LtCol Chuck House

Sent this to Colleen.

Dear Coleen:

I served with your Grandfather in Viet Nam and on Okinowa from Sep '65 to June '66. I consider him a great man.

He was the Commanding Officer of HMM-163 during that period, and a fantastic leader of Marines. I believe that all who served under him would share my opinion.

In Viet Nam I taught him to play chess, which we did almost every evening. In about a month, he was beating me fairly regularly.

Your Grandfather's true character was shown during the March 10 - March 13, 1966 time frame during a mission to rescue the survivors of the Army Special Forces camp at a place called Ashau.

His helicopter was disabled in the landing zone just outside the camp. He then led the survivors in their escape. My description of this event can be found at https://www.popasmoke.com/story17.html

The story is also told in a book called "The Cat From Hue" by John Laurence, a CBS newsman who was there at the time.

If you would like to talk about your Granfather, please feel free to call me at (909) 461-2628.

Norm Urban

p.s. Wyman Blackman passed away a few years ago.

Colleen, your message was forwarded to me on regular e-mail by Popasmoke. I just sent you a reply to that. I fully agree with Norm's comments about your grandfather. It was a pleasure to have served with him.
Bill Phillips

Thank you to all that have sent emails to me directly! Any other information would be great! thanks!

Have one news article

Hi Colleen,

Saw your request for information on PopASmoke. I don't have much for you but I'll be happy to share it with you.

I'm Ron Osborne, former Marine pilot in Viet Nam; I flew Huey gunships in '66-'67 in VMO-2 and AH-1J Cobras in 1972 in HMA-369.

I didn't know your grandfather but I certainly heard of him from close friends and other pilots who had been there with him. I have a copy of an article in my scrapbook which I saved because I thought it showed how crazy the Viet Nam war really was. Your grandfather was a true hero who won the Navy Cross for his actions that day in A Shau. His decision to shoot some of them was very valid and we all knew that. But he still received a Letter of Reprimand, which ended his career. The story got out and the higher ups apparently thought they had to take some action.

A Shau was a terrible battle and those who got out with their lives were lucky. It was a South Viet Namese base with some US Army advisors. When they were being overrun, the Marine Corps got the call and sent all available helicopters to help. I got to Viet Nam 5 months later and they were still talking about it. I knew Huey pilots who were so loaded down that they could barely fly. They were chopping treetops with the rotor blades as they came out.

This article appeared in our overseas newspaper of the time called Stars and Stripes. It is glued into my scrapbook and I'm afraid I would destroy the article if I tried to remove it. I'll be happy to make a copy for you and mail it to you.

I now have a granddaughter who just turned 6 so I understand. You can be certain your Marine grandfather is smiling on you with love as you try to get this information. I only hope you were able to know him while he was still alive.

Semper Fidelis,

Ron Osborne