Near Mid-Air - 1967
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We had flown to some place southwest of Cu Chi (where we were based, at the 25th Infantry Division Headquarters) to support a Special Forces camp that was being attacked by a large number of enemy troops.
It was raining very heavy, the clouds were down to about a thousand feet off the ground and we were one of several helicopter gun teams along with an Air Force fixed wing gunship trying to provide assistance to the Special Forces troops.
Jim Moore's Aircraft was flying as the wing (trailing aircraft) and during the chaos of the action there while we were trying to shoot at the enemy and avoid being shot down by them, while at the same time avoiding all of the other aircraft in this congested area above the Special Forces camp, we got separated.
While talking to each other on the radio and looking for each other I noticed a slight red glow in front of us that quickly became the reflection of the red instrument lights in the cockpit of Jim’s helicopter. Jim and I were looking at each other and were within a few feet of a mid-air when we both “broke right” and barely escaped a head on mid-air collision.
It took fast reflexes and decisive action for both of us to “break right” and my recollection is that Jim started the evasive action slightly before I did. I bought him several “cold ones” for saving our butts that night with his lightning quick reaction.