thedrifter
12-24-02, 06:15 AM
Santa Claus in a helicoptor . . .
One incident I would like to share occurred at Christmas, December 1969.
I did not get to go to the Bob Hope show, so I had to do guard duty on the hill. As I sat there, I heard a helicopter coming from around the side of this big hill. Next to us was where, I believe, the Seabees were stationed. The chopper was bright red, it really startled me! I thought the gooks finally had their own air force.
As the chopper got near, I could see Santa Claus hanging out the side, and as he flew down the line he threw candy out to all of us on duty.
I'll tell you it was quite a sight to see grown men--okay, boys--jumping up and down the line and waving at Santa.
I heard it was an Army unit who did this. I don't know who deserves the credit, but it really made our holiday.
Don Cooper L/cpl 1st Mar Div., Service Co.
March 1969 to Feb. 1970
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Santa didn't make it to the orphanage . .
Sometime before Christmas, I carried Santa Clause to Hoi An City. He was to visit a big orphanage in Hoi An City, and my aircraft was almost completely filled with donated presents. So many presents were on board that the whole crew, plus Santa and his helpers, were crammed into a small space near the cockpit of my CH-46. So crowded, that my gunners couldn't get at their guns. As we approached the LZ we were going to use to off load, we started taking fire from a tree line--and we couldn't fire back!!! We were forced out of the zone and had to return to Marble Mountain with Santa and the gifts. I don't know if Santa ever got back down there.
http://www.tlxnet.net/~boswell/christmas.html
Sempers,
Roger
One incident I would like to share occurred at Christmas, December 1969.
I did not get to go to the Bob Hope show, so I had to do guard duty on the hill. As I sat there, I heard a helicopter coming from around the side of this big hill. Next to us was where, I believe, the Seabees were stationed. The chopper was bright red, it really startled me! I thought the gooks finally had their own air force.
As the chopper got near, I could see Santa Claus hanging out the side, and as he flew down the line he threw candy out to all of us on duty.
I'll tell you it was quite a sight to see grown men--okay, boys--jumping up and down the line and waving at Santa.
I heard it was an Army unit who did this. I don't know who deserves the credit, but it really made our holiday.
Don Cooper L/cpl 1st Mar Div., Service Co.
March 1969 to Feb. 1970
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Santa didn't make it to the orphanage . .
Sometime before Christmas, I carried Santa Clause to Hoi An City. He was to visit a big orphanage in Hoi An City, and my aircraft was almost completely filled with donated presents. So many presents were on board that the whole crew, plus Santa and his helpers, were crammed into a small space near the cockpit of my CH-46. So crowded, that my gunners couldn't get at their guns. As we approached the LZ we were going to use to off load, we started taking fire from a tree line--and we couldn't fire back!!! We were forced out of the zone and had to return to Marble Mountain with Santa and the gifts. I don't know if Santa ever got back down there.
http://www.tlxnet.net/~boswell/christmas.html
Sempers,
Roger