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HMM-163
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From an email to Larry Zok...
Larry,
I attempted to send a message about a CD that was put together from 8mm film shot by the Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS OKINAWA, Dr Don TEAL, was in Charge of the Hospital on the Ship as 1st Battalion 3rd Marines Trained and Started SLF-Alpha in April 1967 at Okinawa. When we (1st Bn 3rd Marines) Trained, HMM-163 the “Evil Eyes” were there, as we trained for Helicopter Assault on Okinawa. HMM-163 were aboard the USS Okinawa, Once we started Operations on SLF-A. On May 18th, 1967 the start of Operation Beau Charger/ HICKORY in the DMZ. Dr Teal was on the Bridge, and filmed many of the Helicopters Loading and Taking Off from the Flight deck. Also Helicopters bringing WIA back to the Ship with injuries to be treated in the Ship Hospital. There are pictures of Helicopters numbered 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9,10, 17, 18, 19, and 23 on the Video-CD. This is all in Chapter #1 on the CD.
I know that We had 4 different Helicopter Squadrons take their turn, on SLF as we continued, SLF till Jan 1968. We had transferred to the USS IWO JIMA in Nov, 1967. The Helicopters in the CD are the CH-34’s, and that is what all the Squadron’s had.
The CD also has a chapter on the Hospital on the USS Okinawa, which I think was the proto type for the Hospitals on the other LPH Ships. Also Dr Teal shows a Med-Cap deal south of Da Nang.
There could be lots of Marines at Pop-a-smoke that possibly either were with us on Operation Beau Charger, in HMM-163 or other Squadrons that could relate to Taking off and Landing on the different LPH’s.
I have the CD’s listed on the 1st Bn 3rd Marines web site, where I am the Web Master. That site is www.onethreemarines.com. The CD’s are available for a Donation of $25.00 plus $5.00 postage/handling. I just received 50 of the CD’s, in a reorder.
If you have any questions, just email me, or I live in Whittier, California and you can call me. My phone is (562) 947-8098 and I have answer machine on it, but I am retired, and home most of the time.
Thanks for your time, and look forward hearing back from you.
Don Bumgarner C/1/3 Vietnam 67-68
whalvorsen
Posted : 2011-10-16 11:09
Re: HMM-163 info for '66-'67 Video...
Sorry about being a nit-picker, and won't argue that your unit at some time worked with HMM-163, but I will have to disagree on the April-May part on the U.S.S. Okinawa. From Apr '67 to Jun '67 it was HMM-263 [ Blue Eagles] that was on the U.S.S. Okinawa [ SLF-Alpha] and conducted Bear Bite, Beau Charger, Beaver Cage and one other op. I was co-pilot on the tail-end charlie bird into the LZ on Beau Charger and tasked with pickup of anyone down in the zone after dropping off our troops. If the photos are from that time period, you will see our Blue Eagle on the nose of the '34's and not the Evil Eyes of '163. Thanks for the great info on the CD however. Will be ordering one shortly.
Posted : 2011-10-16 18:03
Topic starter
Re: HMM-163 info for '66-'67 Video...
Thanks, Joe...April '67 HMM-163 was in PhuBai and Dong Ha...
whalvorsen
Posted : 2011-10-17 12:22
Re: HMM-163 info for '66-'67 Video...
Hello Joe Hanner and others
I spent a few hours trying to answer your questions about my DVD "Amphibious Combat Assault 1967", and my answer disappeared while I was checking a few dates........but one date, and the inclusion of "Evil Eyes"- HMM 163- in Chapter one of my Documentary- is indelible in my mind! I rarely had a chance to film what we were all doing, but the reason I had to stop filming early in the morning of May 18, 1967, the beginning of Operation BEAU CHARGER, was because my Corpsmen called me down to the morgue where my friend's body was lying on the deck. It was up to me to describe my friend's wounds, sign his death certificate and help lift his body into a bag.......like so many others. So, no, I have no doubts about HMM163 and
the date, and I didn't have time to take any more movies until July or August (Chapter two and three). Last year I gave my 1/3 Brothers almost 100 copies for them and their families, and to earn money for their scholarship fund. I have not and will not sell this documentary.......it is ours to remember!! That includes all of you in the various squadrons that served with us in 1967!!
Glad that my friend, Don Bumgarner, has made this DVD available to you all! I would love to talk to all of you and tell you just how much your support was valued!! If your skill, expertise, bravery, determination and care had not brought our Brothers back to the USS OKINAWA alive, I could not have said in the documentary that "EVERY MAN WHO ARRIVED ALIVE, LEFT ALIVE"!!
THANK YOU AND SEMPER FI!!!!!!!
Don Teal
formerly LT(MC)USNR, in charge of Medical Care of Marines of Marines of SLF ALPHA and Sailors of ARG ALPHA in 1967
Posted : 2012-09-09 00:27
