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Centaur Helicopter Identification Research
Unit Historian Research Files and Emails for those who want to dig into the details and mysteries of our aircraft
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The Centaur Unit Historian, Michael Peake, goes to great lengths to find every little shred of information about the helicopters that served us during our tours in Vietnam in order for us to identify them and honor them. Most of his info and photos are then posted in various appropriate places on our website. This page means to capture all the additional details in one place.

Support from Carl Betsill, our map guy and Frank Dillon.

see also: Centaur Aircraft page, Aircraft Photos, Ordinance and in several reports he has produced like AH-1 Helicopter Name, Kentucky Woman and 20mm Cannon.

...................................Details.............................................

15Oct2024: 11th CAG Daily Journals are very interesting and far more important than the F Troop logs. The following is my report on both collections for however you want to make use:

F TROOP, 4TH (AIR) CAVALRY & 11TH COMBAT AVIATION GROUP DAILY LOGS

Over the past several years since becoming the Centaur Historian, I have reorganized the massive collection of Daily Journals in chronological order that Bruce Powell had sent me on disks, and I completed that project this past summer. Since the collection only extended to 1970 covering the activities of the D Troop Centaurs, I contacted the National Archives to learn what Daily Journals existed for 1971 through 1973. The NARA collections list showed the availability of records from Box 91: Troop F, 4th Cavalry Daily Journal: 08/04/1971 to 01/02/1972.

I was surprised to see there were only 152 days of F Troop records out of the two years of combat operations, but these dates occurred during the Laos and Cambodia incursions. Unsure of the content for the period, I decided to order a sample from 10 December 1971 through 20 December 1971, a period when the Centaurs lost two aircraft and PFC Howell "Wayne" Burns who was killed as an observer 12 December 1971 aboard OH-6A 68-17229.

Discovering that there was also a NARA collection listing for Box 10: 11th Aviation Group Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (S3) Daily Journal: 09/01/1971 to 06/30/1972, I took a gamble that these Daily Journal records of Troop F's higher command, the 11th Aviation Group, may possibly have material of interest. I chose records covering 26 April 1972 through 4 May 1972 in which the Centaurs of F Troop suffered the loss of three aircraft and two aircrews during that nine-day period.

Over a month ago I received an electronic mailing of my order in PDF form, and immediately opened up the F Troop portion covering the ten days of Journal reports from December 1971. It was very disappointing to discover they were nearly worthless by comparison to any of the D Troop Journals that I had been working with for so long. The Daily Journals were all strictly Lai Khê garrison reports revolving around base security, and the closest description related to aviation was an entry where the OD/OG reported waking up officers and flight crews scheduled for missions. The most exciting of the mundane entries amounted to fights accompanied by lengthy accounts by the victims and one guard, SP4 Durbin, reporting a trip flare going off from "some whores going through the wire." There was also the report of three hootches being gassed, obviously just for giggles.

Among the ODs/OGs filling out the forms were Ken Mick, Paul Martindale and Harold Schiles, among others. There is mention of individuals we do not have in our roster (shown in all caps) beginning with a Private STORLIE'S failure to report for duty as noted by OD/OG 1st Lt. William T. "Bill" Pixton. LT. Pixton also noted a Pvt. CHAPMAN who was assaulted by four unknown people, and was later interviewed by Captains Michael M. Hanna and Daniel R. Lott. OD/OG LT. Joel R. Woodley noted a fist-fight between SSG Thomas and SP5 Rudick that included an 8-page account of the drunken incident that also mentions a SSG RATTIGIN (RATTEGIN) and SP4 PARRISH. The 18 December 1971 Daily Journal was completed by 1st Lt. DONALD E. OLSON who is not listed on Centaur rosters. OD/OG LT. Joseph P. Litton logged a complaint accompanied by a 3-page statement from SP4 RICHARD M. BACHMAN reporting an assault followed by his room being ransacked. The file also included a PERSONNEL REGISTER (AR210-10) showing SP4 Charles F. Dowd signing out for 14-days leave providing a residence as Georgetown, Maryland, a home-of-record not shown in the current roster. The last entry shows PFC GEORGE W. RAUSCHER reporting for duty, with no other information provided.

