Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? - The Firearms Forum

Jay · 09-23-2003, 11:35 PM

Puff the Magic Dragon....... Viet Nam 1968 Full auto at its best at over 3000 rounds per minute. I took these photos just northwest of the KheSanh combat base. Remember, between every red dot are four more rounds that aren't tracers.

rooter · 09-24-2003, 05:10 AM

Greetings Jay and thanks for sharing the Puff photos---I just copied them and now I can tell and show---used to tell what the sounds were like when the Dragon was working---we were almost neighbors in 68 if you were in Khe Sanh-- was with the Seabees at Dong Ha---only made it to KheSanh that one time---to Camp Carroll and the Rock Pile several. The M-1 carbine you showed Jay---used to carry one of those on watch down in the Philippines in the early 50's---we were down there building the Cubi Point Naval Air Station. Wilborn

Jay · 09-24-2003, 08:48 AM

Hi Rooter,

Just got those pics and some others copied from slides. Sometime today, I'm gonna post the pic of one of the miniguns that's skid mounted on a Huey. You're welcome to that one too.

I was attached to 3/26 after I got to KheSanh. Got there by way of Quang Tri, Phu Bai, Dong Ha, then up the river thru Cam Lo, Camp Carroll, and finally past the pile.

Regards, Jay

rooter · 09-24-2003, 03:29 PM

Did you look at the photos JD posted for me---there is a front view and a side few of the old C-47 with the mini-guns you can see--those photos were taken at DaNang in 69---the old French ammo dump that was supposed to have been cleaned up wasn't--one of our crew was in there laying concertina and when he jumped off the duece and ahalf a Bouncing Betty cut him clean in two---his name was Jones, and E-6 Builder---HospitalCorpsman Burden crawled into the field to render aid and picked up a Bronze for his efforts. Later. Chief

Hope 69/70 · 10-02-2003, 10:54 PM

Thank you Jay for the excellent post.

It is post such as yours that make this board.

BTW, Welcome Home!

Hope

berto64 · 11-22-2004, 01:45 PM

Puff was a real dragon and he did have a roar! When those guns opened up it was a Great Roar!

jerryd · 12-10-2004, 03:28 PM

I remember the first time i saw one,only in country about 2 weeks in Pleiku awesome! Just before i left they had some Huey Cobras at Qui Nhon airport couldnt figure out what they were till we went to the APO to pick up the mail, think there were 6 of them NICE!!!! Smoked Charlies Butt!!!

Salvage33 · 12-17-2004, 09:41 PM

Awesome photo's. Only saw Puff work one time, Jan. 1966. We had taken time off for the Christmas/New Year's "holiday routine at sea" which only meant that we weren't flying SAR missions or "barrier" missions 24 hours a day. And we had declared a "cease fire"...of sorts. While we were praising the Lord, they were passing the ammunition. Highway 1 was bumper to bumper from Haiphong down to the Z and back. Looked like a dog tag chain on radar.

Anyway, we kept extending the "cease fire" and announced over AF Radio that it was likely we would extend it another 24 hours. At approximately 1600 hours of that day, all crews were briefed, tactical briefing, new ordnance, etc., and at 0000.01 some Dakota Lamp Lighters crossed the Z heading north and kept kicking out flares ever 1000 meters or so....lighting the way for the first wave of A-4's to go in and drop some nasty little 250# bombs. I think every plane in the arsenal was in the air at one time or another, as flight after flight after flight bombed the absolute living crap out of Hwy 1 for about 25 miles. Just before they broadcast a message for all aircraft to clear out to sea and take up marshalling positions, two or three flights of Marine Phantoms laid down about six miles of napalm, cleared out, then B-52's out of Guam and where ever else carpet bombed another 12 or 15 miles of the road.

Secondary explosions were almost constant, then just before dawn, Puff.. well, four or five of those magnificent ammo burners went up the length of bombed road and shot up everything within 300 meters either side of the highway. When daylight came, we did a photo recon to do bomb damage assessments and that part of the world looked like a moonscape. Nothing but charred earth and burnt out vehicles and lots and lots and lots of bomb craters.

It was very sobering and at the same time, extremely awesome.

John

williamd · 03-28-2007, 09:01 PM

Jay, fantastic. Saw one SE of Danang in 65-66. I was impressed. Then I was several miles for a B-52 strike somewhat later. Also, awesome from several miles! Impersonal, sure, but the ground got too personal at times. Have a neighbor that flew an A1 ... that was also personal as his pics show!

sportster · 03-31-2007, 08:07 AM

Here is one more picture of Puff getting a workout outside of Bien Hoa AB in 1966. I had to feed Puff!

