77th Aerial Rocket Artillery Unit

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The 4/77 Griffin carried the 101st Airborne patch. "C" Battery were Griffins. ("B" were Toros and "A" were Dragons). The Griffin part Lion part Eagle a Historical Myth called up by the 377th Arty in WWII and again by the 2/20 ARA of the 1st Cav. The 2/20 ARA Griffin carried the 1st CAV patch. In 68' The Cav guys changed there name to Blue Max. In 68' "C" Btry 4/77 ARA was formed at Fort Bragg N.C. and became "Griffins." They joined the 101st in 69' and were based at Camp Evans, 15 miles north west of the city of Hue. They left country for Fort Campbell KY in 72' - Ed Miller - Griffin 66
Click here to read about this incident Images courtesy of Doug Kibbey & Jimmie Ferguson
This�ship belonged to the 4/77th ARA. She was on her second tour, after having been shot up by her door gunner on her first tour...he lost control of the 60 and put 8 rounds in her. Including the A/C armor plate...musta' been one pissed off pilot.��This photo was taken�at FSB Curahee in the A Shau Valley,�in�the summer of 69 during Apache Snow. Note the shoes sticking up on top of the rocket pod....snoozin' crewman. "This "C" model Huey (#175) at Curhee belonged to "C" Btry 4/77 ARA. �We carried it from Fort Bragg to RVN starting in Jan 69' when we flew it to Stockton CA for surface shipment. �We traded it for a Cobra soon after arriving in country." -� Ed Miller Image courtesy of Raz Reed, of G BTRY. 65th�Arty ADA via Randy White.	Image courtesy of Jim Newman - Condor 6	Image courtesy of Jim Newman - Condor 6
Artillery crossed cannons with the 77 for 77th artillery. In this case the 4th Battalion of the 77th Artillery. There were only 2 ARA [Aerial Rocket Artillery] battalions in the US Army. Both were assigned to the Division Artillery of the Air Assault Divisions [1st Cav and 101st]. I spent 14 months with "C" 2/20 in 66-67'. and 19 months with 4/77, (13 in "C" Battery) Image courtesy of Ed Miller	Griffin 1 Ed Miller on "C" hot spot Camp Evans. Note the blue arrow. It is for ARA, Blue was for "C" Btry. Griffin2, AH1G "C" Btry at Curhee in the A Shau valley [5 miles from Hamburger Hill] Laos in the background. Image courtesy of Ed Miller, C btry 4/77 ARA	Image courtesy of Ed Miller, C btry 4/77 ARA
The "C" Btry, 4/77, 101st Airborne patch and aircraft art Image courtesy of Ed Miller, C btry 4/77 ARA	ARA patch designed by Rick Freeman "Griffin 93C" [with "C" Btry from 68' thru 71']. Note the B/C model Huey with the M-3 Pods on the "R". All the Batteries of the 2/20 and 4/77 started out with "B" or "C" models and transitioned to Cobras. "C" Btry 4/77 started with "C" models at Bragg. Image courtesy of Ed Miller, C btry 4/77 ARA	The "GRIFFIN" dates back to WWII with the 377th Field Artillery. �The folks in the 11th Air Assault [11th Airborne Division Air Assault] �early 60's at Benning did their homework. �The Griffin went to RVN with the CAV [2/20 ARA] in 65' and came home with the 101st [4/77th ARA] in 72'. � Image courtesy of Ed Miller, C btry 4/77 ARA
4/77� ARA Bird at Phu Bia Image courtesy of Fred Beherns via Randy White	The helmet that I wore as a Toro (B/4/77 ARA) at Ft. Bragg in 1968 and at Camp Eagle in 1969-70. All the original Toro pilots had the Toro hand painted on their helmets by WO Lester A. Hansen, who ended up an MIA. Many of us still have those helmets proudly displayed. My helmet was the only one modified with an AF visor and painted with the horns as you see them. The picture in the upper right corner you may recognize as it once was on the back cover of a VHPA directory. I took the picture of my three Toro wingmen in echelon as we returned from a CCN mission. Mike Sloniker submitted the picture for the directory but I took the shot. Image courtesy of Mike Brokovich	Calling card for C/4 77 ARA, 101st Abn Div. Image courtesy of Tom Kehoe
Buzz (Jim) Brosnan, C/4/77, Camp Evans. Image courtesy of Fred Beherns via Randy White	68-15167 flying Image courtesy of Charlie Albanese -C 4 /77 69-70 71 68-15167	Griffin Country Image courtesy of Charlie Albanese -C 4 /77 69-70 71 68-15167
167 is home my vacation is over Image courtesy of Fred Beherns via Randy White	68-15066 broken Image courtesy of Charlie Albanese -C 4 /77 69-70 71 68-15167	C-4-77 pilots Image courtesy of Charlie Albanese -C 4 /77 69-70 71 68-15167

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