Who Remembers Dog Patch? - Page 28
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  1. #406
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    In another thread, I gave some bum scoop on the aircraft that had crashed into H&MS-17 hangar.I originally said I thought it was an A-4 Skyhawk, but after getting some 35mm slides printed up, I saw it was a Navy A-7 Corsair with max combat damage loaded with sidewinder missiles that I'd helped download. I was a Staff Sergeant running the flare crew at the time with VMGR-152. I was attached out of Iwakuni, Japan. Go-men nay? (Japanese for "sorry 'bout that)


  2. #407
    I believe that sorry about that is 'Gomen nasai' pronounced gomen nasigh. Could be wrong thopugh as I am boocoo dinkydau.


  3. #408
    Charles, it could have been an F-8 Crusader instead of the A-7. The F-8's were given to the Navy from the last Combat Squadron Based at Danang, Mag-11, VMF(AW)235, 'The Death Angels', bout june'68. We were the northern most hangar at Danang. We gave all of our U's to them, and had to go to Iwakuni, and de-moth ball 29 F-8 C's, and get them combat ready in 29 days, at NAHA Okinawa. Made it by one day. The only reason the F-8 was droped, was it only had one engine, and the phantom had 2. The F-8 beat it in every combat test they could test them, but the phantom still made it. I believe it was a command decision, as they say. All the Plane Capt's hated the phantom as it took twice as much maintenance to make the missions. I worked on the J-79's a lot, and it was a piece of junk. The J-57 on the F-8's hummed like a hummingbird. I believe the A-7 came out in '70, not sure. Dave, you are so right on the 'Gomen-nasigh'. I believe we all had a case of the dinkydau. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.


  4. #409
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    Am familiar with both aircraft and it was definitely an A-7 Corsair with Navy markings on the rear fuselage and the large word :NAVY! It slid into the hangar and struck a vertical upright with the starboard wing root. Much too SHORT for an F-8. This was in 1967. Had foam all around and over it from Crash Crew. My flare shop was just about 100 meters fgrom it.The Gomen was short for the full proper wording for SORRY. Spent 5 1/2 years total in Iwakini starting in 1958. The Old Gunny (me)


  5. #410
    Charles, I get wrong at times. I hated to see the F-8 go. I really thought the corsair came out after '69. I hit in-country on 1 Feb.'68, and extended for rotors, the H-46. In my profile I said I had 4, but it was 5. The 22 they have now, is a complete joke. No guns, no auto-rotation, they fliped on landing a few times, and no single engine flying. There could be well over 70-80 way plus 46's flying , for 1, v-22. I believe it was just a money maker for boeing, and another command decision. Semper Fi, and Ready-APP.


  6. #411
    Charles, while I was at Danang, I stayed away from Dog Patch. BUT, when I hit Chu-Lai, and went to the Army for MP Duty, Loved the litle town outside of the #1 Gate. We owned it. Had to have an Army, and a Marine in the jeeps all the time, and while on the gates. Pulled a string or two, and did the last month as lead jeep Gunner every day from Chu-Lai, to hill 63. Just ambushed 1 time. That was good duty as well. Dog Patch was a rough place, just to many vc. I didn't go there but a few times. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.


  7. #412
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    While at Danang, never went to Dog Patch. When we were at Chu Lai, never went to the 'ville either as it was all off limits to us, besides we worked all the time anyhow. Did manage to buy some beer on occasion.............Tiger? Bong de Bong? We called it "Block and Tackle" as if you could walk four blocks after six of them you would tackle anything LOL. When at Marble Mountain, went thru there only 3-4 times. At Marble Mountain, I was in HML-167, Danang attached to VMGR-152, Chu Lai was in MABS-12. Made the landing there and set up the whole shebang from scratch......bomb dump and have no idea just how much ammo we brought up from the beach from ammo ships. Remember it being SUPER HOT. The old bombs filled with TNT left from WWII and Korea would sweat a liquid that was NITRO!! Lot of fun. Semper Fi. Make war, not love, you can get laid anytime!!!


  8. #413
    When were you there in Da Nang, Chu lai?


