118ahc.org Website Review

   118th as*ault helicopter company (photo courtesy tommy thornton, 65-66) (for details about this photo, click. on 7 june 1963 the 118th aviation company(aml) was constituted in the regular army by agao-o (23 jul 63). then, on 25 june 1963, general. order 236, hq, us army, pacific, activated the 118th aviation company (aml) as one of the two helicopter units comprising the 145th aviation. rising like a phoenix from the deactivated 33rd transportation company(light helicopter) which had arrived in vietnam during the. autumn of 1962 aboard the usns croatan from ft. ord, ca, the 118th thunderbirds immediately began to typify their motto....it shall be. fully operational as an as*ault helicopter company in july 1963, the thunderbirds chalked up an impressive record of combat as*aults during. their first month of operation, without the benefit of an armed helicopter platoon. flying dual rotor ch-21's, the pilots and crews. had to resort to the use of personal sidearms when as*aulting a hostile lz. one of the thunderbirds' first confirmed viet cong kills. was reported to have been when a door gunner shot from the aircraft's landing gear with his pistol.. with the replacement of the ch-21 with the uh-1b helicopter in sep 1963, the armed 3rd platoon bandits was created. during nov 1963,. the bandits were credited with more than 150 enemy kills, a record not surpas*ed until the large build-up of american troops in 1965.. organized for heliborne operations over the myriad terrain features of the iii corps area, the 118th was the model for the as*ault helicopter. unit concept that would follow in another two years. the thunderbirds were so highly regarded by the commanders of other helicopter units. that they were constantly training crew members of the new units that began pouring into vietnam.. known as thefirst of the as*ault helicopter companies, the 118th actively participated in every major battle and operation in iii. corps, distinguishing itself in the early years in the battle of dong xoai, operations attleboro, cedar falls, and junction city.