Before I could crack open the 11th Aviation Journals, I was distracted with something else until a few days ago when Frank Dillon asked for help in finding Ken Mick's "New Car Smell-1972" Cobra that became a reef off the coast of Vietnam after one mission. Those 35-pages of 11th CAG Daily Journals covering nine days have proven to be as valuable to Centaur history as those we have covering the years of D Troop's service.

I specifically chose that 9-day period beginning April 26, 1972 to encompass the loss of Paul Vaughan Martindale and William Allen Haines, Jr., who both died April 28. Including their aircraft, I knew two additional F Troop aircraft were lost during that period, but the Daily Journals revealed that five Centaur aircraft were lost during that window of time, including six Centaurs and a MACV captain. Additionally, three other aircraft from different units were destroyed in the neighborhood during the period, but fortunately with no fatalities.

Given the type of garrison records I received from the F Troop order, compared with those of the 11th CAG, I must make an assumption that Daily Journals of the higher headquarters will be the preferred reference. Likewise, the 12th CAG would likely have Daily Journal entries related to F Troop activity while the unit was at Lai Khê and Long Binh. There is a mimeographed message of commendation that is difficult to read that I hope to improve once it is converted to a jpeg. It lists the various units and Centaur call-signs involved in the area where Martindale and Haines were lost. I am encouraged to see what else the 11th CAG Daily Journals can offer and may see what the 12th CAG has if I find dates of Centaur combat incidents to cover.

FRANK TAKE NOTE: VHPA HELICOPTER RESEARCH DISK SHOWS:
2LT OLSON DONALD E
Potential VHPA member
Ft. Rucker flight class: 71-4

14Oct2024: Frm Dillon: Well something is amiss with something. They left Tan My heading to MM and wouldn’t have gone on south past Chu Lai. I know inaccuracies abound and I gotta leave it to you guys who know more than I do. The usual route from Tan My to MM was along the coast a bit, then cut back over land and go through the Hai Van Pass emerging back on the coast. Then the coast to MM. My perception is that the incident occurred shortly after leaving Tan My and prior to cutting back over land, but I could be absolutely wrong about that.
Another route was through the Low Van pass which was more coastal, but still over land, and not the customary route.

.....Frm Peake: As always, I appreciate the valuable work you do on the in-county maps. I may have some additional grids up in the neighborhood of where Martindale and Harris were killed in April 1972. Turns out, in a four-day period beginning April 28, F Troop lost four aircraft in the area, and two of them may not be in our existing database. That info comes from Daily Journals of the 11th Combat Aviation Group (CAG) that was our higher headquarters stationed at Marble Mountain. I'm preparing an information summary of what I acquired from the National Archives. 

.....Frm Betsill: Attached is a map showing the recorded position of the Aircraft dump at sea.  The recorded position is about 12 clicks inland 112 clicks SSE of Chu Lai.  Military records show only the 100,000 meter square designation shown as the first two letters followed by three numerals giving the number of meters east and three more showing the number of meters North.  Missing is the Grid Zone designation.  Fortunately adjacent grid zones will not have similar 100,000 meter designations, therefore the BR designation would not occur in nearby grid zones.  I started with the Tan My grid zone of 48Q with no luck, I then tried Marble Mountain at49Q with no luck.  Finally, I moved down the coast to the next Grid Zone and found a valid Coordinate.  Without landmarks over water coordinates were difficult to determine.  I would guess they probably just picked a spot on land near the ocean dump site.  My guess is that if you were not calling in fire, any old coordinate would do for the records.

