Iroquois travels the full circle

Iroquois 66-16290, a veteran of the Vietnam war, is welcomed to the Australian Museum of Flight at HMAS Albatross by Frank Eyck, Jim Hill and Neil Ralph.

Photo: ABPH Neil Richards

By Graham Davis

In 1968, a young LCDR Neil Ralph flew US Army Iroquois Serial Number 66- 16290 on four combat missions out of the US Bearcat Base 40 miles from Saigon.

A few days ago Neil climbed back into the command seat of 66-16290 as it sat on the hardstand of HMAS Albatross.

Memories came flooding back.

He remembered his own 12 months as the second in command of the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company.

He remembered the bullets of the Vietcong slamming into the machines operated by the unit and he remembered the 200 RAN pilots, observers and maintainers who he had served with over the four years the RAN had supplied personnel to help and boost the 135th.

Just as importantly, Neil remembered the five RAN aviators from the unit who did not come home.

They were LEUT Anthony Casadio, PO O’Bryan Phillips, LCDR Patrick Vickers, Acting SBLT Anthony Huelin and Leading Aircrewman Noel Shipp.

He also remembered the 32 US aviators from the 135th who perished.

The 135th had about 33 Iroquois, eight used as gunships and the remainder as helicopters able to carry nine troops.

“Getting hit by ground fire was quite common,” Ralph said.

“Aircraft 66-16290 was first flown in April 1967. She came to the 135th brand new.

I remember flying her on four occasions. “She last flew in 1995 and since then has been sitting in the desert in Arizona.”

Ralph moved up the ranks to become an admiral, then retired, and is now the director of the Australian Museum of Flight at Albatross.

He and his colleagues tracked down the aircraft realising it would be an ideal lead exhibit for the Vietnam-era display at the Nowra museum.

Representations were made to the US Government and a year ago the US Army donated the machine.

The RAAF’s No 36 Squadron transported the helicopter to Australia.

Its final flight to HMAS Albatross was made on Thursday, July 22. The links between the RAN and the 135th remain very strong.

Australian aviators talk regularly with those who served with them in Vietnam. One of them is former Able Seaman aviation mechanic and Nowra resident, Frank Eyck.

In May of 2002, a memorial plaque to those Australians and Americans who served with the unit in Vietnam was unveiled. A US flag was also formally handed over.

Now the US veterans are to reciprocate.

On May 29, 2005 a plaque remembering the Australians and the US people who served with the 135th will be unveiled at Fort Tucker. “It will be an important day.

We will present an Australian flag to the Americans at the ceremony,” Eyck said.

• Anyone interested in attending should contact Eyck on (02) 4423 1862.

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