Nightrider2 · 12-09-2007, 11:26 PM

I was at Khe Sanh in 67-68 then went to Hill 881 South the day after Christmas, ended up being there for a long, long time. Puff spent a lot of time around our Hill, he rototilled the surrounding area on a regular basis, THANKS PUFF!! You probably helped make it possible for me to be here writing this, this Christmas.

rooter · 12-10-2007, 10:07 AM

welcome on board, Rider....Chief

AL MOUNT · 12-10-2007, 11:24 AM

Welcome to the forum Night rider.

LZ Sally was our base camp during Tet 68.

JD · 12-15-2007, 02:50 AM

Welcome to the VMBB Nightrider2.

junkman6970 · 05-22-2009, 08:18 PM

I had seen its use at night on our mountain top in Dalat, II corp area on 11 Jun 1970 and it saved use from being overrun. Thanks all Vietnam Veterans. Us Army 1968-88,

RunningOnMT · 05-23-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkman6970

I had seen its use at night on our mountain top in Dalat, II corp area on 11 Jun 1970 and it saved use from being overrun. Thanks all Vietnam Veterans. Us Army 1968-88,

Dittos. I can say without reservation that I would not be here today were it not for Puff or Spooky as it was later called.

Pistolenschutze · 05-23-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningOnMT

Dittos. I can say without reservation that I would not be here today were it not for Puff or Spooky as it was later called.

+1 on that ROMT!

Saito100 · 06-16-2009, 05:26 PM

Got to see Puff work once in Vietnam, the rest of the time it was watching the Snakes (AKA Cobras) with the mini gun in the nose.

hotsights · 05-09-2010, 05:43 PM

I was with 3/4 Marines as a Bn Scout in July 1966 and just before we left Camp Carroll (Dong Ha) to start Operation Hastings. The night before we moved out, Puff was washing down the mountain range and it looked like a garden hose firing red water. Next day when we reached the top of that range, not a leaf and very little bark was left on the trees.

We found some machine ammo belts in some bunkers and when you broke the belt, wet blood splatterd all over you.

Hastings was like that for the next week, two fellow Marines won the Medal Of Honor on that operation. Yes, it was a bloody war and seems dying goes hand in hand with freedom, never seems to make sense does it?

Semper Fi

thepailrider · 07-17-2011, 09:08 PM

Hello, soldiers let me first thank each and everyone of you for what you gave and what each of you lost over there on foriegn soil's. My father was a vietnam veteran sorry to say we lost him this year to cancer. I saw on a post on the patriot network today where Hanoi Jane was upset because Qvc decided not to have her on after much protest (at least some of us still havesome sense) But was very upset to see the she had recieved or was put on a list as being one of Americas 100best women for the love of God all mighty did that happen.And I would like to know if there is any way we can work to get her name off that list I dont believe we should honor a traitor! Any thought's

rooter · 07-18-2011, 03:36 PM

GREETINGS RIDER!!! Welcome on board...I suppose I could declare myself the welcoming committee and not be challenged ...been doing it now for more than 10 years...Odd handle you've selected, PAIL RIDER...does it have any significance...I watched that old Clint Eastwood movie by that name but spelled differently ...This is your first post and you selected an old timer posting from way back when...Stick around and visit...where do you hail from and what's your line of work? I'm a retired navy Seabee so that accounts for my handle, CHIEF...

Ironman387 · 12-06-2011, 06:43 PM

Would like to say Welcome home to all you guys and introduce my self,I just joined this fourm and been admiring it for a while . I go by Ironman 387 also spent 1966 with the Big Red One A Co 1st/28th Inf (Black Lions) Based out of Phouc Vinh....

ignats · 01-26-2012, 10:37 PM

I was a forward air controller (FAC) with India 3/5 at An Hoa. The call sign for those planes was "Spooky" which is what we called them. When called in during night fighting, you could hear their engines way off. That usually stopped whatever the NVA were up to. They knew there was no way to avoid their fire so they made their di di.

Jay · 01-27-2012, 05:35 AM

Thank you for your service.... welcome home.......

bobski · 02-25-2012, 08:53 PM

memories.

09-23-2003, 11:35 PM	#1
Jay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,286	Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Puff the Magic Dragon....... Viet Nam 1968 Full auto at its best at over 3000 rounds per minute. I took these photos just northwest of the KheSanh combat base. Remember, between every red dot are four more rounds that aren't tracers. __________________ "For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected cannot taste." "USMC 8652, 2531, RVN Jun '67, - May 69" -->

09-24-2003, 05:10 AM	#2
rooter VMBB Senior Chief Of Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marty Robbins old hometown, Glendale Arizona--a suburb of Phoenix. Contributor Posts: 9,269	Greetings Jay and thanks for sharing the Puff photos---I just copied them and now I can tell and show---used to tell what the sounds were like when the Dragon was working---we were almost neighbors in 68 if you were in Khe Sanh-- was with the Seabees at Dong Ha---only made it to KheSanh that one time---to Camp Carroll and the Rock Pile several. The M-1 carbine you showed Jay---used to carry one of those on watch down in the Philippines in the early 50's---we were down there building the Cubi Point Naval Air Station. Wilborn __________________

