Mad Dog To Apache Photos by Louis Wilson The following pictures on this page were sent to us by CW2 Louis Wilson, Mad Dog 22, 240th Assault Helicopter Company, 1967-1968. CW2 Wilson, Mad Dog 22, was the Aircraft Commander for the lead Mad Dog Gunship on May 2, 1968, when the Greyhounds and Mad Dogs of the 240th AHC went to rescue of Medal of Honor Recipient, MSG. Roy P. Benavidez, several other Green Berets and their South Vietnamese counterparts while on a mission in Cambodia. MSG. Benavidez, the true humble hero that he was, gave great credit to the men of the 240th AHC, like CW2 Louis Wilson, for saving his life and the lives of other members of the Special Forces Team on that day. For a listing of other 240th AHC men that we know were on that mission, click the following link: Tribute To MSG. Roy P. Benavidez and the men of the 240th AHC Today, Louis Wilson, Mad Dog 22, is an Aircraft Commander of an Apache Gunship and currently flies for the South Carolina National Guard. I know I sleep much better at night knowing we still have men like Apache Pilot Louis Wilson, a 240th AHC Brother in our Armed Forces, standing by always ready to answer America's call to arms! This is CW2 Louis Wilson, Mad Dog 22, standing by the logo for the Mad Dog Gunships of the 240th Assault Helicopter Company. Notice at this time that many of the 240th AHC personnel still lived in tents. This is a photo of CW2 Jim Bowman. Note the Mad Dog pin on the SF supplied hat. The red, white, and blue scarf and the CEOI string. Also, that's Song Be mountain in the background. This is 1st Lieutenant Rick Adams taking a well-deserved break and enjoying a luscious snack of C rations. It was bad enough we all had to eat C rats but unbelievable as it sounds, our pilots had to PAY for them! During Ragman's time with the 240th, the Mad Dog crew chiefs and gunners would steal the C rations and give them to our pilot's. This looks like Mad Dog Gunship, 66-00701 sitting in its revetment at Bearcat. Here is an excellent shot of a Mad Dog Doorgunner in the lead gunship with the Wing Man close by. Notice the automatic M79 (FROG) on the nose of the Wing Man's Mad Dog Gunship. By the summer of 1969 the Mad Dogs had quit using this weapon system. Here's Louis Wilson, Mad Dog 22, back row, second from right, standing with a group of crewchiefs from the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, 67-68. Can anybody out there help us out with some names for the crewchiefs? Here is Mad Dog CE/Doorgunner Schultz at Nha Be. Looks like he is getting ready to check out the miniguns and wipe them down for any excess LSA. I believe that is what they called the lubricant we used on the miniguns and M-60s. Someone please correct Ragman if he is wrong. I hope Schultz got a chance to eat the fantastic Navy chow at the Nha Be messhall. The following is in his own words, from CW2 Louis Wilson, Mad Dog 22: Here's a picture of what happens when all the Med Evacs have been shot up and can't fly, then the AC flies in a sick C model to evac the wounded. Jimmie Mitchell was the AC and we were supporting ground units near Dong Tam. The Med Evacs had been shot up and shot down so there were not any to take out the wounded. Without thinking very long, Jimmie said we were going in to get the wounded. WE were in a tired C Model that could barely hover. We approached the LZ, Jimmie said "get on the controls with me, if I take a hit, you have the controls". The tide was in and the rice paddy had about 2 feet of water, so we couldn't land. We hovered at 6000 rpm while they threw on 3 wounded. They had called to pickup one. We loped out of the LZ and went directly to Dong Tam hospital. The hospital got the wounded. The crew chief said to shut down the aircraft because we were leaking fluid. Sure nuf. WE were leaking fuel, hydraulics and oil. Boy, the hospital commander was mad at us. He did not like a helicopter stuck on his pad and then knew a Chinook would have to hook out the aircraft. The picture has the CE holding one of the rounds we took. I wish I could remember his name. WE flew a lot together. Here is Mad Dog 22, then CW2 Louis Wilson and today CW5 Louis Wilson with his trusty Apache Gunship. On January 5th, 2001, Adutant General, Major General Spears, pinned on Louis' CW5 bars. Notice CW5 Wilson's combat patch on his right shoulder, the 1st Aviation Brigade. Congratulation Mr. Wilson, and WELCOME HOME, Sir!