 Okay, move out. States Army and Vietnam has proved the effectiveness of new battle concepts featuring the combat helicopter. These concepts are constantly being added to and improved. One of the highly successful developments to come out of the stress of battle is the addition of the helicopter door gunner. The shotgun rider. Originally a pilot, co-pilot, and a crew chief who also served as door gunner made up the crew. Combat proved the urgent need of manning machine guns on both sides of the helicopter. So a fourth man, a door gunner specialist, was added. Thus the helicopter shotgun rider is a unique product of the American experience of war in Vietnam. He has proved himself to be a vitally important member of the crew. This film will show the intensive training usually received by helicopter door gunners. Then we'll follow them on combat missions in Vietnam. The story will be told by a combat veteran, Sergeant I- who will describe his experiences along with those of his buddy and fellow door gunner, Sergeant Dennis Troxel. I was with the 25th Infantry Division, the Tropic Lightning, when I heard about the volunteer course for helicopter door gunners, nicknamed shotgun riders. I had a good deal as a squad leader in a company, so did my buddy Dennis Troxel. You can't beat Hawaii as a duty post. We'd talked about Vietnam, who hasn't, and we both wanted to go there. That's where the action was. We had no doubt why we were fighting there. It was to give the Vietnamese a chance to decide themselves what kind of government they wanted without having the communists dictate the choice, either red or dead. But the Army wasn't buying good intentions alone. All candidates for the helicopter door gunnery school had to pass a stiff physical exam. It was the type which all air crewmen had to take. We were checked and double checked. The heart check was backed up by an electrocardiogram. Among the many tests, the most critical were those for hearing and eyesight. Poor depth perception or color detection could flunk you. And it was easy to understand why it had to be that way. On the first day of training, we were introduced to the mechanical beast, the Huey. We'd be riding and fighting from in Vietnam. We learned about the intercom system, and were told the duties of the crew chief, like how to tie down the main rotor blade. Refueling procedure, too. Part of the door gunner's job is to assist the crew chief when necessary. This orientation hour is climaxed by our first helicopter flight. We learned how to use the clock system for pointing out the direction of aerial and ground objects. We get a taste of formation flying and how to keep check on the other helicopters in the formation. The joker in this orientation flight is that it's also a test to see whether the gunner candidate is adaptable to helicopter flying and riding in the open doorway. The afternoon of the same day, we started our gunnery training. No time lost in this school. The primary weapon of the helicopter shotgun rider is the M-60 machine gun. Gunners back from combat in Vietnam swear by it, calling it their third arm. They praised the training in assembly and disassembly. You don't need any imagination to see how important it is to know the reason for a malfunction and how to correct it immediately. We also learned to use the M-14 and M-16 as backup weapons to the M-60. The instructors were crackerjacks and the visual aids first class. I literally got to know the M-60 inside out. The real fun came in firing the weapon. Serious fun. First, we fired the M-60 from the prone position, then standing up. The gunnery got more realistic when we climbed aboard a mock-up of the cargo compartment of a UH-1B helicopter. We practiced firing the M-60 from its mount, then free-fired the weapon. In a later session, we learned to use the bungee cord attached to the roof of the helicopter. When the instructor causes a malfunction, the student grabs an M-14 and keeps firing. The payoff on the gunnery course is when you get to fire from the air. First, we fly a dry run over the firing range, while the instructor points out the Viet Cong type of foxholes and entrenchments. This is the Makua Valley firing range on the island of Oahu, and it's a beauty. We learned the procedures for proper visual search, which must be systematic to be thoroughly effective, plus lessons in target acquisition and identification, range estimate in ground distance and slant distance, and how all this is affected by the variables of speed, altitude and angular motion. Tricky stuff, but fascinating. Before we make our first firing run, we get an orientation lecture about the range from one of the instructors. He tells us about the course we'll fly and the ground targets we'll be shooting at. It's a lot like the briefing we'll get before going on a combat mission in Vietnam. It's short and to the point. Then it's move out fast. The Huey takes off like an angry hornet. These choppers aren't in the same speed class as jets, but don't get the idea they can't go places in a hurry. They can climb, too, and skim close to the ground like no other aircraft can. We go into a firing run. It's the first time gunner, chopper and M-60 work together. Now I get the feeling of what it is to be a flying shotgun rider. Each student gets to fire in a low altitude pass over the target area. Later on, we return to the range to fire on targets from a higher altitude. Under the eye of the instructor, who sits in the open door like he's on his front porch, the M-60 pumps out 550 rounds per minute. The instructor warns us not to get carried away when we're firing. It's important to conserve ammunition. Back to Earth. Did you ever see an army school, no matter how busy, that didn't have time for push-ups? Hours was no different. We had the run of the pool for survival training. This was in case the aircraft was forced to ditch in open water. Using a May West life jacket was easy to learn and very comforting. But if you hit the water without time to put on the May West, you learned how to improvise. First, kick off the boots, then remove pants, then take the pants along with a few mouthfuls of water, tie a knot in the legs, blow air into them, and you have a pretty fair makeshift life vest. We also learned a few tricks about survival on land