Nick LeRay-Meyer
AM
Pilot
No. 9 Squadron, RAAF
Vung Tau
May 1971 - Dec 1971
We conducted gunship operations as required. I flew 600-plus missions in Phuoc Tuy province. An ordinary day was up at 0500 hours, get dressed and have breakfast. At 0600 hours we were crewed up and lifting off at Vung Tau for Nui Dat. From 0700 to 1900 hours we flew operations out of Nui Dat. By 1900 hours, we were back to Vung Tau. At 2000 hours there was dinner, beer and reflection. With eight ‘slicks’ and two gunships, there was lots of rotor noise going inbound to a ‘hot’ situation on the ground. One time, the ground force commander called up our lead to request ‘a silent insert please’. There was lots of laughter on my flight deck. Of course rotor noise from us was loud! What he meant was no gunship fire suppression.
Service No. O42838