09-24-2003, 08:48 AM	#3
Jay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,286	Hi Rooter, Just got those pics and some others copied from slides. Sometime today, I'm gonna post the pic of one of the miniguns that's skid mounted on a Huey. You're welcome to that one too. I was attached to 3/26 after I got to KheSanh. Got there by way of Quang Tri, Phu Bai, Dong Ha, then up the river thru Cam Lo, Camp Carroll, and finally past the pile. Regards, Jay __________________ "For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected cannot taste." "USMC 8652, 2531, RVN Jun '67, - May 69"

09-24-2003, 03:29 PM	#4
rooter VMBB Senior Chief Of Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marty Robbins old hometown, Glendale Arizona--a suburb of Phoenix. Contributor Posts: 9,269	Did you look at the photos JD posted for me---there is a front view and a side few of the old C-47 with the mini-guns you can see--those photos were taken at DaNang in 69---the old French ammo dump that was supposed to have been cleaned up wasn't--one of our crew was in there laying concertina and when he jumped off the duece and ahalf a Bouncing Betty cut him clean in two---his name was Jones, and E-6 Builder---HospitalCorpsman Burden crawled into the field to render aid and picked up a Bronze for his efforts. Later. Chief __________________

10-02-2003, 10:54 PM	#5
Hope 69/70 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 2,549	Thank you Jay for the excellent post. It is post such as yours that make this board. BTW, Welcome Home! Hope __________________ WAC - HQ. USARV / G1, Long Binh - Feb 69 - Feb 70

11-22-2004, 01:45 PM	#6
berto64 VMBB Admin Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Owyhee County, Idaho Contributor Posts: 7,385	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Puff was a real dragon and he did have a roar! When those guns opened up it was a Great Roar! __________________ Be who you are & say what you will, Those that matter won't mind and those that mind don't matter. I'm a bitter clinger, One Nation Under God.

12-10-2004, 03:28 PM	#7
jerryd V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Trumbull,Ct Posts: 64	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? I remember the first time i saw one,only in country about 2 weeks in Pleiku awesome! Just before i left they had some Huey Cobras at Qui Nhon airport couldnt figure out what they were till we went to the APO to pick up the mail, think there were 6 of them NICE!!!! Smoked Charlies Butt!!!

12-17-2004, 09:41 PM	#8
Salvage33 V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Shreveport, LA why leave the USA to visit a 3rd world country? Posts: 475	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Awesome photo's. Only saw Puff work one time, Jan. 1966. We had taken time off for the Christmas/New Year's "holiday routine at sea" which only meant that we weren't flying SAR missions or "barrier" missions 24 hours a day. And we had declared a "cease fire"...of sorts. While we were praising the Lord, they were passing the ammunition. Highway 1 was bumper to bumper from Haiphong down to the Z and back. Looked like a dog tag chain on radar. Anyway, we kept extending the "cease fire" and announced over AF Radio that it was likely we would extend it another 24 hours. At approximately 1600 hours of that day, all crews were briefed, tactical briefing, new ordnance, etc., and at 0000.01 some Dakota Lamp Lighters crossed the Z heading north and kept kicking out flares ever 1000 meters or so....lighting the way for the first wave of A-4's to go in and drop some nasty little 250# bombs. I think every plane in the arsenal was in the air at one time or another, as flight after flight after flight bombed the absolute living crap out of Hwy 1 for about 25 miles. Just before they broadcast a message for all aircraft to clear out to sea and take up marshalling positions, two or three flights of Marine Phantoms laid down about six miles of napalm, cleared out, then B-52's out of Guam and where ever else carpet bombed another 12 or 15 miles of the road. Secondary explosions were almost constant, then just before dawn, Puff.. well, four or five of those magnificent ammo burners went up the length of bombed road and shot up everything within 300 meters either side of the highway. When daylight came, we did a photo recon to do bomb damage assessments and that part of the world looked like a moonscape. Nothing but charred earth and burnt out vehicles and lots and lots and lots of bomb craters. It was very sobering and at the same time, extremely awesome. John __________________ Living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

03-28-2007, 09:01 PM	#9
williamd Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 772	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Jay, fantastic. Saw one SE of Danang in 65-66. I was impressed. Then I was several miles for a B-52 strike somewhat later. Also, awesome from several miles! Impersonal, sure, but the ground got too personal at times. Have a neighbor that flew an A1 ... that was also personal as his pics show! __________________ "Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns!" But, we are moving that direction. NRA Benefactor, Vet VN '64-'65 Never sell a gun or a car and you can retire right!!