where it wouldn't be quite as friendly as Hawaii. These classes were to recognize edible fruits and vegetables in the South Vietnam area and how to trap small animals and catch fish with improvised gear. To start a fire, we use the old Boy Scout trick of rubbing two sticks together. We're lucky the wood is bamboo because it catches fire quickly. Sergeant Alvarado, the instructor, makes like a chef jungle style. I don't think you'll find mongoose dishes recommended by Duncan Hines, but you'll have to admit the meat is fresh. Troxel, who doesn't know when to stop volunteering, offers to help butcher the animal. Not exactly for the squeamish. Mongoose stew, not like mom's home cooking, but it is tasty and nourishing. There are tastier dishes. Julie Andrews, who was in Hawaii making a movie, pays us a visit. She's lovely and heartwarming, just like the sound of music. We were also prepared for the worst by an eight-hour stretch of medical instruction. We were shown how to give shots and other emergency medical assistants, like artificial respiration, treatment of fractures, snake bites. It was a welcome relief from training to visit the Schofield Barracks Museum. A lot of the exhibits, both military and historical, are kept on permanent display outdoors. A combat memento from World War II. Imagine going to war in this little tin can. They told us that fighting in Vietnam is a little like fighting the Japanese in the jungles of the southwest Pacific. Maybe so, but they didn't use helicopters the way they do now. To us shotgun riders, World War II seems old-fashioned and far away. Almost ancient history. You can take only so much museum stuff at a time. We had some livelier recreation in mind. And we wasted no time getting started during our off-duty hours. There was, for instance, sightseeing from the top of the Loha Tower, with two of Hawaii's friendly guides, their names, Julie and Sharon. They were pretty sights to see in themselves. Hawaii is full of great scenery. This view of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Waikiki Beach must have started a tourist rush all by itself. Now this was the way we should have learned survival training in water. I tell you, friends, if you've got to train for war, this is the place to do it. How many soldiers get off-duty duty like this? Nothing like a little suntan oil to bring boy and girl closer together. On a beach like Waikiki, on a day like this, with pleasant company listening to you talk about yourself, Vietnam was about the last thing we had on our minds. It was very, very nice, but of course it was too good to last. The next day we were running, not riding. Pressure from the school was constant. Intensive weeks of training had brought us to a fine edge. We were ready for combat. In a few days, we boarded a big KC-135 transport plane at Hickam Field. Not long afterward, we were in Vietnam. At first, when you get off the plane at Saigon, you feel like a tourist, but the war was close, very close. In a few minutes, we arrived at the compound of our new outfit, the 197th Aviation Company. After that, it was strictly business and in a hurry too. We drew helmets and flak jackets from supply. Next, a briefing at a UH-1B helicopter on the variety of armament systems these choppers carry. This one used the XM-16 system. Two rocket pods with seven rockets in each pod backed up by four M-60 machine guns mounted on the helicopter pylons. Other weapons systems combine rockets with other kinds of firepower. All of them, remember, are backed up by the door gunners' machine guns. The talk concluded with an important safety point. Keep the gun barrels off the M-60s unless the gun is to be used. A little while later, we went out on our first mission. No matter how rushed we were, each mission was carefully prepared. This one was to make an armed visual reconnaissance. First, a briefing. Nothing is more important for our team operation. Using a map, the pilot described the terrain we'd fly over and possible target areas. It's also important for the door gunner to know the whereabouts of friendly and enemy forces. The code for smoke grenades. And the precise location of friendly artillery fires. It's the door gunner's job to check the fire ports when the engine is started. This is to make sure there are no fuel leaks. We're very safety conscious when we ride the choppers, and with good reason. There is no safety rule more important than this. Stay strapped in at all times. A final step before takeoff is to check the intercom. Here the rule is, keep radio conversation to a minimum. No idle chatter. As a safety precaution, the M-60s may not be armed on the flight line. So the chopper is moved to a different part of the field where the rocket pods are armed and the gun barrels are put on. We take care not to walk in front of them. With this done, we were on our way for real. It was a moment I would always remember. My first combat mission. On an armed visual reconnaissance, a minimum of two helicopters is normally used. The two are known as a fire team light. Three gunships make up a fire team heavy. The purpose of the mission is to obtain information about the enemy and to locate and destroy Viet Cong positions. The door gunner serves as the eyes and ears of the crew. It's his job to keep searching the ground for evidence of enemy activity. He looks for movement, signs of enemy fortifications and road cuts, the appearance of a new track and trail activity. The Viet Cong are masters of camouflage. It takes a trained eye and lots of experience to detect them. Our schooling and identifying targets by size, shape, color and shadow pays off. The problem is further complicated by the variety of terrain. There seems to be no end of flat, watery rice paddies. There are also lots of mountains as well as heavily wooded areas. A built-up area is always suspect as a Viet Cong hiding place. Worst of all is the tropical jungle, whose thick canopy makes it just about impossible for the human eye to penetrate. When the pilot arms and fires the rocket system, the door gunner observes for accuracy before placing his own suppressive fire on the enemy. It's this kind of teamwork that makes the gunship so effective in combat. These combined fires by members of the crew using all weapons are of crucial