| CS Persistent Tear Gas Drop (The pictures on this page are low resolution for a tolerable load time on a 28k modem) 1969 Photos contributed by Barry D. Echols To the west of the Chu Lai base were mountains. We shared the base with the US Air Force. For months we had been plagued by rocket attacks launched from these mountains. The rockets were hidden or buried. At night, a two man team of launchers could sneak into the area, retrieve a rocket, and build a simple launch platform from tree branches. They would wait until the morning to launch, hoping to hit one of the Air Force jets while personnel were moving about for maximum effect. BD beside Russian 122mm Rocket On the first morning after my arrival at the Americal Replacement Center we climbed the sand dunes behind our temporary quarters to see the flames of an F-4 Phantom that fallen victim to a rocket attack. Several months later, after I had been assigned to the Boxcars we flew this mission to attempt to deny access to "rocket ridge." Sweeps of rocket ridge could not find all the hidden rockets. A plan was hatched for massive drops of a very persistent type of tear gas that would last for weeks. If we could not find all the rockets, we could at least try to make the area inacessible to the launch teams. Ground Prep of Gas Cannisters The men dealing with the cannisters are not our regular crew. They are part of a special group dedicated to this special mission. The pictures below were taken by my Crew Chief. I gave him my camera and told him to try to get some shots of the drop. He did an excellent job. I am ashamed to admit that I do not remember his name. String Lined Up Waiting For Launch Launching A String of Cannisters The following photo is my favorite of the drop. The last of the string just clearing the ramp. Last Of A String Going Over The Ramp One of our pilots and one of the crew had to be wearing a gas mask for the entire duration of this mission in case of a malfunction of one of the cannisters. We took turns doing it because it was very uncomfortable and limited vision and communication. The cannisters had a windmill device attached so they were not armed until they had fallen through the air for a set time. BD In Gas Mask There was only a small explosive charge for dispersement of the gas. Not a lot to see when we flew back over the drop area. We flew back to see if it produced a good pattern. Ground Effect of Drops--Just Tiny Poofs, Not Much To See As with all things in Vietnam, it was not clear whether this mission was a success. The rocket attacks on Chu Lai base did decrease afterwards so perhaps it was. . | 
