Inside the top of Marble Mountain from a Mohawk.

Marble Mountain as it looks in 2006 from “about” the same view.

245th Company area between our barracks and supply sheds.

O.V. 1 Mohawk cockpit the pilot was in the left seat and the T.O.'s were in the right seat and ran the photo, infared and slar equipment as well as the Doppler navigation system in the plane.

Me with my O.V. 1 A model Mohawk (dual stick) the A models were used for the photo missions in case the pilot got shot the T.O.s were to fly the plane back to the coast,eject the pilot then ourselves and let the plane go into the sea.

A closer look at the cockpit. The Mohawks were equiped with Martin Baker ejection seats.

A close up of the cockpit with the dual sticks of the O.V.1-A used for the Photo and Visual Recon missions.

O.V. ! Mohawk Martin-Baker ejection seat.

ready for a daytime photo mission. The pilots and the T.O.'s both carried a short nose 38 pistol in our survival vests, along with some other “survival” equipment.

“Chit Sheet” caried by all pilots and T.O.'s during flight (I still have mine) In case of being shot down it says in 14 languages. “I am a citizen of the United States of America. I do not speak your language. Misfortune forces me to seek your assistance in obtaining food, shelter and protection. Please take me to someone who will provide for my safety and see that I am returned to my people. My government will reward you.”

The bottom part of the “Chit” The 14 languages.

Marble Mountain Air Facility air airstrip and all of 245th Co. area from above runway “35” 1968.

245th Aviation company area at Marble Mountain Air Facility as it looks in 2006.

M.M.A.F. other end above “17” and South China Sea.

Pre flight briefing before one of our missions.

Grumman OV-1 Mohawk in flight.

245th from across runway 35.

Runway 17 at Marble Mountain Air Facility.

Medavac Hospital near MMAF Just across the road from the 245th.

Mohawk damaged by rocket being hauled away from the 245th by a Skycrane.

245th flightline

M.M.A.F. control tower.

Landing on runway 35.

245th and runway 35 from directly above.

Many daytime photo recon missions were flown with a lead ship and a backup aircraft for safety.

On the flightline with my Mohawk.

Out the Right window (my side ) of a Mohawk.

Retracting the landing gear on takeoff from MMAF.

Me and Mike Vandegraf.

Photo mission with two Mohawks.

Low pass over the base.

Off the coast of Danang from over the South China Sea.

Moms's diary July to Sept. 1968.

Taking off from runway 35.

Some of the Mohawks had nicknames.

Each Mohawk had two wing tanks that could be ejected in case of an emergency landing.

Lead ship with wing tanks and flare rocket pods.

Lead Mohawk with Marble Mountain below the Right wing and MMAF to the far Right.

Marble Mountain Air Facility from over the South China Sea.

Top and inside of Marble Mountain.

Me on the porch of our barracks.

Over the costal lowlands near Danang.

The pilots would sometimes let the T.O.'s fly the plane just for practice. Just in case one of them might be unable to fly the plane themselves for some reason.

Mohawk and Huey composit.

Most of the newspaper clippings on the website are from the Toledo Blade and were saved by my mother.

Off the coast.

landing craft on beach down the coast.

245th flightline and repair shop.

The cameras in the Mohawk are in the door open on the side of the plane. The pictures are taken from out of the window on the door hanging open under the plane. We could take pictures directly below or to angles to the left or right.

Mohawk with side looking airborne radar tube (S.L.A.R.) this is what Dave mostly flew at nite.

Side Looking Airborne Radar “SLAR” plane with pod on the side.

Nite flight?

There was always something going on day or nite on the flightline.

Over Danang Main Airbase.

Close up to the lead aircraft on a Visual Recon mission.

245th Mohawk Company nickname “Redeye”.

Mohawks in reventments to protect them from rocket and mortar attacks.

Damaged Mohawk.

We would quite often fly and photograph the area where Capt. Hall and Pfc. Sparks were shot down but we never were able to make any contact with Pfc. Sparks.

The daytime Mohawk missions were known for their “low and slow” photo recon abilities.

Fuel tanks that had to be ejected for an emergency landing.

CH54 taking the damaged Mohawk away for repair.

CH-54 Sikorsky Skycrane hauling off a Mohawk.

Dave and I ocassionally went to the other side of DaNang to the now famous China Beach.

Off the coast at Marble Mountain.

River South of Danang.

Fish traps in the river near Danang.

Bill Brewster another T.O. at the 245th.

Mohawk destroyed on the filghtline.

Mike Vandegraft under one of the guard towers on the perimeter of MMAF.

245th from over the hospital.

Across the runway is where the new O.V. 10 Bronco Company will be assigned. (they arent there yet)

MMAF with Monkey Mountain in background

South end of MMAF in 1968

North end of MMAF in 1968.

Composit photo of MMAF.

Marble Mountain Air Facility as it looks in 2006

Gun mounted on top of Marble Mountain.

Unloading equipment on the beach.

Recon photo from the belly camera of the Mohawk. Each photo was numbered and timed for identification.

Something was always on fire somewhere.

photo thru the sight in the cockpit with my 35mm. The T.O.'s used the sight to aim the camera and instruct the pilot as to flightpath corrections to get the desired area photographed in the mission.

Recon photo of bunkers.

Newspaper clippings from home June, July 1968.

P.O.W. camp near MMAF.

In July of 1968 I was sent to Clark Airbase in the Phillippines for Jungle Survival School.

Clark AFB.

The begining of “Jungle Survival School” near Clark Airbase.

Kids playing near Clark Base.

I saw this guy and thought he looked like Duke.

Somewhere in the Philippines.

Around Clark AFB.

The USS Enterprise and the USS America were both in the Philippines at the time.

The USS Enterprise and the USS America at Subic Bay in the Philippines in July of 1968.

Countryside around Clark AFB.

Taxi in Angeles City just outside Clark AFB.

IN the Philippines somewhere.

Rain in the Philippines at Cubi Point.

While I was in the Philippines I took a bus tour on the same route that the Prisoner's of War were forced to walk on the “Bataan Death March” by their Japanese captors in March of 1942.

Church in Angeles City just outside Clark in the Philippines