174th Assault
Helicopter Company

---

DOLPHINS & SHARKS

Below: Allen Weamer

Allen Weamer at home 1967, before Vietnam. My friend. He was my hootchmate and door gunner in the 174th AHC. He was KIA 13 June 1968 with the entire crew of my aircraft (Dolphin #66-01016) in a mid-air collision with an USAF Forward Air controller (FAC) O-2 fixed wing.

It was the end of my tour and I was going home to the States. My last day of flying was 11 June, just two days before the mid-air. I was sitting in between the 1st and 2nd Platoon hootches at Duc Pho when I heard about the crash. At first I thought it would be engine failure, and then I heard specifics. He was one I really considered a very close Friend.

---

Below, a great photo of Allen in our 2nd Platoon Hootch. (Photos courtesy of Dorothy Weamer)

---

Me leaving Atlanta Airport 25 June 1967 for Vietnam

---

Arriving at Ft. Lewis, Washington temporarily before Vietnam, June 1967.

---

Cam Ranh Bay. Hello Vietnam!

---

First assignment - Building bunkers to sleep in (Richards left and Romero Right).

---

L-R: Bowers, Richards, Romero and Sam

---

B&W close-up of our pieces of construction. When it rained (these were below ground
of course), they would flood. A soldier could near die in there from the heat, humidity, and
suffocating conditions ... but not by enemy mortars. It was SOLID! I can only ID the guy
in the white sleeveless t-shirt. That's my buddy Simone from Hawaii.

---

Below, Dennis Pelliccia on right.

---

In Duc Pho, I'm posing in a Shark gunship that is peppered with shrapnal from a mortar attack.

---

“None Better” was painted on the nose of many of the slicks before the "Dolphins" logo.

---

At the bunker construction. L-R: Bowers, Richards, Romero and Beardsly.

---

Me on a forklift at Duc Pho.

---

Me and Romero taking a break.

---

"Red Baron” and “Snoopy” (Gerald White).

---

L-R: Unknown (a Tech Inspector I think), Daily, Bailey and me in our hootch

---

Shark crew chief on adrenaline rush. This Shark crew chief was firing forward
with his bungee-cord mounted free-M60, toward the bad guys during a gun run, and
got just a wee bit too close to the pilot's door. Such is the "chaos of war."

---

Khe Sanh siege 1968. Dolphin 621 in background.
Wally Nunn and Frank Dailey on either side of the ship.

---

Khe Sanh siege Tet 1968. Enemy is walking artillery rounds to the C-130 in the backbround.
I stood on the gun mount and took this picture across the roof of the helicopter.
Photo taken 5 or 6 February 1968.

---

Also at Khe Sanh, here we are loading wounded Marines at "Charlie Med."

---

Go to: Sam Davis' Page Two.

---

Return to top of: 1967 Page.
Return to top of: 1968 Page.
Go to top of: 174th AHC Home Page.
Click here to e-mail us at the website

---