You get what you pay for

99-cent Nook book. Maybe the author’s Vietnam was a different Vietnam with different helicopters.

He writes of a LRRP insertion through a hole in triple-canopy, a chase ship drops a smoke grenade into the hole, marking insertion; pilot lowers UH-1H into hole, crew chief and door gunner calling out distance from main rotor and tail rotor from trees. Then, NVA open up with AKs and machine guns, bullets ripping into the Huey, door gunners open up with “tripod-mounted M60s.” Pilot cannot pull up because he would run out of left pedal, lose directional control and spin the Huey into the trees. The only thing to do was descend through the fire until reaching an altitude to allow LRRPs to jump, thereby reducing weight, and the pilot could then ascend through the fire again. LRRPs were told to make their way “without being seen” to PZ about five clicks away.

As night duty officer, the warrant officer pilor was responsible for perimeter security. On the perimeter were “guard shacks” with two soldiers and two M60 machine guns. In No Man’s Land were Claymore mines, “usually flat, round and half buried.” NVA sappers with knife in teeth turned mines around, so when a ground attack began the detonated Claymores would blow away a guard shack and make a hole in the perimeter.