  9. #414
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    Made the landing at Chu Lai in 1965 off an LST. Was in Danang in 1967 attached to VMGR-152 ran the flare section as a SSGT and was at Marble Mountain with HML-167 from end of 1970 to the shut down in 1971. Was the 167 Ordnance NCOIC and flew as a door gunner also. Rotated back to the "World" to New River Station. Transferred over to VMO-1 as ordnance NCOIC as 167 had no Ordnance Section. Did make a Med Cruise with the MAF back in 1976 before retirement in Oct 76.


  10. #415

    Navy Bird Lands in Marine Hangar in Da Nang


    This photo relates to Charles Weidman's story.

    I wasn't there so maybe someone has more details on the incident.

    As I told Charles, according to the record books the Corsairs came on line in early December 1967. They (VA-147) were flying off the USS Ranger.

    We'll see if anyone else can recall this Kodak moment. Thanks Charles for a very cool flick. I sure the Brass must have been spazzing out when they saw the Sidewinder you took off the bird just lying over there on the deck.
    -vm



  11. #416
    Here's the skinny on the A-7 crash.
    14 Sept 1968 A‑7A154344
    NK 610
    VA‑27
    Da Nang AB, SVN
    hit in starboard wing by AAA. Emergency landed at Da Nang, arrester cable broke and aircraft ran off runwaypilot ejected and rescued


    The pilot was the CO of VA-27, Cdr. George Pappas. His squadron was flying off the USS Constellation. -vm


  12. #417
    I remember this like yesterday. We had a radio in the avionics shop and heard that he was going to try and land it. We all went outside to watch. We could see the smoke coming from the plane as he approached. I remember him touching down and saw the pilot eject. As he did the plane turned slightly to the right which meant that it was heading for us. I saw the plane go by and it had "00" painted on it. It pulled several hundred yards of rolled barbed wire with it as it crashed into the hanger. That plane in the hanger was one of ours. It was a US2B and regardless of what the records say I would have bet $1000 that it was an F-8 that passed within 100 feet from me.


  13. #418
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    The A-7 looked like a shrunken F-8 that was un-sanforized. I don't believe the wing raised/lowered. I do remember that we pitched one into a creek at Paige Field when I was at Beaufort early 60's. We were testing the SATS System out. I think the catapult malunctioned and didn't have enough speed for the F-8 to get airborne that and the fact the driver supposedly dropped his wing too soon. I was in MABS-31 Ordnance. Our shop was a GP tent in the beginning until they built us a new Butler building around the field close to Station Weapons. Our NCOIC was an old MGYSGT that was older than dirt. We had some tales to tell while there. Never forget his name..................PAPPY Wharton. He and my deceased BIL (retired USMC 1st Shirt were old friends. I left there for Iwakuni,Japan and MABS-12 and then to RVN on an LST with our gear. Just before payday, we took up a collection and filled our reefer with beer, rigged two Homelite generators gotten from Salvage, painted the works Marine Corps Green with TAC marks, banded it to a pallet and on a trailer. Got to Chu Lai and the whole damned place ran on diesel. Had to trade the grunts some beer for some mo-gas. Teraded the Sea-Bees some for a dozer driver to dig us a hole in the river bed for our shower. "Liberated" a water pump off an AKA ship and 40 feet of 3" hose which we put on a tri-pod for showers. Enginuity reigned supreme. We'd done so much for so long with so little, we could then do everything forever with NOTHIN! LOL. VMA-331 my squadron from the "50's and VMA-333 and VMF-451 (later VMFA-451). First were A-4s and the latter was F-4 Phantoms. Original 331, we had AD-5's and 6's prop driven. Later name was the Skyraider, bullet proof for sure. 15 bomb racks and four 20 mm MK-12 cannons. Sorry about the long of this. Just making sure the "Old Corps" is remembered is all. Gunny


  14. #419
    I remember Dog Patch. Just passed through and never stopped. I was with Comm Co A, Hq Bn (Rein), 1st Mar Div, from July 65 to end of January 68.


  15. #420
    Who "can't" recall Dog Patch!! I was attached to III MAF at the DaNang Press Center, located at the end of Doc Lop Street where I operated from as Marine combat cameraman. The press center also the jumping off point for journalists. Dog Patch was one of our haunts we visited in the CBS jeep. Of course, I took my rank off and was one of the civilian journalists! Anybody remember that nice upscale restaurant on Doc Lop Street before it was blown upy the VC?


    Semper fi,


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