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U.S. Army Captain Thomas Pienta: Firsthand Account of a Vietnam War Helicopter PilotVietnam | 22 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
My mind switched back to business as we approached the LZ. I glanced back at Brady, who was manning the portside M-60, and he smiled — I think to reassure me that I was doing a decent job of flying his Huey. I thought what brave men these gunners were. They were completely exposed to hostile fire, since they rode in seats facing out the side of the Huey. They did not have an armored seat and had only their armored vests to protect them. Subscribe Today
Ron Timberlake, flight lead for the first platoon, was flying Chalk Six and ordered us into a heavy echelon left. We made a sweeping left turn onto our final approach path as we heard our commander in the C&C ship say ‘last round on the ground,’ meaning the artillery preparation was finished. The formation was pretty strung out as I glanced at the airspeed indicator, which read 90 knots. I nosed it over with the cyclic (the control stick between the pilot’s legs). With my left hand I pulled some more collective pitch while gently adding some left pedal to control the yaw of the aircraft. As the helicopter reached about 110 knots, we closed up the formation. The fully loaded Huey shuddered and vibrated violently, but that was standard for combat assaults. Our unit flew in such tight formation on a short final approach that you could read the name tags of the men in the ship you were flying in formation with.
Flying on either side of the slick formation in oval race-track patterns, the ‘Rat Pack’ gunship platoon laid in minigun fire and 2.75-inch rockets. We were flying into the midst of a battalion-size or larger North Vietnamese Army (NVA) unit, and all hell was breaking loose around us. We ordered our gunners to engage the enemy with full suppressive fire, left and right. My heart pounded furiously as I struggled to control the Huey. In the helicopter we monitored a VHF (very high frequency) radio used to talk to the gun platoon, a UHF (ultra high frequency) radio to talk to our C&C ship, and an FM radio to communicate between Hueys in the platoon. We also used an intercom to communicate among crew members within the helicopter. We were busy, to say the least.
Over the FM radio, the pilots of the first aircraft entering the LZ transmitted, ‘Chalk Three receiving fire.’ ‘Chalk’ was the term used to designate your position in the flight. You did not break formation. You just sucked it up and flew into the bowels of the Grim Reaper. The last transmission I heard was, ‘Chalk Four receiving fire.’ The choppers were being wracked with intense machine-gun fire, 51mm anti-aircraft fire and rocket-propelled grenades. The ‘pucker factor’ gauge was in the red and climbing. We continued our approach into the raging LZ in our trail helicopter. It was trail’s job to wait until every Huey made it out of the LZ and then radio that the LZ was clear. I was flying an H-model Huey, and because the LZ was filled with 10- to 15-foot-tall baby rubber trees, which were hard to see until I was right on top of them, I had to pick my spot and could not come directly to the ground as I normally did. Snaring a tail rotor in the trees could kill you just as easily as a machine-gun.
We were just coming out of translational lift — the point at which a helicopter stops flying and starts hovering — when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) slammed into our Huey. It apparently hit in the left fuel cell just aft of Brady’s gun well. I believe he died instantly. A Pfc Hoppe, on the right door gun, was blown out of the ship.
Brady’s death still pains me deeply. He is now known on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (’the Wall’) as james gregory brady ar 28jan48 27nov68 sacramento ca panel no. 38w line no. 71. For 20 years I lived with the thought that all the infantry aboard had died. I was finally told years later that none of the 25th Infantry Division troops who were aboard the chopper had been killed.
We were completely engulfed in flames. The JP-4 fuel and magnesium combined to make a lethal fire. The cliché about not hearing the one that gets you was true in my case. I first thought that a fragmentation grenade had inadvertently been dropped in our ship by one of the infantrymen, but not so. It seemed as if there was a big whoosh, similar to the effect a Zippo lighter has after being freshly overfilled and lit, or the whoosh of a propane grill lighting after the gas has been left on too long before the igniter is applied. All the oxygen in the Huey was immediately sucked up by the flames, and we were on fire. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Airborne Operations, Historical Conflicts, Historical Figures, People, Vietnam War
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22 Comments to “U.S. Army Captain Thomas Pienta: Firsthand Account of a Vietnam War Helicopter Pilot”
CPT.Pienta i am glad you made it home safe to your family I was a door gunner with the 71st AHC awarded DFC lam son 719 LZ LOLO mar. 1971 have a good day’
By bronniebat21@aol.com on Aug 24, 2008 at 12:31 am
To bronniebrat21, thanks for serving, the courage and accuracy of the guys in back, gunners such as yourself was quite amazing…Lam Sam was a real bad day..over 200 helicopters shot down….you also have a great day..thanks for the comment
By Tom Pienta on Dec 6, 2008 at 12:32 pm
sorry bronniebat21…..mispelled your name in my comment….
By Tom Pienta on Dec 20, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Tom and I were stick buddies in flight school at Ft. (Mother) Rucker. We had some wild and crazy times there … and since. I flew slicks for the 190th AHC in the same AO in ‘68-’69. The area around Dau Tieng was know as the Iron Triangle and contact with Charlie was pretty much guaranteed if you flew there. We are old men now. Something many of our comrades did not get to experience. Tom’s ordeal illustrates how uncommon valor was a common virtue in all the young men who faced the challenges of that war. Keep ‘em turning, Brother.
