month. Bad luck??
      3/31/1970 ~ 6:30 PM, Bearcat gets hit with rocket and mortar fire. Four of our ships get light damage.
      4/2/1970 ~ DCS-Bien Son Flight-Called out for medivac, flew three grunts out of LZ to hospital. Took some hits in ship.
      4/14/1970 ~ Bearcat area flight-took some hits.
      4/24/1970 ~ Fire Support Base Luscum-left Bearcat at 12:30 AM, night mission.
      5/8/1970 ~ Nha Be flight-received my flight wings today.
      5/12/1970 ~ Went down today in ship #712-engine failure.
      5/13/1970 ~ Fire Support Base Gray Flight-engine went out in ship three times today.
      5/14/1970 ~ I took my worst hit today from an RPG round under the oil cooler. Ship # 206 had only 75 hours on this bird. Thank Jesus we made it.
      5/23/1970 ~ Ship #794 took hit in fuel tank.
      5/26/1970 ~ Ship #872 crashed
      5/27/1970 ~ Engine failure with nine grunts on board. Just took off from PZ about 1/4 mile then big bang and flames from engine. Ship landed on right side and almost went over. Very close call.
      5/29/1970 ~ Went down four times in fourteen days. Two engine failures and two hits.
      5/30/1970 ~ 10 & 4 flight-Ten slicks and four dogs
      6/4/1970 ~ Up for E5 rank-did some welding on the gun racks in the gun shack today.
      6/13/1970 ~ Bearcat area-Third and fourth ship took hits today. New gunners on ships. First day flying for them.
      6/16/1970 ~ I took a close hit through the floor today.
      6/23/1970 ~ Emergency leave-Dad in hospital-sent to States for 30 day leave. Dad died 7/16/1970.
      9/16/1970 ~ Left Nam for the States.



      We would like to thank Walt Weber for sharing this very personal part of his life with the rest of us. Walt lives in Maryland with his lovely wife, Mary, and they both attended the 240th reunion in Dayton, Ohio in 1999. While at the reunion, Walt and Mary bought 240th hats for everyone in attendance and passed them out. Thanks, Walt and Mary.

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