History - 1971

HISTORY OF THE 282ND ASSAULT HELICOPTER COMPANY

1 JANUARY - 31 JANUARY 1971

by William "Mike" Peterson

There is no official history from the Department of the Army.

The Bob Hope Tour had come and gone. Black Cats were still flying ash and trash missions while the NVA were building up to something. Talk was all over the company area and it seemed like something big.

By 3 February 70% of the company had moved to Dong Hoa for Lam Son 719. The 282nd now lived in World War II type tents and ate C rations. There were over 2000 helicopters involved and in one day alone nine aircraft were lost and fifteen Americans were killed. The NVA owned the mountains around Khe Sanh.

[ed. note On 29 April 1971, CWO William George Hasselman was killed when he walked into the tail rotor of a Huey on maintenance post flight inspection at 1900 hrs in Da Nang. ]