Cobra AH-1F 67-15475 in Vietnam
Mike Peterson
– Crew Chief
Standing alongside 475
On Dec. 7, 2007 contact was
made with Mike Peterson who now resides in Eugene, Oregon.
Mike just happened to be surfing the internet when he came across
his old Cobra helicopter now sitting in Veterans Memorial Park.
Mike was a member of the 7th Armored Squadron, C-troop, of the 1st
Air Cav. unit which operated out of Vinh Long, Vietnam. He was
a crew chief and his helicopter was a Cobra attack helicopter with
the serial number of 67-15475. Pictures of 475 in her early
combat years started to surface. Many names, e-mail addresses, phone
numbers and postal addresses were provided by Mike. Thanks
to his contacts, we are now able to answer the many questions park
visitors have concerning the combat history of 475 and the unit to
which she was assigned.
Mike was the second crew
chief of 475. The first was Clyde Strait from Pennsylvania.
He had 475 for three or four months and was then promoted to line
chief. Mike then took over Clyde's duties and was responsible
for keeping 475 combat ready for the remainder of his tour.
The first aircraft
commander of 475 was a young "Snake Driver", 22 year old, WO1 Rob
Bailey. Rob, fresh out of Cobra school in Georgia was soon
transferred to the 7th of the 1st. Rob was the first and last
aircraft commander of 475. The year was 1968 and with C-Troop
being one of the first units in the Delta to receive Cobras, the
call for snake protection was everywhere.
The 1st Air Cav was mainly
used in support of the 9th Inf. Div. They also supported
the Special Forces
camps, truck convoys, river
patrol boats and small unit engagements. The land that was
selected for base operations was below sea level, so the river was
dredged and sand was used to build up the elevation. The men
slept and worked out of tents. A water retention pond was
constructed and it was from this pond that drinking water was
provided. Of course, motor oil, gasoline, hydraulic fluid, jet
fuel, diesel fuel and agent orange seeped into the pond. A
truck with filtration system was supposed to keep the water at a
safe level. Such was life for men of C-Troop, 7th
Armored Squadron, 1st Air Cav.
The following pictures and
comments by members of C-Troop were designed to give you an idea of
the evolution of 475. From "off the showroom floor" to "down
and out", with 475 laying on its side at the end of a runway on 18
Nov 71. 475 was one of nine original Cobras assigned to 7th
Armored Squadron, C-Troop. She logged more than 3000 combat
hours in Vietnam and another 3000 hours in Korea and on border
patrol in Germany. From March 1968 to July 2005, 475 served as
a flight worthy attack helicopter. Rob Bailey, Aircraft
Commander of 475, said that 475 was the best of the original nine
Cobras assigned to C-Troop. According to Rob, it was the only
Cobra that you could barrel roll and live to talk about. Mike
Peterson, Crew Chief, stated that when he left C-Troop to return to
the States, 475 had 27 patched up bullet holes in her. Mike
would patch each hole as the Cobra returned from its mission and
paint a small purple heart on the pilots door. It is not clear
if this practice was continued after Mike left.
In 1972 the 1st Air Cav was
transferred to Ft. Knox where it was eventually disbanded in 1976.
All its helicopters were distributed to other units.
Vietnam Photos
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