Hugh L. Mills Robert A. Anderson

Hugh L. Mills Robert A. Anderson

Low Level Hell

Hugh L. Mills, Jr.

with Robert A. Anderson

LOW LEVEL HELL

^{A SCOUT PILOT IN THE BIG RED ONE}

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to the memory of the officers, noncommissioned officers, and troopers who died on the field of battle with Darkhorse in 1969. May they rest in peace.

WOl James K. Ameigh, aeroscout pilot, 24 June.

PFC William J. Brown, aerorifleman, 17 November.

SGT Allen H. Caldwell, aerorifleman, 17 November.

SP5 James L. Downing, aeroscout gunner, 6 November.

SP4 August F. Hamilton, aerorifleman, 28 July.

SP4 Eric T. Harshberger, aerolift crew chief, 1 November.

PFC Michael H. Lawhon, aerorifleman, 11 August.

SSG James R. Potter, aeroscout gunner, 11 September

1LT Bruce S. Gibson, aeroscout pilot, 11 September

SP4 James A. Slater, aeroscout gunner, 24 June.

WOl Henry J. Vad, aeroscout pilot, 6 November.

SGT James R. Woods, aerorifleman, 11 August.

FOREWORD

Ever since man began to create military forces, the role of the military scout has been an extremely dangerous one. Working out in front of friendly forces, he has been exposed continually to the enemy–the first to make contact, and usually outgunned and outnumbered.

During the settlement of our country the scouts along the frontier laid their lives on the line daily. They played a major role in our development and are some of the true heroes of the times.

With the advent of the balloon in the middle of the last century, aerial reconnaissance was born. Scouts in the Civil War observed enemy activities from these lofty perches. Then came the manned airplane, and the drone airplane followed.

When the helicopter was introduced to the military inventory in the mid‑ twentieth century, the aeroscout technique was developed. It came into its own in the Vietnam War. Without taking anything away from the exploits of those brave men who gained fame in the early stages of our country’s development, men such as Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, and Jim Bowie, the aeroscout achieved an effectiveness far superior to that of his forebears. Also, his exposure to the enemy was increased manyfold. Long hours of daily exposure to heavy ground fire, in often‑ marginal weather and over treacherous terrain, served to test the mettle of these brave young men.

This book is an account of one man’s experiences in the Vietnam War as an aeroscout pilot. Hugh Mills is eminently qualified to write such a story. He served two tours in Vietnam as an aeroscout pilot and was instrumental in developing many of the tactics and techniques employed by the aeroscouts, as well as improving upon some of the original concepts. During that time he was shot down sixteen times, wounded three times, and earned numerous decorations for valor, including three Silver Stars, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, and three Bronze Stars with V devices. He knows whereof he speaks.

On my second tour in Vietnam it was my good fortune to be assigned as commander of the First Infantry Division, The Big Red One. Early on, the aeroscouts came to my attention. An extraordinary amount of enemy information being received at division headquarters came from this small unit. Naturally, I was somewhat skeptical. Compared with the volume and detail furnished by other intelligence‑ gathering agencies, it appeared that the aeroscouts might be overly imaginative. Accordingly, I set out to determine just who was doing what. I frequently over‑ flew aeroscout operations and monitored their communications from my command‑ and‑ control helicopter. It was quickly evident that these hardy souls were reliable, expert, and, above all, very brave. They were furnishing the lion’s share of intelligence information because they had the knowledge, the will, and the guts to go out and get it.

During the monsoon season they flew at times when even the native ducks were grounded. When they suspected enemy presence but could not observe any signs, they deliberately and routinely exposed themselves to hostile fire by dropping through “holes” in the jungle canopy to hover at ground level and look under the trees. They invited someone to shoot at them. Anyone who has heard the snap of bullets flying by his head, or has experienced the shattering sound of enemy fire slamming into the fuselage of an aircraft, can appreciate the kind of courage it takes to invite such action.

The point to be made here is that although this book may appear to be a novel with historical background, it is not. Neither is it a self‑ serving attempt on the part of Hugh Mills to appear as a hero. It is a factual account of a group of extraordinarily valiant young men who fought as aeroscouts in the Vietnam War. All who read it should be extremely grateful to them.

A. E. Milloy

Major General, U. S. Army, Retired

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