P3D Of Heroes & Helicopters

[bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx (Bill C Walton)]

P3D John Baird sent me a video tape with this title.  It covers some of
the helicopter activity in Vietnam.  Since I "have been there and done
that"  I really enjoyed the tape. It featured several pilots that I know,
which made it all the more entertaining  It brought back many good
memories of long days, some challenging and exciting flying experiences
and helped me recall some of the people I met during my two tours:.
(a) I flew U1A airplanes all over Vietnam in 1962-63 delivering supplies,
food mail and personnel to small detachments of American advisors,
including then Capt Colin L. Powell.  He was at Ashau, a small airfield
on the Laotian border (some say across the border) along with a handful
of other Americans.  We flew to Ashau twice a week delivering needed
supplies, mail and personnel.  I don't remember him, but I must have met
him as we always took a "tea break" with the advisors when we landed
there.  I have what I think is a picture of him (but it is from the back)
made on 6 Feb 1963.  He arrived in Ashau the last of January. Odd to
think I would be selling stereo cards of him 35 years later.  Another man
I met on that tour was Cardinal Spellman.  He made his annual soldier
Christmas visit to Vietnam in Dec 1963 and I flew him all over the
northern part of the country during  the visit. 
(b) I was a helicopter maintenance officer 1967-68 and that is when the
long days came into play, including a 14 hour day Christmas 1967.  One on
my more memorable flying experiences this tour was when I crashed and
completely destroyed a helicopter on 6 Feb 1968 (my 37th birthday)  I had
some tremendous soldiers working for me and all of them considered an
aircraft that was grounded for maintenance reasons as a personal insult. 
My chief mechanic was named Jesus and my Tech Inspector was named
Miracle, so I had several things working for me
(c) My family is one of the few (I don't know how many) where both father
and son served in Vietnam. I served two tours and my son served one as a
volunteer helicopter door gunner "Because, he said, that is where the
action is", and he was right..

What does this have to do with Photo3-D??

(1) There are several short flying sequences in the video tape and I
watched them, several times with Pulfrich Glasses.
(2) Gen Colin Powell is the subject of one of the stereo cards that I
entered in the NSA Auction this year.  So if you would like a stereo card
of him, please attend the NSA Auction and help raise funds for NSA.
(3) I have an interest in the Vietnam War and its memorials/monuments.  I
have started a collection of stereo cards of the Vietnam
Memorials/Monuments from around the world.  If there is one in your area
I would appreciate a stereo card of it and I offer one on my celebrity
stereo cards in return.  I already have several including the Wall in
Wash D.C. (which incidentally many Vietnam vets, including my son and I,
do not like) Rochester NY. Milwaukee, Missoula Montana, Minneapolis-St
Paul, Mankato MN. Duluth MN,  San Antonio, Atlanta, Sacramento CA, Weed
CA, Salt Lake City, Medina NY, North Carolina State Memorial, The
travelling 1/2 size Wall, Columbus GA (of course) and the one in my back
yard .  Of the few I have been able to visit in person the one in
Rochester NY  is my favorite.  If you would like to participate and add
to this collection, please let me know at the Email address below.

Bill C Walton
(Who is Bill?)
bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx

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