03-31-2007, 08:07 AM	#10
sportster Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: PA Posts: 13	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Here is one more picture of Puff getting a workout outside of Bien Hoa AB in 1966. I had to feed Puff! Attached Images __________________ Rick Viet Nam Vet 66-67 Last edited by sportster; 03-31-2007 at 03:07 PM..

12-09-2007, 11:26 PM	#11
Nightrider2 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? I was at Khe Sanh in 67-68 then went to Hill 881 South the day after Christmas, ended up being there for a long, long time. Puff spent a lot of time around our Hill, he rototilled the surrounding area on a regular basis, THANKS PUFF!! You probably helped make it possible for me to be here writing this, this Christmas.

12-10-2007, 10:07 AM	#12
rooter VMBB Senior Chief Of Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marty Robbins old hometown, Glendale Arizona--a suburb of Phoenix. Contributor Posts: 9,269	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? welcome on board, Rider....Chief __________________

12-10-2007, 11:24 AM	#13
AL MOUNT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cleaning my Thompson in The Foothills of the Ozark Mountains Posts: 3,107	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Welcome to the forum Night rider. LZ Sally was our base camp during Tet 68. __________________ 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division Vietnam 67-68

12-15-2007, 02:50 AM	#14
JD VMBB Admin Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 4,408	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Welcome to the VMBB Nightrider2.

05-22-2009, 08:18 PM	#15
junkman6970 Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? I had seen its use at night on our mountain top in Dalat, II corp area on 11 Jun 1970 and it saved use from being overrun. Thanks all Vietnam Veterans. Us Army 1968-88,

06-16-2009, 05:26 PM	#18
Saito100 V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 50	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Got to see Puff work once in Vietnam, the rest of the time it was watching the Snakes (AKA Cobras) with the mini gun in the nose. __________________ 2nd Bn 19th Arty 1st Cav 1969~1970 Cambodia April~May 1970

05-09-2010, 05:43 PM	#19
hotsights V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 55	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? I was with 3/4 Marines as a Bn Scout in July 1966 and just before we left Camp Carroll (Dong Ha) to start Operation Hastings. The night before we moved out, Puff was washing down the mountain range and it looked like a garden hose firing red water. Next day when we reached the top of that range, not a leaf and very little bark was left on the trees. We found some machine ammo belts in some bunkers and when you broke the belt, wet blood splatterd all over you. Hastings was like that for the next week, two fellow Marines won the Medal Of Honor on that operation. Yes, it was a bloody war and seems dying goes hand in hand with freedom, never seems to make sense does it? Semper Fi

07-17-2011, 09:08 PM	#20
thepailrider Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Hello, soldiers let me first thank each and everyone of you for what you gave and what each of you lost over there on foriegn soil's. My father was a vietnam veteran sorry to say we lost him this year to cancer. I saw on a post on the patriot network today where Hanoi Jane was upset because Qvc decided not to have her on after much protest (at least some of us still havesome sense) But was very upset to see the she had recieved or was put on a list as being one of Americas 100best women for the love of God all mighty did that happen.And I would like to know if there is any way we can work to get her name off that list I dont believe we should honor a traitor! Any thought's

07-18-2011, 03:36 PM	#21
rooter VMBB Senior Chief Of Staff Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Marty Robbins old hometown, Glendale Arizona--a suburb of Phoenix. Contributor Posts: 9,269	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? GREETINGS RIDER!!! Welcome on board...I suppose I could declare myself the welcoming committee and not be challenged ...been doing it now for more than 10 years...Odd handle you've selected, PAIL RIDER...does it have any significance...I watched that old Clint Eastwood movie by that name but spelled differently ...This is your first post and you selected an old timer posting from way back when...Stick around and visit...where do you hail from and what's your line of work? I'm a retired navy Seabee so that accounts for my handle, CHIEF... __________________

12-06-2011, 06:43 PM	#22
Ironman387 Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Rome Ga Posts: 8	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Would like to say Welcome home to all you guys and introduce my self,I just joined this fourm and been admiring it for a while . I go by Ironman 387 also spent 1966 with the Big Red One A Co 1st/28th Inf (Black Lions) Based out of Phouc Vinh....

01-26-2012, 10:37 PM	#23
ignats V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 93	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? I was a forward air controller (FAC) with India 3/5 at An Hoa. The call sign for those planes was "Spooky" which is what we called them. When called in during night fighting, you could hear their engines way off. That usually stopped whatever the NVA were up to. They knew there was no way to avoid their fire so they made their di di.

01-27-2012, 05:35 AM	#24
Jay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,286	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? Thank you for your service.... welcome home....... __________________ "For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected cannot taste." "USMC 8652, 2531, RVN Jun '67, - May 69"

02-25-2012, 08:53 PM	#25
bobski Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: va., conn., & mo. Posts: 948	Re: Remember when when Puff was a REAL dragon ??? memories. Attached Images