227th Assault Helicopter Battalion

Click here to visit C Co. 227th Memorial
Guns 227 Lai Khe VN Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	Rotor blades - taken around March 1970 - top is AH-1G blade & bottom is UH-1H blade. D227th AHB in Lia Khe, RVN. under 'Guns' CO's name is Major Wayne Knudson, under '227 Avn Bn' is 1st Sgt's name Joseph Colondra - caption on bottom reads ' This area is being secured for your convenience with our compliments. The Cav" - D227th became E Trp 1/9 (provisional) August 1970. I was made an Aircraft Commander and transfered to D229th AHB in Quan Loi which became F Trp 1/9 (provisional) November 1970 and based out of Bear Cat. I DROS'd February 1971. Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil	El Loach 'O was D227th's maintenance and all around use bird since we were a Cobra gun company with 12 AH-1G's - no slicks assigned. Our company call sign was El Lobo, thus El Loach'O. Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil
Flight Operations building for D227th AHB, Lia Khe, RVN. Taken around March 1970. Writing on left slant "Slicks are for kids" under 'Flight Operations' wording is D227th's motto "Live by chance" "Love by choice" "Kill by profession" Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil	D troop 227th Calling card Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil	D troop, 227th Aeroweapons Image courtesy of Mike O'Neil
1st Cav Patch Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	Bobby Buchanan and "Ship of Fools - " I was in the 227th Avn. Bn Co. D in Charlie model gunships and there when the first Cobras were received at Co D. I was the last door gunner at Co D, my ship was the last to be traded for a Cobra, it was #460. I watched the rotor wing sign being painted for Co D, the painter was a Crew Chief on our first Cobra the " Arizona Gambler ". I served in that Co. from 1 Sep 68 to 27 Aug 69. Our company cut the way into the rubber trees and built the company area from scratch with help from the army engineers. I built one of the buildings with one helper in 8 hours. This picture was taken at Camp Evans before we moved south to Lai Khe." - Bobby Buchanan Click here to read more about Bobby Buchanan Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	460 Ship Of Fools, 1968 Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan
The Hooch that I built in 8 hours 1968 Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	Picture of Arizona Gambler Cobra, 1969, the first Cobra Co. D received. The Crew Chief that painted the name on the Cobra, painted the Company rotor blade. Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	Bobby Buchanan at Bunker VN 1969 Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan
Feel The Power Lai Khe VN 1969 Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	Cobra Weopons Lai Khe VN 1969 Image courtesy of Bobby Buchanan	An-Khe Army Airfield, October 1965. Huey Helicoptors of B - Company 229th AHB, jockey for position on their make shift landing strip. Note at this early stage of deployment, the basic washing facilities and GP tent living conditions. Image courtesy of Joe White, via John Jones
B company pocket patch	C. Co., 227th Firefly Light ship. Note mini gun mount and sight unit Image courtesy of Bill Blackburn via Joe Stone	Preparing for a mission Image courtesy of Bill Blackburn via Joe Stone
Bill Blackburn, C Co. in the "office". Note smoke grenades, gun mount and personalized flying helmet. Image courtesy of Bill Blackburn via Joe Stone	Bill Blackburn & "Max" clowning for the camera Image courtesy of Bill Blackburn via Joe Stone	Click here to see a photo montage of a Cobra rolling in for an attack. Image courtesy of Jay Amundson, C227th 1st Cav 1970-71
Click here to read more about the crash of this OH-6. Image courtesy of Jay Amundson, C227th 1st Cav 1970-71	Nose art for the BN commander of the 227th circa December 1970 (Lt Col Islan (spelling not sure)- Victor Call sign "Pouvoir 6". Image courtesy of Michael Dwyer, Sp 4, Victor call sign "Blivet"	Pilots from the 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, 227 Assault Helicopter Battalion. 1966 to 1967 I think LZ English with lt to rt back row Dick Luna, Jim Swain John Rowland Jim Dunn (me) John Leonard, JR Wright. 1966 but can't remember the month. Image courtesy of John Leonard C 227
Lacka-Nookie-Hoochie 1966 Warrant Officers home An Khe C/227. Image courtesy of John Leonard C 227	This head shot missed me by an RCH. (Oasis Fall 1966 ) Copilot CPT Pride said" If that had gone through your head it would have hit me!" Image courtesy of John Leonard C 227	The 227th Battalion headquarters received the next days missions the night before between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am the next morning. The mission requests came from the Infantry battalions. If there were more requests than we could support, the Brigade assigned priority. The combat assaults usually involved a dozen lift helicopters (120 combat soldiers) on the initial assault. Second and sometimes third lifts carried more troops to the location. Larger assaults (I led as many as twenty-eight) were more complicated. For instance, landing troops around a village from which we had received hostile fire. Those required detailed planning to establish timing and flight paths. The flight leaders and Infantry commanders would meet at brigade headquarters to develop the plan. Very often, the leaders involved would take a high fly-over in a couple of choppers to view the site. This picture was probably taken at one of those meetings. Image courtesy of Louie Barber
Unit patch for A Co. 227th at Lai Khe Image courtesy of Mike Jett	Image courtesy of SP5 Jerrell Strew, Crew Chief/doorgunner	Image courtesy of SP5 Jerrell Strew, Crew Chief/doorgunner
These are two photos of my UH-1D Huey in South Carolina in 1964(11th Air Assualt) and the closeup is same chopper after I arrived in RVN as the st Air Cav. I didn't want to throw away the large decals that were attached on the tail of the aircraft. You can see the decal on the tail in the other photo. I was in Co. B, 227th Assualt Helicopter Bn., 1st Air cav. From 8-1965 to 6-1966 at An Khe. Image courtesy of SP5 Jerrell Strew, Crew Chief/doorgunner
I am the white guy in the photo. Notice the green square on the door for Co. B. Image courtesy of SP5 Jerrell Strew, Crew Chief/doorgunner	227th INFANT with nose art Image courtesy of Lloyd Ivan	INFANT gunship at Can Tho Image courtesy of Lloyd Ivan
Maj. Farrier CO 67-68 Image courtesy of Lloyd Ivan	Charlie Company pocket patch Image courtesy of Lloyd Ivan	227th Distinctive Insignia Image courtesy of Lloyd Ivan
Complete set of patches for the entire BN Image courtesy of Lloyd Ivan

All images remain the personal property of this site and the contributor of the photo. You may download them for your personal use but they may not be published or used on any other site without written permission from the webmaster and the contributor.