The 'Monkey Strap Boogie'

This is John's recollection of a flight during his training to become a Centaurs gunship Crew Chief and what can happen when you just aren't ready for everything that can happen.

(Webmaster's note: After reading John's short but very descriptive story here I was inspired to call his adventure 'The Monkey Strap Boogie' because I can almost see in my minds eye the snatching and grabbing and cussing he was probably doing while he was going out the cabin in one direction while the helicopter was going in another direction. I enjoy reading Elmore Leonard novels and believe that the author (Mr. Leonard) might give John's story a title such as The Monkey Strap Boogie. My apologies to John for adding an unrequested title to his story. Charlie Johnson)

Date: January 1967

Aircraft/Crew: UH-1C gunship - Aircraft Commander and Pilot unknown, Crew Chief John Cumbie and Crew Chief trainee/Door Gunner John Williams.

I remember sometime in Jan. 67 being trained by John Cumbie to take over for him as crewchief. We were out N/E of base camp working over a small creek line, flying kinda low (150' to 200') when the A/C yells "Break right!" The pilot just nudges the craft to the left then breaks right. I was standing up firing on the creek line and the next thing I know I'm falling out. In the length of that "monkey strap" I had gathered up several hundred rounds of 7.62 and figured if I lived thru hitting the mud I would take as many of them with me as I could. Then I feel my butt bumping against the skid and look up to see John pulling me back in. All he said to me was, "You know those cargo rings have been know to pull out."

What did I learn?

Hang On.

Bailing out of a UH-1C gunship before it's on the ground and settled on the skids or: 'The Monkey Strap Boogie' - John Williams