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Attached is a copy of the 4 Dec 1969 Aircraft Maintenance Status Sheet

for PLAYTEX. As you can see, and no doubt remember, PLAYTEX 508 and 506

were our two high time aircraft. 506 was the first C model in the

101st Division to go through 12th PE. Our guys accomplished this in 5

days (792 manhours of hard work). 508 was the second to go through a

12th PE.

Maj. Merrill Adamcik was the Commander of the 293d ASH Company and I was

the XO when it was organized, at Fort Sill, OK, in May of 1968. Later

in the summer the unit reorganized under the Airmobile TOE and was

designated as C Company 159th Aviation Battalion (Assault Support

Helicopter)(Airmobile Division) 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). The

327th Transportation Detachment (Aircraft Maintenance) was also formed

at this time and was commanded by Maj. Frank Shaver(who later commanded

B Co 5th Trans). We self deployed the helicopters on 8-11 November 1968

to Sharp Army Depot, Stockton, CA where they were later taken to port at

Oakland, CA. The aircraft were transported from Oakland to Da Nang on

the Carrier USS Boxer accompanied by CWO Bud Sherrel and CWO Harold

Wright, 4 NCOs and 18 Crew members. Our General Cargo was shipped from

Ft Sill, OK, accompanied by two Enlisted members on 15 and 16 Nov. 1968

to the Port at Beaumont, TX and then shipped on the USS Elizabeth Lykes

to arrive at Da Nang on on 18 Dec 1968. The Advanced Party, Led by

Maj. Larry Kajarla, Co Maintenance Officer, and Maj. Bernie McIntosh,

Operations Officer, and eight enlisted men, deployed on 18 Dec 1969 and

arrived at Cham Rahn Bay and were flown by Chinook to Hue Phu Bai. The

Main Body departed, after a farewell address by the Post Commander MG

Charlie P. Brown, left on two C-141 flights departing at 2400 hours 29

Dec 1968 and arriving in DaNang at 0200 and 200 hours on 31 Dec 1968. B

Company, Varsity, picked us up at Da Nang and flew us to Hue Phu Bai.

Happy New Year Vietnam. The Unit equipment (To Accompany Troops, Red

TAT) was shipped by other aircraft. MG Melvin Zais, 101st Division

Commander, and COL Ted Crozier, 160th later 101st Aviation Group

Commander, welcomed PLAYTEX Personnel to the Division on 4 Jan 1969. I

replaced Merrill Adamcik, as C-159 Commander, on 27 Jun 1969 and was

replaced by Maj. Piper on 24 Dec 1969. I departed Hue Phu Bai on 25 Dec

1969, via C-130 to Cam Rahn Bay then by Freedom Bird to Japan and the

USA.

Our folks accomplished a lot in during the PLAYTEX time in Vietnam. We

had a lot of good days, like the day the battalion had 19 Chinooks

working (with a 30 min turn around) from daylight to dark moving a

Brigade Fire Base. Until that day, I did not appreciate how much

equipment and supplies could be moved by Chinook in one day. By the end

of the day there was no place on the firebase to set a Chinook on the

ground. We brought out some pathfinders by setting the rear wheels on a

pallet and the people scrambled up over the ramp.

We also had one horrible day, when we lost one entire crew and aircraft

on 2 Aug 1969 in a midair collision when an Airforce 02 struck PLAYTEX

513 from the left rear. The crew was CW2 Albert A. Vaquera, W01 Thomas

L. Dives, SP4 Daniel A. Ireland, SP4 Thomas K. Ryan, and SP4 James S.

Stacey. All Wonderful and Dedicated Patriots who gave their all serving

their country. They and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Sam Kaiser

USA Retired

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