The VC Flag - Oct 1967
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John H. "Willi" Williams, Jr. was a crew chief on a UH-1C Hog gunship that was able to capture a VC flag on a mission. Willi presented it to the current 3/4 Cav Squadron Commander at the reunion in Nashville, TN (2012).
See the videos of the VC Flag Story and the Reunion Flag Presentation.
From Willi:
Sirs,
First let me say I am honored that my flag will be where someone might appreciate it.
I don't know the date of the incident but do know I had less than 90 days till rotation back to the world, so that would put the time around late Sept or early Oct. of 1967.
We had been flying cover for the Wolfhounds who were driving thru a forest of very tall trees with a well defined edge to the tree line to the south. I think these trees were 100 to 200 ft tall. The Wolfhounds began to receive light fire from their front as they approached a clearing indented into the edge of these woods. We flew up ahead to see if and what we could do about it when a guy stripped the flag from a pole and began to run with it. Needless to say he didn't run far. I asked the pilots if I could get it and after a few clearing passes was allowed to retrieve it. I was told that I tried to get the guy on board also but didn't get to do it.
The propaganda banner was taken from the main gate of Trang Bang just before our mechanized unit got there. They too may have been Wolfhounds. I think this operation was a village sweep as a show of force. No contact was made in or around the village. Hence we hovered up to the banner and I removed it. As we got further outside the village in the country side we got to chase some VC that day. I'm fairly sure this happened in Oct. 1967.
Now keep in mind I was just a crew chief on a gunship and my job was to make sure the aircraft didn't go down due to mechanical failure and be a door gunner when it flew. I rode in the back and went where ever those pilots took me, bopped them in the head when they really didn't know what they were doing and kept them alive when on the ground. It was too expensive to replace them.
I always thought it was a NVA flag but Mike and Terry Vaughn told me it was a VC flag when I showed it to them several years ago.
I do have some friends that live in Hawaii and family that visit there some, all have asked where it will be displayed and when they will be able to see it. I might even go see it sometime, if they ever build a bridge there.
Until this past reunion my family didn't even know of the flag or banner.
John H. Williams
(Willi) D Troop Dec 66 - Dec 67
If you have any further questions or comments please contact me.