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Travel to family in CONUS From Hawaii & To Reuions, WW2, Korea & Vietnam
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Vietnam Air Force Pilot Wings
My GySgt Rank came 3 months before I retired when the new E-8 E-9 ranks took full effect. I had a one year letter in to CMC for retirement & could not be promoted. I had been a MSGt E-7 since 1957, served as Personnel Sgt Major, Line Chief, Maintenence Chief, S-4 logistics Chief, S-3 Ops Chief. Had recived USAF/VNAF pilot wings on contract(after retirement USMC) at USAF Advisory Group-Vietnam 1964-1968). Also had Vietnamese award not shown on the available items.Served as Senior CH53 Rep for 14 Years on Okinawa Japan with MAG-36 (1973-1987). During those years was deployed to Korea each year for"Team Spirit Exercise". Also support of units in Cubi Pt PI. Was on the LPH Okinawa for Opertaion "Frequent Winds" Apr 1975 Evacuation of Saigon. Was deployed to Diego Garcia than to Oman in support of prepartion for rescue of prisoners in Iran Late Nov 1979 .Prisoners were released when Regan was elected as President WW II to Viet Nam
I entered this unit while it was at the Camp Pendleton Air Strip in California around July 1st, 1965. I and another Marine, Pvt Cloie Parsons, had been together since Parris Island and Camp Geiger, North Carolina. Both had gone home after training, and now our duty to the country called. We were ready to start our jobs in the Marine Corps and was reporting into our first assignment. That was VMO-6! Our orders called for each of us to report to El Toro, California. The first problem in our new job was a major one, even before we checked in. VMO-6 was not at MCAF ElToro, California.
Not to worry, our squadron, VMO-6, had a slick taxi. And one was close by, right then. The driver was none other than LtCol Robert J. Zitnik, the Commanding Officer of VMO-6. Alone, he swooped down out of the sky like a hawk, slowed and made his way in a hovering taxi to where we were, landed, picked us up, gently turned the UH1-E helicopter and made his way slowly back to the flight pattern and slowly began to move forward, picking up speed, climbing higher and higher.
My first duty station and I had the commanding officer have to pick me up and transport me from one place my orders said to go to, to the right place. I quickly learned my unit was a helicopter unit. I also learned it was nice to fly in smaller aircraft too, enjoying my ride with my Commanding Officer at the control helms. I would learn all about this kind of helicopter, this unit, and some of the Marines within the unit in time. I was with VMO-6 for about six weeks and then learned we would be moving, the whole squadron, out of America. We all knew where we would be generally going..........South Vietnam. And that is where we went.
Other Memories During my tour at VMO-6 then LtGen Christian Schilt was in Korea inspecting all the Marine Aircraft Units. Our CO was all nerved up & had us standing by from about 0700 AM in uniform awaiting the Generals appearance. After 1100 hour & no General as usual the NCOs & Jr Officers all became convinced this was a false alarm & convened in our Rec/beer tent & started rolling dice, playing cards & raised a cool Nippon brew . Suddenly there was a yell at the entrance, "Attention"! Low & behold there entered the CO & General Schilt. The look on the COs face was what you would expect, "Kiss my Butt Goodby"! The old General smiled and said, "Carry on Men" guess I could use a drink myself He relaxed & had a good chat before leaving the area. By all reports we passed with flying colors. He was one fine old Gentleman, really doubt we would survived todays Generals. That was the same tent where the group Pissed out the Academy LtCol started from That was another story. We had a LtCol that came in as CO a graduate of the Naval Academy. We knew since we were constantly reminded (Known as a ring knocker in those days). He turned out to be a complete disaster making directives that placed the enlisted members as "use & throwaway". One evening all the NCOs & Jr Officers gathered in the tent discribed above. After couple hours and several Asahi beers a Captain said about time we give the CO our regards!! Started singing, "Let us go piss on the COs tent" Soon everyone took his Asahi & we marched up the hill to the COs tent and with the beer in one hand & our crank in the other we were singing & anointing the tent with Marine liquids. Suddenly the tent flap opened & there was the LtCol. He looked around and saw a crowd of NCOs & Officers, than closed the flap. Next morning he flew back to Wing Hq at K3 and never came back. The EXO took Command. I suppose he realized how it would look trying to Court Martial all his NCOs & Officers and explaining what they had done!! He joined as a Staff Officer at the wing & retired a full Col. Saw his obit years ago in the Quarterly Retired Bulletin. You can be sure the Corp has changed since those days!! Semper Fidelis Gy Moore