13Oct2024: Mike, I can't find the tail number for this aircraft. It was brand new (Hog) shot down 21 Feb 1968.
Bruce, Got you covered. There were actually 4 UH-1C aircraft incidents that date, but only one was listed as loss to inventory, destroyed. This is an example where the VHPA data contradicts itself between Incidents Reports and Goldbook data. The Incident Repost shows 355th Aviation Company which was a heavy helicopter CH-54 Sky Crane (Tarhe) unit. I'm making an assumption that such a unit would be tasked with recovering a downed aircraft and therefore would be responsible for the final report. I've encountered this before. this IS a Centaur aircraft, but it is not currently up in the database. This is the current entry in my work, and just in case you want it, I've included the actual VHPA Incident Report below that, although I did condense it in my entry (just a history sidebar, Tarhe was an 18th/19th Century leader of the Wyandotte people in the Ohio Country and his nickname was "The Crane."
UH-1C 173—TAIL NUMBER: 64-14173; BUY DATE: 6511; BEGIN IN UNIT: 6802; BEGIN HOURS: 684; END IN UNIT: 6802; END HOURS: 684; REMARKS: D Trp.; Dale Dow’s Centaur Aircraft 66-73 Excel Database #2 shows UH-1C 64-14173 Heavy Weapons “Hog” received fire in engine compartment. Aircraft crashed. Destroyed by artillery fire [aircraft destroyed by 500-pound bomb delivered by an F-4]. The crew, 1LT Charles Johnson (Centaur 40), CW2 Mackie A. Webb, copilot, Crew Chief SP4 David L. Christiansen and Gunner SP4 Ernest Paul Bartnik were recovered by armor. CW2 Webb took a round across the top of the head and Bartnik, age 20, received shrapnel wounds in the back when the aircraft was shot down Feb. 21, 1968. Lieutenant Johnson reported “Bartnik was absolutely the most calm and collected Air Cavalry Trooper on the ground that day. His previous experience with A Troop was a great help to us. I forget the exact number of enemy that Bartnick was able to take out but I recall him firing single rounds, not automatic fire, with an M16 and it helped to reduce the amount of incoming pointed in our direction.” Ernest Bartnick died at Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon 27 Mar 1970. VHPA Vietnam War Helicopter Incident for date 680221 shows: AR UH-1C 64-14173 355 AVN 1 Hits. 2-21-1968 Loss to Inventory Combat Incident Report, 355th Avn. Co. [Tarhe], total flight hours 684, shows UH-1C 64-14173 took one hit from ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size (7.62MM) while attacking at 200 feet and 40 knots resulting in crash from damage to flight controls, main rotor system, engine, hydraulic system, transmission, aircraft destroyed and no casualties mentioned. VHPA Goldbook [obviously inaccurate] entry shows began in-country service with 170th Avn. Co. with 453 hrs. Oct. 1966, departed for CONUS with 684 hrs. Mar. 1967 and last listed with 355th Av. Co., 4th Army, Ft, Sill, OK with 684 hrs. Jan. 1968. 1964 MASN—1908 to Present shows: Bell UH-1C Iroquois 64-14173 written off February 22, 1968.

VHPA Research Database provides:
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 64-14173
The Army purchased this helicopter 1165
Total flight hours at this point: 00000684
Date: 02/21/1968
Unit: 355 AVN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Close Air Support
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0200 feet and 040 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Engine Compartment
Systems damaged were: FLT CONTROLS, MAIN ROTOR SYS, ENGINE, HYDRAULIC SYS, FUEL SYS, TRANSMISSION
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, UH1P3, 05204 (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

12Oct2024: Re: Cobra sling load dumped in ocean at Tan My:
We have two 1970 model Cobras in our database, but both of them returned to CONUS, one on display in Iowa and the other had been converted to AH-1S. Have to make an assumption that either this is another aircraft not in our database, or Ken Mick was mistaken about the model year, and I doubt that. (see Mick Story). Unfortunately, neither of Ken's accounts are dated, otherwise, I'd be able to search by that date and come up with details. That is how I found which aircraft Martindale and Harris were flying. That was the only reference of half-dozen that listed the tail number. The hook is set, so I'll find it...

Frm Frank Dillon: We can narrow down the date a bit. We got to Tan My early June 72. Ken Mick derosed 16 Oct 72. So that would be the timeframe unless Ken extended. My “guess” would be July or August 72, but that’s just a guess

22Jun2023: OH-6A 70-17204 is probably 68-17204 "Luv Bug."
One of my pet projects born of researching tail numbers has been to reach out to sites across the country that currently have Centaur aircraft on display. Readers may remember that together with Brian Harrison, we had a very satisfying experience with our friends at American Legion Post #65 in Statesville, North Carolina, who restored AH-1G 68-17050 "Kentucky Woman" once they learned what they had displayed in front of their post.

Based on a reference in Military Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present, I recently contacted the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Military Museum at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania about Centaur aircraft Hughes OH-6A Cayuse 68-17204 "Luv Bug." An entry in the reference for 1968 showed that postwar, the aircraft served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and was later placed on static museum display at the Muir Army Airfield, Pennsylvania in October 2007.

