The Rockpile, a grunt's perspective...

A friend on popasmoke FB page just shared this web site about the grunts who lived on the Rockpile.

http://www.swanassoc.com/1stradiobn/stories_rockpile.htm

...during the time I was landing there.  I could be the pilot of the H-34 shown at the top of the post. I am trying to copy the photo so I can enlarge it to view the bureau number of the aircraft, but no luck so far.

The H-34 helicopter landing on this limestone karst is the cover photo for my book:

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Helicopter-Pilot-helicopter-Vietnam/dp/1500936138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420783861&sr=1-1&keywords=collier+helicopters

a great review of my book!

http://vvabooks.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/the-adventures-of-a-helicopter-pilot-by-bill-collier/

I am having fun now!

A tribute to our helicopter crews...

       Without our fantastic crew chiefs and ground support teams, none of this helicopter flying in Vietnam could ever have happened.  Our crew chiefs flew all day with us, loading and unloading cargo and passengers, putting their lives in our pilots’ hands hour after hour, day after day (some nights), landing after landing.  

        Without them the machines would have deteriorated to un-flyable junk in less than a week. After working all day in the air, they many times worked all night to maintain the helicopters. Sometimes they had to wash blood off the cabin floor and sweep our maggots from dead marines.

         They changes out engines overnight, replaced gear boxes, rotor blades and many other components--in the field at times.  They filled about 100 zerk fitting with grease, most of them every night; there must be 50 zerk fitting on the H-34 rotor head alone.  They did all the refueling whenever we stopped to refuel. 

        These were the most dedicated crews that could possibly have existed, anywhere, anytime, any war.  They never got enough thanks and credit for their sacrifices.  Thank you crew chiefs, gunners mechanics, avionics and armory personnel.  

This is an excerpt from my book:

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Helicopter-Pilot-helicopter-Vietnam/dp/1500936138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417241450&sr=1-1&keywords=helicopter+collier

"We Gotta get out of This Place" the Animals

My most favorite song from the Vietnam era, by the Animals, very well done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFU9_dICQtk&sns=em


for those of you who may have missed it, I recently published my book:

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Helicopter-Pilot-helicopter-Vietnam/dp/1500936138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416357756&sr=1-1&keywords=adventures+collier

so far I have had seven five-star reviews.

Girlicopter

http://lockerdome.com/menshumor/6169672236142657/7092327076475413

borrowed from lockerdome.com/menshumor

H-34 Charlie on TV this morning.

This morning I as interviewed about Charlie by Matt Rogers of KHQ-TV channel 6  Spokane.
This was a lot of fun-except the 0530 wake up!

PART I:  2:05 minutes

http://www.khq.com/clip/10746076/matts-action-cam-1957-h-34-charlie-helicopter

Part II,   3:05 minutes

http://www4khq.com/clip/10746189/matts-action-cam-h-34-helicopter-part-ii

I have just been notified that the second link does not work.

Just scroll down from the first video and you will see little windows and you can click on part II.

My book, "The Adventures OF A Helicopter Pilot" now on amazon.com

If you have been enjoying this blog about old Charlie the H-34 and all things helicopter, and some of the stories I have written about my experiences as a pilot of these machines in Vietnam, then you will like my book.

TITLE:

                    "The ADVENTURES OF A HELICOPTER PILOT"

          'Flying the H-34 in Vietnam for the United States Marine Corps'

                        by Captain Bill Collier, USMCR.

"This is the journal of an honest, down to earth, self-deprecating, capable, and above all, courageous American in some of the most difficult circumstances in this nation's history. The pages fly by and as they do, I see more clearly the superb character of a hero with a sense of humor. We need more like him and they are getting more and more rare. Attention must be paid!"                                                                          Ben Stein, Actor/Author, man of many talents.

"Bill Collier knows what it means to go into harm's way, and he never hesitated when there was a hazardous mission to be accomplished.  Just ask the guys he rescued, and the Marines he served with."                                                        Major General Larry Taylor USMCR (ret.)

link to book on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Helicopter-Pilot-helicopter-Vietnam/dp/1500936138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Adventures+of+a+Helicopter+pilot++bill+collier

For the first 10 people who write a review on amazon, I have a free copy of my 25 minute historical documentary, "The Rescue of Raven 1-1."  Buy the book, read it, post a review and then let me know so I can send you the DVD.

Thank you, 

bill collier 

author