I don't remember any of the details, pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, or even exactly when or where this happened. It may have even been before VMO-3 became HML-367. But here goes.

It was over mountainous jungle I think, someplace around Phu Bai, we were cruising from someplace to someplace else. The pilot spotted something he wanted to mark, I don't recall what or why or for whom. (Something in my memories blanks a lot of those detail.) The pilot said he was going to make a tree top pass over the spot and wanted to drop a smoke.

The creww-chief and I both automatically assumed that the Crew-chief would be the one to drop it, without a word spoken by anyone. He picked up the smoke, pulled the pin and got ready to throw it.

The pilot was counting down and said to throw it on his mark. We got closer and closer, then the crew-chief & I both heard "Right side, MARK!", on the intercom.

I know my eyes were as wide and my mouth as wide open as I saw his were. Without a second of hesitation, he tossed the smoke grenade to me, the spoon flew off, I palmed it in mid air and twisting my hand and reaching out the rightside door, pushed it down through the gun mounts as hard as I could!

Orbiting around, the pilot said "the smoke was exactly where he wanted it and it was a perfect throw, gunner!" The crew chief and I both were s--t eatin' grins, and silently congratulated ourselves on the teamwork. Not to mention remembering to breathe again!

I know I never mentioned it to the pilot or co-pilot, and I sort of doubt the crew-chief ever did either. But lately, when some friends and I were swapping war stories, that tale came up and I wondered if anyone could fill in the details I can't.

Gung HO! 🙂