The Pigs in action!
Most of these photos were taken by Aircraft Commander 1LT Tom Hannigan while flying Captain Guts. These scenes are what you might experience while fighting as a light fire team back in the 60s and 70s.
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This map of the Saigon AO is the largest photo on this site. It may take a few moments to open on your particular computer. During their existence, the Razorbacks operated out of Hotel 3 & Tan Son Nhut AFB, both in Saigon, briefly from Long Binh, and lastly, out of the tiny Navy Base at Nha Be located on a sharp bend on the Nha Be River Southeast of Saigon. In the early days, the Razorbacks covered all of South Vietnam, not just this portion of III Corps.
The Saigon Area of Operations
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What the back seat sees looking out the front.
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Early morning butt kickin’ by LT Tom Hannigan in “Captain Guts”.
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Once in a while you’d capture enemy weapons such as this CHICOM SKS carbine.
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Rocket sight on! The rocket sight was mounted over the pilot’s head on the right side of the aircraft. The other pilot could not utilize it. Experienced pilots would often quit using it altogether and simply mark a cross with grease pencil on the windshield as a substitute. Worked like a charm, too.
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Suppressing enemy fire in the Rung Sat. English equivalent: Swamp of Death.
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A B Model’s calling card at night.
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Light fire team puttin’ the hurt on Charlie.
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The deck can get a little cluttered.
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Bad guys in the tree line!
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Charlie thought he could hide here.
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Out Hunting.
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SP/4 Van Lehn loading rockets.
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Trouble in Paradise.
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Saigon during TET of ’68
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Sometimes you catch a bad guy alive.
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Can you spot the Viet Cong bunker?
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Taking fire! VC in the hooch below!
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SP/4 Jerry Hujar quickly links belts of 7.62 during an early morning mission.
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Door gunner working out with his ’60.
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Not all deadly combat involved shoot ’em ups with Charlie. Sea Gulls could do just as much nasty damage when they would get too near! SP/4 Tom Van Lehn points to a hostile B1-Rd strike.
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Rollin’ in hot on Charlie haidin’ in the Nipa palm.
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South Vietnamese Rangers we supported. These guys were very good soldiers.