68th Assault Helicopter Company

-->

\| Home \| Top Tigers \| Mustangs \|	2016 Reunion Photos 2016 Reunion
Photos	Association Main Page 2016 Reunion Main Page	Photo page 1

Click on each thumbnail to see a high resolution photo of that image. This may take some time for telephone linked computers, the files are large.

Kent Hufford Tet Experience

Vietnamese Airborne Ranger Beret Presented to 68th AHC Association during 2016 Reunion


This Vietnamese Airborne Ranger red beret was given as a souvenir to SGT Jerry Mathews by Vietnamese Airborne Ranger SGT Nguyen Xuang on Bien Hoa Air Base, RVN, in 1968. 
Mathews was a K-9 handler on Bien Hoa AB with 3rd Tactical Air Wing from 29 Dec 1967 until 17 Dec 1968. Xuang was a member of a South Vietnamese Airborne Ranger Company 
based at Bien Hoa AB. The two were friends for several months in 1968 while based on Bien Hoa AB.

The 68th Assault Helicopter Company was also based on Bien Hoa AB with 145th Combat Aviation Battalion in 1968 and was instrumental
in defending Bien Hoa AB during the 68 Tet Offensive Battle of Bien Hoa in the early morning hours of 31 Jan 1968. 
The 145th Combat Aviation Battation gunships prevented an assault on the east end of Bien Hoa AB by a large enemy force
of Viet Cong mixed with North Vietnamese Army regulars. Without the skill and fire power of the Assault Helicopter gunships, 
it is likely the east end of the AB would have been overrun by the enemy forces which would have inflicted heavy casualties on the AB perimeter defenders. 
The quick response and accurate fire power of the Assault Helicopter gunships inflicted many casualties on the enemy forces and thwarted the assault on the AB.
 
Mathews, who was a K-9 handler on the perimeter of the AB during the Tet Offensive attack, was invited to attend the 
68th Assault Helicopter Company Association 2016 reunion August, 2016, in Boise, Idaho. 

During the reunion Mathews presented the Vietnamese Airborne Ranger beret to the 68th Assault Helicopter Company Association as a token
of his deep respect and admiration for the helicopter crew members for their service during the Tet Offensive Battle of Bien Hoa in 1968.

 
Note: The Beret was immediately donated to the Warhawk Museum in Boise, Idaho to accompany the display of Helicopter Gunship 069 that was flown by 
      crew members of the 68th AHC.

All images on this site remain the personal property of this site and the contributor of the photo. You may download them for your personal use but they may not be published or used on any other site without written permission from the webmaster and the contributor.