importance when the aircraft is engaging an enemy target. After destroying our target, we're diverted to escort a helleborn troop lift. Door gunners in the troop carriers mark enemy positions with either tracer rounds or colored smoke grenades like this one. Then the door gunners open up with their M60s, forcing the enemy to keep his head down while the transports unload their troops. The same procedure is used when the men load on again. This continuous fire protects the aircraft as well as the troops. The choppers are most vulnerable to enemy fire in this phase of the action. I really understood why they bore down so hard in training about conserving ammo. It was to make sure we had enough to keep up suppressive fire, going into and out of an assault landing. We got the same hairy situation when we dropped in to pick up wounded soldiers. It's typical of the Viet Cong mentality that they make a special effort to get us when we land on a medivac mission. In those tense moments when we're loading casualties aboard the chopper, we're perfect sitting ducks. So you can believe it when I tell you we don't waste any time and we don't stand on ceremony about pitching in to help. Sometimes we've got to double as medics, too, when an aid man is busy elsewhere or when he needs assistance. Despite the danger, this is one of our most rewarding jobs. The fact that we can fly out a wounded man to a field hospital in a few hours, sometimes even minutes, has saved a lot of American lives. Vietnamese, too. We also Johnny on the spot when it comes to hauling critical supplies. We'll be back for these empty water cans when they're refilled. We also haul rations, ammo, fuel, radio parts, you name it. Chopper Air Express, that's us. We deliver the goods anywhere, anytime. One of the less agreeable jobs we sometimes had was to evacuate Vietnamese from their villages. This happened when we suspected that the village was a Viet Cong stronghold. It was hard on some of these people to pull out from a place where they'd lived all their lives. The fact was, though, that the natives who often looked the most pathetic were the very ones who were giving aid and comfort to the enemy. We could take no chances, so out they went. Another mission we had was to give overhead cover to convoys moving through territory where the Viet Cong was known to be strong. We screened the convoys' planks, front and rear, giving towns a going over as well as open country. You can never tell when a sniper will open up from what is supposed to be a friendly village. We're always on call to give fire support where needed. A Vietnamese outpost reported an enemy attack. We went in to see what we could do, only to find that artillery had already silenced the Viet Cong. Homeward bound we passed a CH-47 out on a mission. These big rugged aircraft are primarily troop transport and cargo carriers, but they too carry door gunners as full-fledged members of the flight crew. The first job for the door gunner is to safety his M-60 by removing the gun barrel. Then the chopper is made ready for its next mission. Seems like a funny thing happened on the way back to the air base. The Viet Cong did some shooting too. Their rounds ripped through this flare box. They also put some unwanted ventilation holes in the floor and roof of the airframe. No damage that some aluminum patches couldn't fix up though. It's standard operating procedure to rearm the ship immediately after each mission, regardless of whether the bird goes out the next hour or the next day. And it's typical of the teamwork of the gunship crew for the aircraft commander to lend a hand on the re-arming. Troxel was doing the same re-arming job on his gunship. Once the rocket tubes have been fed, the door gunner replenishes the M-60s. Very often the floor of the gunship is cluttered with brass from expended ammo, which has to be removed. It's a hazard to the gunner's footing and, if possible, is kicked out in flight. There's more housekeeping to be done. Whenever there's an opportunity, gun, gun mount and gun barrels must be cleaned. Dust and moisture from the humid climate of Vietnam are with you all the time, and the only way to take care of equipment is to keep after it with constant maintenance. Sometimes some of the other shotgun riders keep you company. It's too much to expect them to give you a hand, but it makes the chore less tedious to have someone around to talk shop with. There are times, not often, but they do happen, when there's a chance to relax. Sometimes we catch up on our letters home, or we dip into the local civilian life, such as it is. Taking one of the cycle cabs into town is certainly a tamer ride than flying shotgun on a chopper. In town, you're a target for sales pitches from all kinds of sidewalk merchants. They sell everything from fish to, well, pups. The Vietnamese do a big business with Americans looking for pets. Bargaining with the local merchants is part of the game. You're a square if you don't haggle. The door gunner's work day has an open end. He's often called out at night for reconnaissance and fire support missions. The enemy likes to move and fight during the dark, so our night missions are a real nuisance to him. Besides, flying through a dark sky makes us difficult targets for counter-fighting. Night missions present special problems to the door gunner. Targets are harder to spot. Also, there's a tendency to underestimate the correct range. It makes it a long, long day, but you don't mind. The more you go out, the more you realize how important a door gunner's job is in this new kind of air war, and how much you're helping the guys on the ground. Sergeant Palasco makes a strong case for the importance of the helicopter door gunner, just as there is a strong case for the importance of the armed helicopter in this new kind of warfare, whose ingenuity is typically American. Its effectiveness has been proved on and over many of Vietnam battlefields, an effectiveness due in great part to the close-knit team in which the door gunner plays a vital role. They have carried the fight to the communist-led Viet Cong with conspicuous gallantry and great success, proof that the American soldier still has the fighting heart and aggressive will to win that make him second to none among the world's fighting men.