Received an email from Mike Louy who tried to reply to Jeff & Shannon's post but couldn't get photos to post.
"I was reviewing the Seawolf Forum and saw your post about Coke cans and bubblegum. I tried to add a related story with below. I couldn’t figure how to attach the photos to my write up, so I’m hoping you could post this for me. I wondered if a Coke can could have patched up this hole in our intermediate tail rotor drive shaft (three pictures below). Actually, I’m curious if anyone else had a hole in the tail rotor drive shaft that DIDN’T cause the shaft to fail. Wish I could have brought the “holy rotor shaft” back to CONUS with me.
“This happened sometime in early ‘68 on Det. 4 aboard “Joe’s Favorite” (call sign for USS GARRETT COUNTY, LST-786). We were anchored in the Co Chien River just abeam Tra Vinh (about 60 miles south of Vinh Long). We received a SCRAMBLE ONE call in CIC. Lt. Bill Barnes was the FTL and I was his copilot. Charlie Johnson was our lead gunner but I don’t remember who the other gunner was, nor do I remember who was in the trail ship. We launched immediately and headed for the action which was an ambushed US convoy on Hwy 1A between Vinh Long and Can Tho. I believe we were talking to SWAMP FOX 24, the airborne Army FAC in the ambush area. We were briefing on UHF and FM trying to get a picture of what was happening. When our fireteam arrived in the area, it was a very large rice paddy just south of 1A in the area of Xa Long Phu. We arrived well ahead of the fire team from Det. 3 which was much closer than us. Bill Barnes chose to just bust into the immediate area with guns and rockets blazing. I was on the flex guns and working out on numerous targets. We were right down among them at about 200 ft. Bill was flying the shit out of the helo as we scoured the whole paddy. After about 10 to 15 minutes we had totally expended all 7.62 and rockets on both ships. This was the only time I had ever expended ALL ammo in the flex gun trays. Both gunners’ door boxes were almost empty too.
With no more ammo we headed to Vinh Long to relump. However after landing we discovered a number of bullet holes, the main one in the intermediate tail rotor drive shaft. Getting that changed took our fireteam out of the rest of the action. However some Vietnamese A1 Sky Raiders from Binh Thuy airfield came in with CBUs to mop up the paddy. The Det. 3 fire team? They arrived as the Sky Raiders were on their way, so the Army FAC kept them north of the highway.
Once back aboard GARRETT COUNTY OIC LCDR Art Clark just couldn’t believe our estimate of over 100 KBA we wanted to put on our after action report, so it ended up somewhere 20 and 50. However after the area was searched over 200 KBA were found.”
Dan, I just spoke with Charlie Johnson who verified my memory of what happened. Perhaps some other fellows on the Forum might be able to add more. Perhaps either Lt. Tom Anzalone or Lt. Marve Bulson (now deceased) were the HAC in the trail ship.
Very best wishes,
Mike"
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I'd have to say NO on the Driveshaft, but cowling and tail boom skin okay....Dan
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