Fleet Air Arm
Association of Australia
135th Assault Helicopter Company Memorial
27 July 2010
A granite monolith with a dedication and history on one side and a roll of honour on the other is displayed at Fort Rucker in Alabama to recall the heroism and professionalism of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company during its joint US Army/Fleet Air Arm operations in Vietnam.
The Australian Government offered a detachment (the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam - RANHFV) in December 1966 and the first RANHFV contingent reached Vietnam on 16 October 1967. Until June 1971 it remained fully integrated with the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC).
The role of the 135th was to provide tactical air movement of combat troops, supplies and equipment, known as air-mobile operations.
Due to the unique relationship between the RAN and the US Army, the unit was designated by the 135th as an Experimental Military Unit, using the acronym EMU after the large, fast, and highly-mobile Australian bird.
During its four-year deployment to Vietnam, more than 200 RAN FAA personnel rotated though the RANHFV in four contingents and performed its mission from five separate bases in Vietnam. The unit flew hundreds of offensive operations and was involved in some of the most intense combat experienced by Australians in the war, earning not only the aviators but also the maintenance and support staff a reputation second to none.
Early in 1971, it was announced that the RANHFV would be withdrawn from Vietnam and on 8 June the RAN portion of the 135th ceased operations and was replaced by US personnel, marking the end of the joint-force Experimental Military Unit.
Five RAN members lost their lives in Vietnam and some 22 were wounded in action, the highest casualty rate of any RAN unit in Vietnam.
The gallantry and distinguished service of RANHFV members was recognised by the award of three Member of the Order of the British Empire Medals (MBE), eight Distinguished Service Crosses (DSC), five Distinguished Flying Crosses (DFC), one British Empire Medal (BEM), several Vietnamese and United States decorations, 34 Naval Board Commendations and 24 Mentioned-in-Dispatches.
The memorial honours, among others, the fallen Australian aircrew - LCDR Patrick John Vickers, Leut Anthony Austin Casadio, POACM O'Brien Cedric Phillips, ASLT Anthony Jeffery Huelin and LACM Noel Ervin Shipp.
For further information about the memorial, contact Keith Taylor, secretary of the Association's WA Division ().
See also:
Memorial details from the DVA website
Dedication ceremony booklet (PDF file, 4.2 MB)
www.135ahc.net/.
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