By Spartan 26 on Dec 21, 2008 at 1:29 am
My dear friend , Spartan26 is a Doctor now of Veterinary
medicine…he is one great man and piloted an Army UH-l helicopter through much combat. we had a ball in flight school and to this day are the best of friends…salute!!!!!! to my best friend Dr. Captain Spartan26, second platoon leader for the 190th assault helicopter co.
By Tom Pienta on Feb 7, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I just now found this website and am so very proud of my brother, Cpt. Tom Pienta. It has been a long journey from November 27, 1968 and you, Tommy, are a hero for me. You said “yes” so many years ago and continue to heroically accept all that life brings. I hope that I can come close to overcoming the pain and suffering that you endured with the courage that I have seen in you again and again.
By Big Sis on Mar 6, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I, too, was a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. ‘69 & ‘70. A lot of my friends were burned. It was my bigest fear.
I’m glad you survived. Good luck to you.
By Mike Nadler on Mar 7, 2009 at 1:23 am
Tom,
I just found this site. Great to be able to say “Hello”. I know every day is a blessing, including this one. Years ago, I read your article in Vietnam magazine (still have a copy). Ron’s been gone 10 years next month, hard to believe. I admire his legacy. You be well.
Gary Timberlake
Chu Lai
69-70-71
By Gary Timberlake on Apr 1, 2009 at 12:31 pm
thanks big sis, thanks for serving Mike, ABOVE THE BEST, thanks Gary, Ron was a great soldier and a good friend, yes the years travel so fast, i miss him dearly….he was one great pilot
By tom pienta on Apr 10, 2009 at 12:24 am
thanks for serving also Gary….the name Timberlake holds a great legacy in military history
By tom pienta on Apr 10, 2009 at 12:25 am
Tom,
I am so proud to know you and to have you as a very special friend. You, like so many of our brothers, made incredible sacrifices with little or no recognition and hardly any thanks.
You are a true American Hero ! You are the living definition of the word !! THANK YOU !!
P5
By Jim Collins on Apr 14, 2009 at 11:14 am
thank you Cpt. Collins, you are a very very dear friend and fellow combat helicopter pilot….thank you for your bravery flying many many combat hours for the Little Bears…..love ya big Jim…you phrazey Jeem :-))
By tom pienta on Apr 18, 2009 at 1:07 am
I grew up with one image of what a modern American fighter was, and that was Ron Timberlake. He above all things in my life represented what the meaning of BRAVE and DEDICATED to his country meant. Ron was Brave. He is forever in the pantheon of the American Hero. He once asked me to help him write a history of his action in the air. I wish I had been mature enough at the time to take him up on that offer.
Anytime the American air Calvary is mentioned I say a prayer for him. I have known many veterans and pilots in my life, but none so admirable in service to his country as was Captain Ronald Timberlake (my step brother and personal hero to this nation).
Also, that two of my step family were in Vietnam made my formative years quite conflicted, and yet no matter what happened then or now in my life, these two men were part of a proud history of our families in service to this country going back to the Revolutionary War.
By H. Lamar Thomas on Apr 19, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Mr. Thomas, you are so right in your comments…what a great family you have….I firmly believe that if it wasn’t for Ron’s courage in battle I and many more soldiers would not have survived that terrible battle of 27Nov1968….thanks for yout comment and may God bless you and your family….peace brother
By tom pienta on Apr 20, 2009 at 9:18 pm
What year was this source produced because its one of the questions on my history assignment? thanks
By Eric on Jun 22, 2009 at 6:08 am
my piece was published as the cover piece for VIETNAM magazine, produced then by Cowles History Group…it was the Dec. 1996 issue of the historical magazine
By Tom on Jun 22, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Eric….google my name, Cpt. Thomas Pienta in a search…more articles will come up…good luck on your history assignment
By Tom on Jun 22, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Hello Sir, I was with 187thahc at Tay Ninh in 70-71. You pilots were the best . I volunteered to gun when one was on r&r or other reasons and our pilots and crew chiefs/gunners were so great at their jobs. I went to last Nov. reunion, saw my best friend from Nam for first time in 37 year s, he died in Mar. Thank you for your service , bravery, and dedication to your fellow Crusaders and Rat Pack. I,m glad you made it sir.
By terry s on Jul 29, 2009 at 4:28 pm
hello Terry…thanks for the kind words about the 187th AHC. thank you for serving so bravely and manning a gun when you voluntered. our mission was to support the Infantry, the Queen of Battle…the grunts were the best, brave and tough…thanks Terry
By Tom Pienta on Aug 19, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Welcome Home Brother……
I too was with the 187th AHC when I first got in country 9/71. The move had already been made from Tay Nihn to Dian, but we still staged out of Tay Nihn. Flew as Gunner on 705 Ship of Fools.
It seems like yesterday…..but the years have past. I thank you and the rest of our pilots for the fantastic job you guy’s did. We were young, dumb and full of —
Take Care Tom…..
John
By John W on Aug 27, 2009 at 3:28 pm
to Mike Nadler..thank you for your nicecomment and also for serving as a fellow huey pilot in that war….yep being burned was all of our biggest concern. glad you made it safely home and thanks again…tom
By Tom Pienta on Nov 1, 2009 at 1:19 pm
to John W….thanks for the nice comment and thank you for serving in the holy land as we called it…you guys in back were the greatest and so so brave…get some and glad you made it home…Tay Ninh was real Indian country as John Wayne would say….full suppression left and right
By Tom Pienta on Nov 1, 2009 at 1:23 pm