In my initial contact I explained the Centaur mission and provided currently available information on the Centaur's "Luv Bug." Captain Michael Sprowles, Museum Curator and Staff Officer, Headquarters-Headquarters Company 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, responded that among the aircraft on static display along Fisher Avenue was one OH-6A, however it was identified as 70-17204. Captain Sprowles was kind enough to forward two images of the aircraft now mounted on site, including a shot of the aircraft information panel clearly showing OH-6 70-17204.

Actually, unsure because I had never encountered Army OH-6 models above 1969, I informed Captain Sprowles that I believed the U. S. Army adopted the Bell OH-58A as replacement, and that 1969 was the final production year for the OH-6A. I afterward verified that in fact, the Army had reopened competition bids for the light observation helicopter (LOH) in 1967 allegedly because Hughes Aircraft Division could not meet the contractual production demands with the OH-6 models. That also explains why years later the Special Operations Command adopted highly modified Vietnam-era OH-6 airframes as "little birds" for units such as the 160th Aviation "Night Stalkers." I can only make an assumption that somewhere along the line of the aircraft's restoration for display, someone made an error in creating a stencil resulting in the image Captain Sprowles supplied. Given the evidence, I have no doubt this is "Luv Bug." Also see #044 in Tom Doolings Album.

16Jun2023:

Powell to All: Located this photo of LOH 15338 in Jim Messina's old website files. Don't know for sure if it is one of ours. I pasted it into the LOH Photos page (scroll down) and in the draft July Newsletter.

Peake to All: I see it, but it isn't supposed to be there! There isn't supposed to be a Loach 15338. Only one manufacturing year, 1969, had the end number beginning with 15 and that was 69-15960 to 69-16075. The only years for the end number to have been 338 was 1967 with 67-16127 to 67-16686, or 1968, with 68-17140 to 68-17369 (we lost three Centaurs in 68-17337). We had an original entry on:
(OH-6A ??-16338) OH-6A 67-16338 Dale Dow’s Centaur Aircraft 66-73 Excel Database #2 shows OH-6A 67-16338 Jim Hoag Photo. MASN—1908 to Present for 1967 shows: Hughes OH-6A Cayuse 67-16338 assigned to F Troop, 8th Cavalry Armored Division [sic]; Accident June 12, 1972 South Vietnam; Registered N6254Y to the California Department of Justice, Mather, California, December 11, 1997; Registered to County of Butte, Oroville, California March 25, 2003; cancelled July 29, 2011.I went through Jim Hoag's Slide Show and didn't see any Loach images that had a visible tail number, so I'm assuming Jim has other images. I ran both 67-16338 and 68-17338 and found both had served in Troop F, 8th Cav but Goldbook entries on both mention no service with Centaur units. However, I have already come across several aircraft we know with certainty served with Centaurs, but Goldbook entries reflect something else, such as service in CONUS or someplace like Thailand at the time combat hours were being accumulated.

16Jun2023: Peake to All: I tripped over an error that diverted my attention into creating a new entry for AH-1G 68-15135 "Kansas Killer/ California Dreamin." We don't have a photo of that Cobra

This is an unusual aircraft in that it served the entire documented service with both Centaur units and rejoined them in Hawaii as an S-Model Cobra.

The problem lies in another error from:
MASN—1908 to Present for 1967 shows: Hughes OH-6A Cayuse 67-16135 Asgnd. to D Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt. Named “Calif. Dreaming” [right side]; “Kansas Killer” [on left side of pylon]; Asgnd. to A Trp., 2nd Sqdn., 17th Cav. Regt., 101st Abn. Div. Sept. 1969-Feb. 1970; Shot down Feb. 24, 1970, Quang Tri Prov., RVN. The A/C was flying interference for Dustoff when it received heavy automatic weapons fire, crashed and burned.

It so happens OH-6A Cayuse 67-16135 is listed in the VHPA database as a Centaur aircraft with D Troop, but the Goldbook entry only states data of it being assigned to A/2 of the 17th and its combat loss. This is another case where Goldbook listed an assignment to an Engineer Group in Thailand for a Centaur aircraft that was serving in-country. This is not the only case, and it seems to be only for OH-6 and UH-1 aircraft. Like the MASN entry for "Kentucky Woman," this Loach entry is another mixture of a Cobra entry. SO, I created a new entry for the Cobra.

