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116th Assault Helicopter Company - "Hornets, Yellow Jackets", Wasps, Stingers" - Page 1


Click here to visit the Hornets, 116th A.H.C.


HQ Chu Lai 1971
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

HQ Chu Lai 1971
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Hornets Nest, Chu Lai
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

I was the unofficial weapons guy in the company. Need a souvenir? see Wes. I carried one of the folding stocked AK 47's when I flew. Also a 1911 Colt .45. No, didn't get either one back home. Damn!
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Wes with a Thompson circa 1971
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

My wife worked in the recovery room of the 91st Evac hospital at Chu Lai. The baby, proof that life goes on was born in the hospital because it's mother had been seriously injured by a VC/NVA trail trap out side her vill. So when visiting the Hospital I would lend a hand with some patient care including holding and feeding the babies. It helped pass the time in a positive way. That is how I remember it.
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Me at LZ Marge (in the same area as Mary Anne) on what they called "Infantry appreciation." I actually geared up and went to a line company in the field for three days. Yeah I know, young and dumb!
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

"Broke Dick" of the 178th Box Cars. It has a mechanical problem on the way to Danang from Chu Lai. The Air Cav came to cover since the beach was considered to be bad guy country. A second Chinook was sent to take us all back to Chu Lai.
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Twin 60s
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

116th AHC YellowJacket Plt 1971
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Broke Stinger C Model
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

116th AHC Yellow Jacket Ship
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

116th Air Maint Shop
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

116th Stinger C Model Gun Ship
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

116th Company Area
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Bunker
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

116th Motor Pool after April Typhoon
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Shit Burners Chu Lai 1971
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Early Bug
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Hornet Ship
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

24th Corps HQ Russian 37mm AA
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

24th Corps HQ 50 Cals
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

I Corp HQ 122mm Rocket
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Quang Tri
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Quang Tri
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Danang Flight Line post Hestor
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

FSB Siberia
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Tam Ky
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Heading out
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Low Level on Highway 1
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Surprise surprise
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Landing on Highway 1 South of Chu Lai
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Blue Max Aerial Artillery
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Heading to the nest at Chu Lai
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Keeping it Straight
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Formation Break Right
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

Formation Flying
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley


Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

XO Captain Wisdom
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

XO Captain Wisdom
Image courtesy of Wes Hensley

The mountain near Tay Ninh known as the Black Virgin 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Tail number 813, a 2nd plt Wasps ship
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Ronald Ray Baker a Stinger, 4 crew members KIA on 6/5/69 crashed in Hoa Nghia province
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Combat assault with Smokey. Picture taken from a Stinger gun ship
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Picture of James 'Candy' Barr and Joe Skarda
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Cliff Devon Wright KIA 6/27/69 Bullet. Happened in Binh Duong province
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda making Christmas 1968 a little better in the 116th company area at Cu Chi
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda's floor board in a Stinger gun ship Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

40 mm canon on the nose of Stinger gun ship known as a 'Frog'. The prophylactic was to keep the dirt out of it on take off and landing, this picture better known as Stinger safe sex.
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

WO 1 Robert Jantz KIA 1/2/69 Hoa Nghia province
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Original Colors for the 116thAHC
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Capt. Ford and Gilcrest Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

My first slick, a Yellow Jacket Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Hornet patch Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

2nd plt Yellow Jacket patch Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Jimmy Wayne Crisp and WO1 Richard Jerome Holman both KIA on 6/5/69 in Hoa Nghia province
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda Stinger gunner Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda with one of his crashed Stinger gun ships
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda with a rolled over slick in POL
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

A shot of Joe Skarda's gun ship called 'Here Comes the Judge' Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda and another crashed Stinger gun ship
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda in the Stinger corner of the 116th swimming pool
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Mike Phillips at the 116th's swimming pool Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

A bunch of Stingers at the swimming pool Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Peter Paul Polak KIA on 2/21/69 Hoa Nghia province
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Top of Stinger ring designed by Joe Skarda. One of only four ever made
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Rocket coming out of my gun ship. Picture taken by Joe Skarda
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Stinger patch 68-69 Cu Chi
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

SP4 Estes in a classic Stinger gunner pose. We did this to be able to shoot under the belly and to the rear pulling out of a gun run.
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Picture of original Stinger pin
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda with another wrecked Stinger bird Cu Chi 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Joe Skarda with Stinger wrecked ship 68-69
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

Another wrecked Stinger bird Cu Chi
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

2nd plt Wasps of the Hornets patch Cu Chi
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda

1st plt Yellow Jackets patch Cu Chi
Image courtesy of Joe Skarda




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