My first mission with Heavy 21 was very memorable for two reasons. One was rather humorous. It tapered off quickly after that. It sure shows some of the problems with training in daylight, then fighting at night.

First, I just couldn't get enough of that old 'relief funnel'. I must have visited it five times on the way to the target area and the free fire zone... I just couldn't stop -- or figure out where all that fluid was coming from, since we'd sweat buckets the whole day. It went unnoticed by the rest of the crew, but I was embarrassed anyway.

In no time, the other waist gunner went hot (for the life of me, I can't remember who he was), and I was waiting for all hell to break loose on my side of the aircraft, when suddenly a large fire broke out under the wing near the jet engine. The wing appeared to be disintegrating and a hellatious noise was coming from that area. I knew then and there that we were goners! It would be a matter of seconds for us to drop out of the air and into the jungle. Not a good scenario, especially as it was our first run on target and we still had a full load of napalm and bombs aboard. I started hitting the other waist gunner in the ribs with my elbow, trying to get his attention. Why? I don't know -- I guess I just wanted to share the bad news. I know I hit him plenty hard, because I was excited, but I still couldn't get get a rise from him. He was in the middle of some pretty serious business, with plenty of ground fire from automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades coming up.

I soon noticed we weren't dropping from the air. Then I recognized the 'debris' falling from the wing was spent 7.62 cartridges. Metal that I was much more than familiar with. That was when I realized the fire and commotion was simply the mini-gun firing -- not the wing coming apart as I had first thought. With the window open and the wind whistling through my flight helmet, I couldn't understand what was being said over the radio, so I just didn't realize we were just making a mini-gun run. Good thing I'd made all those visits to the potty, because I had nothing left to mess my pants with...

On the way home, the other waist gunner asked why the hell I'd been jabbing him in the ribs. I told him I'd forgotten, being too embarrassed to tell him -- or anyone else for the 36 years since that night. The only reason I'm telling it now, is another squadron gunner told a similar story at the 2005 Combat Aircrew Roll of Honor inductions. I'll never forget that incident. Humorous after the fact, but very frightening while it was happening.

On another night, as we were proceeding to the 'guns hot' zone, I was preparing my M-60, when a fellow crewman told me I was wanted on the flight deck. This unnerved me, because I was flying with crew 1 that night -- the Skipper's crew. I'd never met any of the people on the flight deck before, due to the differences in rank and profession. I thought this could only mean I'd messed up somehow and was in deep trouble. What for? was the real question, but I just knew I was going to catch it!

The plane captain caught me before I got to the pilot, and told me the Skipper thought I'd enjoy a ride in the forward observer's position for a mini-gun run. Sam Gore was the p.c., and I really think it was his idea... Either Sam's or my pal in the tail turret, AO2 Perry Young's, that is. I'm sure they both wanted me to see the results of a lot of hard work on the SUU-11F/A mini-gun pods. I really appreciated being given that opportunity. This mission was turning out much better than I'd anticipated!

In the plexi-glass bow of the AP-2H, the plane captain lay on a pile of flak vests to protect his important parts from enemy fire, as he passed the relative position of incoming groundfire to the other crewmembers -- and sometimes even verbally directed the pilot to the best targets, by use of a starlight scope. PC in this combat aircraft was an extremely important position.

We were flying through a valley and the moon was bright. Laying in this plexi-glass nose gave me a sensation like never before. Something like Super Man flying.

As I was looking for enemy tracers, the pilot made a mini-gun run that was just spectacular! The very large ball of fire coming from the nose of that mini-gun pod, and the chain saw noise amplified ten times over, was a sight and sound that put the adrenalin into action. With every fifth round a tracer, and firing at the rate of 4000 shots per minute, nothing could be seen but a spectacular red ribbon coming from each wing, swaying and undulating according to the pilot's flight commands. WHAT A SIGHT!!! One that I'll never forget and that I'll never see again. A wonderful memory due to some wonderful combat aircrewmen. Sam Gore & Perry Young. Thanks guys.