Info Sheet - Randy Meade - 1969-70
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I was a Slick Pilot/AC my entire tour (Centaur 25). I only flew front seat Cobra for stress relief or for fun, I am not in the one with everyone in front of the Charlie Model Gunship, that was the Hooch 3 Christmas Picture for 1968. I arrived in Country on Feb 4th 69' but Roger Martin, Russ Mattison, Jim Filiatreault and Mike Galloway were my Mentors. Especially Roger and they all were in the Christmas Card Picture.
I arrived in D Troop shortly after 4 Feb 69, I started flying immediately. As I mentioned before I flew almost exclusively with Roger Martin and off wing with Steve Zorga. I recall that their flight crew configuration was as described, an infantry 60 on multiple strands of bugee, with the Crew on a standard seat belt and also some sort of of custom web belt with a "Tail" attached to a convenient D ring. When they used which belt was their call. Everyone in the crew seemed to know exactly what to do in that strange dance we did every day....My part initially was shut up and learn. I decided that that was an excellent plan and carried it out.
I believe I made AC in late April early May? and either Roger or Steve's Crew came with me! Poor things... So Gene Eisele came over to be my Crew Chief and Jewel Ford came with him as my Gunner. We stayed together until they departed for home in the late fall of 69'... The three of us used that same config till they left, And I required my replacements to do the same. It just seemed natural, no big deal.
In Feb 69' I recall that D troop aircraft were all Cobra's, mostly H Model Hueys with few D models left, and OH-6's....Since the Charlie Model Gunships were gone I would assume the crew from the gun platoon brought their M-60 tactics when they came over to the Slick Platoon when transitioning. It was also true that the Slicks were always trying new ways to do the job. I recall: Twin 60's... Hand held Mini Guns... And a 50 cal..seriously bad idea.... There were many good ways to accomplish the mission. I believed and practiced it was a agreement between the A/C, Crew Chief and Door Gunner working together. The Co-pilot was there to learn from different crews "his way" to live through the Year.