Notice that I have noted two different hour/date entries to reflect that the aircraft served in both Centaur units:

AH-1G 68-15135 TAIL NUMBER: 68-15135; PURCHASE DATE: 6905; BEGIN IN UNIT: 6908 & 7103; BEGIN HOURS: 1 & 1614; FINISH IN UNIT: 7102 & 7111; FINISH HOURS: 1614 & 2058; TOTAL HOURS: 1613 & 444; REMARKS: Bluebook entry shows began in-country service with D Trp., 3rd Sqdn., 4th (Air) Cav., 25th Inf. Div. with one hour Aug 1969; transferred to F Trp., 4th (Air) Cav. with 1613 combat hours Mar 1971; transferred for one month to 334th A. H. C. with 1777 hours May 1971; returned to F Trp., 4th (Air) Cav. with 1829 hours Jul 1971; returned CONUS with 2058 hours Jan 1972; last service noted with 3/4 Cav., 25th Inf. Div., Hawaii with 2117 hours Jan 1974. AH-1G #68-15135 (photo: SP5 Don Vaughan (left), CPT Lee Cranney. and CPT Don Phillips. “The Kansas Killer” 1LT John L. Taylor, Cobra Pilot D Troop and F Troop 1970-71, provides image of AH-1G 68-15135 “The Kansas Killer,” belonging to Captain Rudy Parris, undergoing maintenance by crew chief Don Vaughan with Captains Cranny and Phillips. Centaur 57 CW2 Ray E. Stanton, Gun Pilot Dec 1970-Dec 1971, Slide Show Image RayS-16 Cobra "California Dreamin' #68-15135" on unidentified flight-line. Author John Brennan, Vietnam Aircraft Nose Art, provides listing showing AH-1G 68-15135 named “The Kansas Killer,” D Troop, 3/4 Cavalry, 1970-71 with SGT. Don Vaughn crew chief, CPT Rudy Parris Aircraft Commander (Mr. Brennan also states AH-1G 68-15135 was named California Dreamin', D Troop, 3/4 Cavalry, 1970-71 with SGT. Don Vaughan crew chief, CPT Rudy Parris Aircraft Commander). MASN—1908 to Present for 1968 shows: Bell AH-1G Cobra 68-15135 among 103 serial number sequenced AH-1G models converted to AH-1S models [NOTE: Error in MASN—1908 to Present for 1967 shows: Named “Calif. Dreaming” [right side]; “Kansas Killer” [on left side of pylon] attributed to Hughes OH-6A Cayuse 67-16135.]

8Jun2023: Peake to All: I contacted the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum, Fort Indiantown Gap, Muir AAF, Pennsylvania about our aircraft OH-6A 68-17204 "Luv Bug," because Military Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present for 1968 shows: Hughes OH-6A Cayuse 68-17204 assigned to US Army National Guard-Pennsylvania. On display at Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum, Fort Indiantown Gap, Muir AAF, Pennsylvania October 2007. In turn, Captain Michael Sprowles was kind enough to forward the two attached images, one including the aircraft information panel showing OH-6 70-17204.

I responded to Captain Sprowles that the U. S. Army adopted the Bell OH-58A as replacement, so 1969 was the final production year for the OH-6A. I based that on a total inability to find any production models after 1969 in any available reference, including the VHPA database. I can only make an assumption that somewhere along the line of the aircraft's life someone made an error in creating a stencil resulting in the image Captain Sprowles supplied.

As some of you may already know, there were two production years, 1967 & 1969, where 75 models of each year of the OH-6A aircraft share the same tail numbers, from 16000 to 16075, with a good many serving in Vietnam at the same time. I haven't a clue the reasoning behind that and can't seem to find any source addressing that issue. These are the only years this has occurred. We also find this occurring with some UH-1Ds being converted to H-models, but that includes a range of years of D models that survived to be converted. I would certainly appreciate any input, but most especially if I'm in error in my assumptions. I've never encountered a tail number change except when transferred to U. S. M. C., and I can't find any models of the Loach post 1969. Even later SOCOM models were beefed up Vietnam-era airframes.

5Jun2023: Peake to Charlie,Oellig: