- Title: VM-1164A
- Summary: THE BIG PICTURE:
- Description:00:02:36 - "THE SHOTGUN RIDER" STORY OF THE HELICOPTER DOOR GUNNERS. FILM SHOWS THE INTENSE TRAINING A GUNNER RECEIVES & FOLLOWS THEM ON A COMBAT MISSION IN VIETNAM. FILM IS NARRATED BY ONE OF THEM 00:02:41 - CU PILOT, CO-PILOT AND CREW CHIEF AT CONTROLS IN A HELICOPTER BEFORE THE ADDITION OF DOOR GUNNERS. DOOR GUNNER FIRES HIS MACHINE-GUN DOWN INTO THE RICE PADDIES OF VIETNAM. 00:03:25 - CU SERGEANTS ISAAC VELASCO AND DENNIS TROTZEL AT ATTENTION WITH OTHERS OUTSIDE BARRACKS IN HAWAII BEFORE VOLUNTEERING FOR SIDE DOOR GUNNERS TRAINING VELASCO NARRATES. 00:04:20 - DOCTOR EXAMINES VELASCO WHO IS STRIPPED TO THE WAIST. SAME IS DONE WITH TROTSEL. VELASCO LAYS IN BED AS HE IS GIVEN AN ELECTROCARDIAGRAM TEST. EKG. HEART MONITOR MACHINE. 00:04:45 - VELASCO IS SEEN THROUGH BOOTH WINDOW WITH EARPHONES AS HE IS GIVEN A CRITICAL HEARING TEST 00:05:06 - TRAINEES EXAMINE A "HUEY HELICOPTER, THE ONE THEY WILL BE FLYING IN VIETNAM. VELASCO & TROTZEL TIE DOWN FOR 1ST HELICOPTER FLIGHT 00:06:02 - OTHERS ATTENTIVELY WATCH VELASCO DISASSEMBLES AN M-60 MACHINE-GUN. THE M-14 IS ALSO HANDLED. 00:06:43 - CU INSTRUCTOR USES A POINTER ON DRAWING OF M-60 SHOWING ALL ITS PARTS. VELASCO AND TROTZEL WATCH WITH A BANDOLEER OF BULLETS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 00:06:59 - THE MEN FIRE THE M-60 FROM A PRONE POSITION ON THE GROUND, AND STANDING POSITION FROM THE HIP. 00:07:12 - THE MEN CLIMB ABOARD A MOCK UP OF THE UH-I HELICOPTER, "HUEY", MOUNTED ON A FLATBED TRUCK. VELASCO FIRES A LONG BLAST ON M-60 FROM THE HIP 00:08:00 - AERIAL BARREN FIRING RANGE ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU HAWAII, IS SEEN FROM OPEN SIDE DOOR BY VELASCO. INSTRUCTOR BRIEFS THE TRAINEES ON A MAP ON THE GROUND SHOWING THEM TARGETS WITH HIS POINTER 00:09:26 - VELASCO SPRAYS BULLETS ON THE GROUND TARGETS FROM THE HELICOPTER FLYING LOW. CU SPENT CARTRIDGES POUR OUT OF THE M-60 AT AN ENORMOUS VOLUME. 00:10:08 - TRAINEES DO PUSH-UPS AS THEY FOLLOW AN INSTRUCTOR SHOWING THEM FROM A PLATFORM. TRAINEES WEARING LIFE JACKETS JUMP INTO POOL FOR TRAINING SHOULD THEY GET SHOT DOWN OVER WATER. 00:10:56 - IN CASE THEY HAVE NO LIFE JACKETS, MEN TAKE OFF SHOES AND PANTS, TIE A KNOT IN PANTS LEG, BLOW INTO IT AND USE IT AS A FLOAT. 00:11:06 - INSTRUCTOR SHOWS TRAINEES HOW TO START FIRE BY RUBBING STICKS TOGETHER. MONGOOSE IS HELD UP AND SHOWN AS A POSSIBLE FOOD SOURCE. 00:12:00 - INSTRUCTOR BUTCHERS MONGOOSE IN FRONT OF THE MEN, THEN THEY LINE UP AND EAT THE MONGOOSE STEW 00:12:17 - ACTRESS JULIE ANDREWS VISITS THE MEN IN CAMP. 00:12:32 - CU VELASCO'S HAND HOLDING A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE AND SQUEEZING CHEMICAL OUT OF IT IN FIRST AID TRAINING SESSION. HE THEN WALKS OVER TO TROTZEL AND PREPARES TO INJECT HIM IN HIS ARM. 00:12:47 - VELASCO AND TRETZEL VISIT SCOFIELD BARRACKS MUSEUM AND PERUSE THE VINTAGE WEAPONS AND VEHICLES, INCLUDING A WWII JAPANESE TANK 00:13:45 - TWO GIRL DATES TAKE TROTZEL AND VELASCO, IN CIVILIAN CLOTHING, TO TOP OF ALOHA TOWERS WHERE THEY SEE HAWAIIAN SCENERY. 00:14:14 - HAWAIIAN HOTEL AND WAIKAIKI BEACH AS SEEN FROM TOWER. THE TWO GIRLS TRY TO KNOCK EACH OTHERS OFF SHOULDERS OF MEN AS THEY PLAY GAME IN WATER AT WAIKAIKI BEACH. VELASCO DROPS HIS GIRL IN WATER 00:14:46 - THE 4 RUN ON THE SAND TO THEIR BLANKET AND DRY THEMSELVES OFF WITH TOWELS. TROTZEL RUBS SUNBURN LOTION ON HIS DATE'S BACK, AS DOES VELASCO. 00:15:36 - THE 2 COUPLES RIDE ALONG IN A CONVERTIBLE. NEXT DAY THE TWO RUN DOUBLE TIMING WITH THE SQUAD IN EARLY MORNING DRILL. 00:15:59 - THE NEW GUNNERS BOARD A KC-135 TRANSPORT PLANE TO VIETNAM. THE GIS FEEL LIKE TOURISTS WHEN THEY GET OFF PLANE IN VIETNAM UNTIL THEY ARRIVE AT THE 197TH AVIATION COMPANY. 00:16:30 - THE MEN LINE UP TO DRAW OUT HELMETS AND FLAK JACKETS FROM SUPPLY. 00:17:00 - VELASCO AND HIS PARTNER ARE BRIEFED ON THE HELICOPTERS WEAPONS THEN BRIEFED AGAIN BEFORE GOING ON THEIR 1ST MISSION. THE 2 STRAP THEMSELVES IN THE HELICOPTER AND IT TAKES OFF. 00:19:10 - VELASCO SITS ON THE EDGE OF DOORWAY WITH HIS M-60 IN HAND. MONTAGE VIEW OF GROUND AS SEEN BY VELASCO. 00:21:08 - CU ROCKET SHOOTS OUT OF THE LAUNCHER AS SEEN BY VELASCO FROM HIS SHOTGUN SEAT. YELLOW SMOKE GRENADE THROWN OUT BY VELASCO MARKS THE ENEMY POSITION ON THE GROUND. 00:22:20 - FOUR GIS CARRY A WOUNDED GI ON A STRETCHER, TO THE WAITING HELICOPTER. GI HOLDS PLASMA BOTTLE AS THE WOUNDED IS PLACED IN THE "HEUY". 00:23:41 - MONTAGE GIS LOAD AMMO CRATES, WATER AND ALL SORTS OF SUPPLIES ON THE "HUEY". 00:23:52 - VIETNAMESE WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE TAKEN ABOARD A HELICOPTER IN A FIELD AFTER THEIR VILLAGE WAS SUSPECTED OF BEING VIET CONG CONTROLLED 00:24:40 - AERIAL CONVOY OF TRUCKS ON A ROAD ARE GIVEN ESCORT BY THE HELICOPTER TO PREVENT AMBUSH AS IT PASSES THROUGH A VILLAGE. PAN 00:25:46 - BULLET HOLE IN HELICOPTERS FLARE BOX AND FLOOR ARE CHECKED, ATTESTING TO VIET CONG GROUND FIRE. VELASCO AND HIS PARTNER REARMS THE HELICOPTER WITH ROCKET AND OTHER AMMO FOR THE NEXT MISSION. 00:26:58 - AS TROTZEL CLEANS HIS WEAPON OTHER GUNNERS SIT AROUND AND CHAT WITH HIM. TROTZEL AND VELASCO SIT ON THEIR BUNKS AND WRITE LETTERS. 00:27:37 - THE 2 MEN EACH SIT IN A CYCLE CAB DRIVEN BY A NATIVE WHO PEDALS THEM AROUND THE TOWN. VELASCO BARGAINS WITH A SIDEWALK MERCHANT FOR A PUP. 00:28:49 - HELICOPTER ON NIGHT MISSION IS BARELY SEEN.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1966
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1960s
- File Name: VM-1164A