Acutal Events

213 Assault Support

Helicopter Company

The Black Cats of Phu-Loi

 LINEAGE AND HONORS

The 213th Aviation Company was constituted on 21 February 1941 in the Regular Army as Company E, 34th Quartermaster Regiment, and was activated on 6 March 1941 at Langley Field.

During WW II, the 2013th participated in the New Guinea, Leyte, and Southern Philippine Campaigns. The 2013th was deactivated on 17 June 1946 in Loyo, Philippine Islands. On 1 August 1946, the 2013th was designated as the 2013th Transportation Corps Truck Company. The 2013th was again converted and designated as the 213th Aviation Company (ASH) on 23 March 1966 at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The 213th was activated on 1 June 1966. After extensive training in the maintenance and operations of the CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter, the 213th was deployed to Vietnam. 

In late November 1966, the 213th lifted off with the first of sixteen aircraft from Ft. Benning, Georgia. In a southern route, they headed for Stockton Army Depot, Stockton, California. The helicopters were deployed in a group of four each day until all sixteen Chinook were en route to California. After arriving at Stockton Army Depot the aircraft was given a thorough inspection in preparation for its flight to Alameda Naval Air Station at Oakland, California. At Alameda, the aircraft was prepped and its blades removed and bagged for overseas shipment on the USNS Kula Gulf, destination, Vietnam.

 
On 2 January 1967, Major Charles W. Miller departed Savannah, Georgia aboard the USS Defender with the general cargo of the 213th A.S.H.C. as the first contingent.

On 7 January 1967, the USNC Kula Gulf, departed with Major James EZ. Starkey, Commanding Officer of the 329th TC Detachment, acting as Troop Commander,  three (3) Officers, one (1) Warrant Officer, 25 enlisted men, and 18 helicopters, departed Alameda Naval Air Station, California. 

On 11 January 1967, the advanced party consisting of five (5) officers, including LTC Henry G. Moseley Commanding Officer, 213th ASHC, and six (6) enlisted men, left Ft. Benning, Georgia by air en route to the Republic of Vietnam. They arrived at Phu-Loi, South Vietnam on 14 January 1967 and were liaisons with the 11th Combat Aviation Battalion. The company was assigned a 9-1/2 acre area, on which there were seven (7) permanent structures. They immediately began planning the layout of the area.

The first two (2) cargo aircraft, an Air Force C-141 and a C-130, departed Lawson Airfield Ft. Benning, Georgia on 22 January 1967. On board were 63,000 pounds of unit's "Red Tat" cargo, one (1) Chief Warrant Officer and nine (9) enlisted men.
On 23 January, the last cargo aircraft, a C-130 carrying 25,000 pounds of "Red Tat" cargo and two (2) enlisted men left Lawson Army Airfield. Also leaving that day was the first troop aircraft, carrying eight (8) officers, two (2) Chief Warrant Officers, and 88 enlisted men.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The last troop aircraft, carrying nine (9) officers, three (3) Chief Warrant Officers, and 85 enlisted men, left Lawson Army Airfield on 24 January 1967. Major George W. Adamson, Acting Commander of the 213th ASHC since the departure of the LTC Moseley, left on the last troop aircraft.

On 25 January the first cargo aircraft arrived in Vietnam, followed on the 26th by the second cargo aircraft and the first troop aircraft. The last lift of the main body, the second troop aircraft, arrived in the Republic of Vietnam on 27 January 1967.
The USNS Kula Gulf arrived at Vung Tau, Vietnam with the unit's 18 aircraft on 29 January 1967. The general cargo arrived Phu Loi by truck convoy and was followed by the CH-47s, the last one to arrive on 4 February 1967. The rear detachment, consisting of one (1) officer and two (2) enlisted men, arrived in Phu Loi on 9 February 1967. As of 9 February 1967, the 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company completed its move to the Republic of Vietnam.

Training and Operations

On the 30th and 31st of January 1967, the officers and men of the 213th ASHC received several thorough briefings from the staff officers of the 11th Combat Aviation Battalion. The 178th ASHC, also members of the 11th Battalion, began training the pilots and crews of the 213th ASHC. On the 31st the pilots were given in-country check rides and area orientation, while the crews were instructed on in-flight procedures of the theater of operations.

 As of 29 January 1967, the 213th ASHC and the 329th TC Detachment were assigned to the 11th Combat Aviation Battalion by general order #4 paragraph 1, Headquarters, 12 Combat Aviation Group, dated 8 February 1967, and given the call sign "Stagecoach". On 7 February the 213th ASHC began committing three aircraft per day for missions and on 13 February, they declared themselves operationally ready. The pilots and crews were given their final orientation ride of the III & IV Corp areas.  The primary mission of the 213th was to support the 1st Infantry Division, "The Big Red One". On 15 February they carried Nancy Sinatra and a five-(5) piece band, their first mission since becoming operational.

 The 213th  ASHC jumped into their first big operation on 22 February 1967, Operation (JUNCTION CITY). At the end of (JUNCTION CITY) the radio call sign of the 213th was changed from "Stagecoach" and officially became "BLACK CATS". The crest of the 213th was derived from the 413th Fighter-Bomber 

Squadron, a WW II Army Air Corps Unit. The original crest presented a Black Cat on a bomb. On the present crest, a Black Cat with back arched in anger, rides a CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter into battle.

Since the arrival in Vietnam, the BLACK CATS have flown all types of missions, ie., combat assaults, medical evacuations, gas drops, defoliation missions, flame bath drops, aircraft recoveries, and normal re-supply missions. This has earning the unit the Meritorious Unit Citation and two awards of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry  with Palm. During the five years the 213th was in Vietnam the following was dutifully logged 678,271 passengers were carried, 207,283 sorties were flown, 374,915 tons of cargo were carried 62,742 hours were flown and 926 aircraft recoveries were made. These statistics speak for themselves.

 On 15 February 1972, the stand down was official and the unit was given orders to deactivate. As the 213th went home, it carried with it a glorious history of the many men who proudly displayed fortitude and courage while serving their country. 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 

 All dates, orders, and events indicated in this text were authorized. All statements including facts, figures, and percentages made in this text were verified either from conversation with responsible individuals or extracts from authenticated records.

 The author has reviewed all comments with prudence and feels there is no doubt to their validity and accuracy.

A BLACK CAT FROM PHU-LOI

 Michael Allen Brown

 213th A.S.H.C. 1966-67