Trivia
This section gives some interesting “trivia” about the the 238th Aerial Weapons Company.
The "Gunrunner" logo
The Gunrunner logo, featuring the cartoon character Roadrunner atop a firing minigun, was developed while the unit was still at Ft Reiley, KS. At first, this logo was painted on the pilot doors of the aircraft, and were there when the unit went to Viet Nam. So far, I haven't identified who actually came up with the design, but it may have been a SGT in the maintenance section who painted the logos on the doors. When the unit arrived in Viet Nam, orders were given to remove the logo from the doors because it just "made a good target". The same logo was then painted on the nose of many of the aircraft. Most of these also had the words "beep beep" and "go for it" on the logo. The original Gunrunner patches appeared in An Khe in 1969 and were based on the same logo. The logo as "nose art" gradually disappeared as aircraft were replaced, and as far as I know the full logo never appeared on a "C" model or a Cobra, although the roadrunner and his minigun did.
Aircraft Trivia
Each of these
aircraft was assigned to the 238th
UH-1C serial #
65-09423
This aircraft was one of the first UH-1C aircraft built. In fact, it may have
been the first “production” UH-1C off the assembly line. This aircraft along
with the next nine in serial number order (minus 09427 for some reason) were
sent to the 174th AHC which was being formed at that time. These nine
aircraft were known as “hybrid” UH-1B/C models. They had the body of the UH-1B,
but most of the changes scheduled for the UH-1C. In January 1969 it was returned to the Bell plant
and re-built to full “C” model standard. Then in November 1970 it came to the
238th AWC, where we upgraded it to what is now called “M” model (L-13
engine). When we converted to Cobras in June 1971, this aircraft went to the
Navy’s “Seawolf Squadron 3. It survived the war and continued to serve until at
least 1975.
AH-1G serial # 66-15258
This aircraft was one of the first ten “production” Cobras built. The first three “production” Cobras were actually built in the “special projects” shop, so this one was probably the seventh one off the assembly line when it got started. It went to Viet Nam with the Cobra NETT group and then to the “Playboy” platoon of the 334th AWC which was the first unit to operate the Cobra in Nam. After at least one extensive rebuild, it came to the 238th in January 1971 when we started the first conversion to Cobras. When we got orders for the Lam Son 719 operation, that conversion was halted and the aircraft went back for another rebuild. The “Goldbook” record shows it going back to the U.S. for this rebuild, but I believe it was only a minor one done “in country”. In any case, the aircraft returned to the 238th AWC in June 71 when we converted to Cobras in fresh paint looking like a brand new aircraft. When the 238th stood down in Jan 72, this aircraft went with five of our other Cobras to form the gun platoon of the 60th AHC. It was lost to inventory in June 72, but I have no information on how it was lost.
AH-1G serial # 68-15031
This aircraft was one of several Cobras that came to the 238th from D/227 1st Cav when they stood down after Lam Son 719. When the 238th stood down in Jan 72, it went back to the U.S. but did not stay with the unit. The interesting trivia about this aircraft is that in May of 1975 it was sent “on loan” to the NASA Langly Research Center for test programs. It was also used as a “chase plane”. Although it can’t be confirmed in other sources yet, it appears from one source that this aircraft is the only AH-1G to ever serve with NASA, and wear the white NASA paint job. NASA "borrowed" other Cobras for specific tests, but only one is known to have been painted in the white NASA colors. It has since been retired.
General Trivia
The 238th AWC was one of the last units ever formed to be equipped primarily with the UH-1B. At the time, the “B” model was already being phased out, but it was the only “gunship” available to the new unit. The 238th may have been the last Army Aviation Company formed in the U.S. and sent to Viet Nam, units formed later, like the 60th, were formed in Viet Nam.
The 238th was one of only four Aerial Weapons Companies to serve in Viet Nam. Two of the other three, the 235th and the 334th, had twice the number of aircraft as the 238th (three platoons of eight). Both of those companies had platoons stationed at different locations from the HQ. The only other AWC identical to the 238th was the 361st Pink Panthers at Plieku, but they were formed much earlier and were the first unit in II Corps to have Cobras. Of the four Aerial Weapons Companies, one (the 235th ) was in IV Corps with 24 aircraft, one (the 334th) was in III Corps with 24 aircraft (both operated as mixed UH-1C/AH-1G units for short periods), and two (361st & 238th) were in II Corps. There were no AWCs in I Corps except during Lam Son. From the start, the 361st was organized and assigned to support special operations in Cambodia and Laos. That left the 238th as the only Aerial Weapons Company expected to provide general support to an entire Corps area with only 12 aircraft. Some sources refer to the gunship companies in the 1st Cav and 101st ABN as "aerial weapons companies", but they were formed as part of the "lift Battalion" in those Divisions and were not independent companies.
Since the 238th was still flying “B” models in 1970, you can’t say we were very “high” on the priority list. We weren’t at the bottom though. When the 238th finally got “C” models, and again when we got Cobras, some of our “B” and “C” models went to the Navy’s HAL-3 “Seawolf” Detachment. They never got Cobras.
When the 238th left Viet Nam, it was reformed at Hunter AAF in Savanah, GA. Only two of the AH-1G Cobras that had served with the unit in Viet Nam remained with the unit.
To date, I have found no other Army Helicopter Company that served in Viet Nam which did not have any combat KIA losses. I can’t prove that we are the only unit with this record, but it is something to be proud of.