Scott.J.Drew 56th Transportation Co. (DS) Vietnam

[JOHN JONES]

Keep Em Flying

Scotts requirements for spare parts, were filtered through below support group.
They had their own Aviation assets, to visit various depots spread around
South Vietnam. (3 photos courtesy Jack Mcabe) neat pocket hanger.. ! John.

AMMC was a US Army unit
South Vietnam Location, Tan Son Nhut
The 110th Transportation Company (Depot) arrived in-country in November 1965 and added 116 personnel to the growing strength of AMMC. AMMC was made a permanent unit with its own Table of Distribution and Allowances (TDA) and placed under the control of 34th General Support Group (Aircraft Maintenance & Supply). located near Group Headquarters at Tan Son Nhut, Saigon. Now an integral part of 34th Group, AMMC provides supply and selected management of all USARV aircraft and turbine engine accounts, the Theater Army Repairables Program (TARP), and the configuration control of theater aircraft. In addition, it monitors the retrograde or return of unserviceable items through the Aircraft Collection and Classification Point to CONUS repair facilities and processes thousands of requisitions monthly.The newly developed "Red Ball 34" airlift supply program provides customer units with required parts more expeditiously than was ever before possible. It is programs such as "Red Ball" that are helping AMMC to ensure that supplies in Vietnam were not delayed awaiting surface transportation or lost due to lack of asset visibility, DA instituted the Red Ball Express program on Dec. 1, 1965. It was used only for repair parts needed to remove equipment from deadline status, and it used special procedures to requisition and airlift the needed repair parts.

[JOHN JONES]

Reunion

ADS and related transportation companies, recently had a reunion.
Some more nice pictures to post shortly. Basically a print out of the thread,
a 125 page booklet, was available to view and order.

John.

[Tom B]

Great !!!!! Tom

[JOHN JONES]

19th Transportation Co.

What appears to be an earlier picture of the aircraft posted in thread 149.
Note the doors still attached and the partial frame art.
No confirmation on what the 33 hearts meant, could be missions, or possibly
bullet hits. These aircraft were able to absord quite a bit of punishment
and still keep flying..

John.

[JOHN JONES]

611th Transportation Co.

Courtesy Frank Garcia.

[JOHN JONES]

611th Transportation Co.

CH37B (55-623) probably 'Big Nick' recovers a 611th U-1A, May 1965.
A cracked cylinder block, had brought down the Otter, shortly after clearing
the runway at Vung - Tau.

John.

[JOHN JONES]

339th Transportation Company

The ever present maintenance work.

[JOHN JONES]

339th Transportation Company

'Waynes Workhorse' prepares for another drone
recovery mission. Note the ground radar receivers.

John.

[JOHN JONES]

56th Transportation Company (ADS)

“Slave Driver” is lifting a Douglas A-1 Skyraider. Large piston engine fighter/bomber flown from both land bases and aircraft carriers early in the war. They used them for downed pilot recovery because they could loiter over the target for a long time and carried a large weapons load. We also gave them to the Vietnamese Air Force to fly. I need to study the stars and bars to see if I can tell if this is an American aircraft or a Vietnamese aircraft. That guy is wearing a flak jacket and I believe his rank and name are stenciled on the back “SP/5 Thessan”. Andy Thessan was in the Recovery Section for quite a long time. As I recall he got in about the time I got out of it. Scott

[JOHN JONES]

56th/339th/611th Transportation Co's.

It is fitting that the last material I have to hand for this thread, comes in the form of a heart felt letter, from someone who flew this Aircraft in Vietnam. Penned some 47 years ago and 52 years after this aircraft completed its short tour in
Vietnam. It shows a genuine respect for this old warhorse, that exists amongst the
small band of Pilots and crewman, that are still with us today. Its story has now
been told and it has been a great pleasure, to help tell that story. John

Subject: "Mojave" in Vietnam - from Sergei Sikorsky
Greetings Mr. Drew;
Mr. Dan Libertino, President of the Sikorsky Archives, recently sent me a copy of the “CH-37 Mojave in Vietnam.” The book arrived in fine shape. I would like to thank you for the book. To me, the book is a valuable source of information on the operation of the Mojave in Vietnam. To be honest, I knew that the Mojave had salvaged quite a lot of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, but your book was an eye-opener as to the numbers of aircraft saved, and the value of the salvaged equipment. It also is confirmation of the skill and courage displayed by the crews involved in those operations. Thank you for documenting this chapter in the service life of the Mojave. Your book now occupies a prime spot in my library of Sikorsky helicopter history.

With my sincere thanks,

Sergei I. Sikorsky

[JOHN JONES]

souvenir shop

'The gift shop was very interesting. All the animals at one time were alive. The crock, the tiger, the bear, the birds and snakes were are stuffed and preserved. I mailed home a coiled cobra ready to strike' Frank Ferry

[JOHN JONES]

611th Transportation Co.

Another interesting photo has emerged, no background details, other
than An Khe - late 1965. The artwork seems to be the same, or a variation
of, that shown in post 169. Taking a closer look, it does not appear to be
Woolyberger, but a stand alone peice of artwork, as in the picture with the
hearts markings. The airframe number is 668, not previously allocated
to a unit. (nose marking that can be seen, indicates the style used by the 611th)
John.

[JOHN JONES]

Amazing what shows up on Ebay...

Used for 15 years, than gathered dust somewhere for 50+ years
A little bit big for my war-room Here is what the Sikorsky Archives said.
John.

" Thank you for your information, and photographs, of the Sikorsky S-56 (CH-37A) Electrical Maintenance Trainer. As one of your digitized documents clearly shows the Electrical Maintenance Trainer was manufactured at Sikorsky in late 1956. The user of the Trainer may in fact have been used at a Sikorsky service school for the U.S. military"

[JOHN JONES]

339th. And 56th?

Recent finds.

[JOHN JONES]

Aircraft Recovery

CH37B, lifts a section of an AD1 'Skyraider'.
Identified as 55-623 611th Transport Co.
late 1966.