1ST AIR COMMANDO SQUADRON, PLEIKU AB, VIETNAM Reel 1 · Part 1

Description

Covers 1st Air Commando operational ready force of A-1E's and crews. Shows briefing, preflight inspection, uploading of ordnance, aircraft taxiing, taking off, in flight on mission runs and landing, engine maintenance and battle damaged A-1E. Also covers Lt Col John J. Knight, Comdr 1st ACS, awarding medals to members in brief ceremony on flight line. (Shot list to follow.) Reel 1, 740': SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5633. 2' Scenes of USA captain, Capt Richard R. Roehm, Jr. and Capt Dennis B. Hague entering room and USA FAC pilot starting briefing at map depicting target information and location as the two pilots listen -- also shows 1st Air Commando arm patch and pilots leaving briefing room. 251' Scenes of Capt Roehm and Capt Hague picking up flight gear, putting on survival vest and LPU, taking parachutes and helmets, and leaving equipment room. 308' MLS to MS of Capt Hague and Capt Roehm leaving 1st Air Commando Orderly Room. 332' LS of Capt Roehm walking over to A-1E, getting up on wing and putting gear, including M-16 rifle, in cockpit. 380' Scenes of USA Capt Joseph A. Bocanegra, Maj Bernard F. Fisher and Capt Dennis B. Hague walking out to A-1E armed with napalms and 100-lb AN-47 smoke bombs -- shows the Army FAC pilot using map to brief the USAF pilots. 473' CU of one DFC, 14 Air Medals and two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals on pillow. 482' CU's of a 2000-lb bomb and three 100-lb AN-47 smoke bombs. 497' MCU of 2000-lb bomb and three 100-lb AN-47 smoke bombs on A-1E left wing. 507' LS pan left with A-1E in low flight over runway. 518' MLS's of A-1E, with wings folded, taxiing in. 548' TAIL SLATE: ROLL: M62D-34 AND 5567. 551' MLS of crew chief climbing on A-1E wing and assisting Maj Monroe E. Blaylock in fastening restraint straps. 570' MS left SV under A-1E wing showing ordnance as aircraft engine starts. 606' MS to LS of A-1E with 10 250-lb GP and two AN-47 100-lb smoke bombs taxiing out. 654' LS to MLS to LS of A-1E, piloted by Maj Blaylock, taking off to left. 688' LS to MLS to LS of A-1E, carrying napalms and piloted by Capt Kenneth B. Beaird, taking off to left. 725' CU of 1st Air Commando emblem on side of door to building. Reel 2, 710': SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5570. 2' MS's of crew chief climbing up on A-1E wing and assisting Capt Roehm strap in cockpit. 39' MS's of crew chief signaling engine start. 57' CU's of A-1E engine starting. 67' MCU of A-1E right wing with five 200-lb GP and one 100-lb AN-47 smoke bombs. 74' MS's of crew chief signaling to pilot, pulling chocks and A-1E, piloted by Maj Blaylock, taxiing out as directed. 116' MS of A-1E, with 10 230-lb GP and two AN-47 100-lb smoke bombs, taxiing out. 150' SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5568. 152' CU sign on door: BRIEFING ROOM. 165' MLS's & MS's including shot from rear of launcher as munitions personnel load 2.75" FFAR's into seven-place launcher. 278' MS of A-1E wing loaded with 250-lb GP bombs. 290' MS of A-1E wing loaded with clustered frags and rockets. 302' MCU FV of A-1E loaded with napalms. 317' MS RV of rocket launchers on A-1E wing. 334' MLS of group of officers standing in formation in front of A-1E and breaking up (end of awards ceremony). 360' CU of Air Medal on Maj Monroe E. Blaylock's shirt. 372' MLS & MS of Capt Roehm climbing up on wing of A-1E and placing equipment in cockpit. 399' MS's of Capt Roehm checking nose fuzes on 100-lb AN-47 smoke bomb and GP bombs on A-1E right and left wings; removing covers from right wing guns and checking rudder and wing flaps, then Capt Roehm climbs into cockpit. 480' MS of Capt Hague removing covers from left and right wing guns on A-1E and checking nose fuzes on 250-lb GP bombs. 520' ALS's of smoke lifting from bomb strike along river in dense wooded area and A-1E on mission run over smoking target. 698' AMS of 20mm gun firing. Reel 3, 730': ALS to AMS of two A-1E's in flight to left -- A-1E nearest camera is carrying CBU-14/A dispensers and bombs, the other GP bombs and AN-47 smoke bombs. 172' SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5771. 173' Pilot's view through cockpit as A-1E taxis and takes off. 201' AMS & ALS left SV of A-1E with napalms in flight. 247' ACU right SV of A-1E pilot. 261' AELS of A-1E diving on target and pulling out. 278' ALS as camera aircraft dives on target area -- shows smoke lifting form earlier drop. 308' ALS's of A-1E diving, napalms exploding and buildings burning. 361' Scenes of medal presentation to members of the 1st Air Commando Sq -- shows troops standing at attention in front of A-1E, Capt Gearhart reading citations accompanying medals, and Lt Col John J. Knight, Comdr 1st ACS, pinning medals on, and congratulating, the following recipients: DFC to Maj Bernard F. Fisher; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals to Maj Richard A. Jones and Maj Richard J. Montgomery; and Air Medals to Maj Monroe E. Blaylock, Maj Lawrence B. Tatum, Maj Richard J. Montgomery, Maj Robert F.C. Winger, Maj Gail C. Anderson, Capt Kenneth B. Ruhm, Capt Frank A. Urbanic, Jr., Capt Robert L. Sander, Capt John S. Stewart, Capt Kenneth B. Beaird, Capt Kenneth R. Shatzer, Capt James P. Gunter, Jr., Capt Elnathan L. Classen and Capt Peter M. Hegseth. Reel 4, 721': ALS of A-1E in flight to left. 33' AMLS RV & left RV of A-1E on approach and landing. 52' Pilot's view as aircraft lands. 67' Scenes of munitions personnel loading 2.75" FFAR's into seven-place launcher. 189' SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5572 (TAIL) and 5573. 193' MS & MLS of A-1E, with 10 GP and two AN-47 100-lb smoke bombs, taxiing out. 238' ELS, LS & MS of three VNAF A-1E's and A-1H's peeling off and taxiing in. 329' LS of two A-1E's -- one in low flight to left over runway and the other taking off. 356' SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5574. 358' Sequence showing MJ-1 bomb lift truck uploading CBU-14/A dispensers and bombs on A-1E wing. 509' LS of 1st Air Commando Squadron Building. 545' SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5575. 546' MCU of small clustered frags on four pylons of A-1E. 56l' MLS & MS's of maintenance personnel working on A-1E engine. 606' MS of operator at APU. 621' MCU of A-1E engine starting. 641' MS of crew chief pulling chocks away. 653' MCU of A-1E wheel moving. 665' MS of crew chief signaling aircraft to taxi out. 670' MS of A-1E, carrying napalms, taxiing out. 680' LS to MS & LS of A-1E, with GP bombs, taking off to left. 695' LS's to MS's to MLS's of two A-1E's, armed with CBU-14/A dispensers and bombs, taking off to left singly. Reel 5, 864': SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5578. 3' Sequence showing maintenance personnel working on and installing engine on A-1E. 147' Shows a 2000-lb bomb being loaded onto MJ-1 bomb lift truck and uploaded onto A-1E wing. 280' MS of A-1E taxiing in as directed. 307' LS with tailaway shot of five A-1E's on V formation flyover. 336' ELS of two A-1E's peeling off on left wing. 358' MLS of two A-1E's on landing roll to left singly. 403' Scenes of crew chief signaling aircraft in -- shows one taxiing with wings folded, folding wings down after stopping, chocks being placed under wheel, engine stopping, Capt Roehm alighting, and Capt Roehm and Capt Hague carrying flight gear, walking away from camera. 490' SLATE: ROLL: M62D-5577 (TAIL) and 5579. 497' MS low angle of signs on building: 92ND AIR BASE VNAF, BASE OPERATIONS, PLEIKU VIETNAM and 6254 COMBAT SUPPORT GROUP USAF. 514' CU sign: BASE OPERATIONS, PLEIKU, VIETNAM. 523' Scenes of flight personnel and inspectors examining battle damaged A-1E -- shows bullet holes in wing, flap fuselage, exterior fuel tank and wingtip. 663' MS of airman patching small hole in A-1E tail section with tape. 673' AELS's & ALS's of F-4C's dropping bombs and napalms -- A-1E's follow up with bombs, napalms, CBU's and strafing runs on wooded target -- smoke and fire in area.

Collection

Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities