David Layne Collection

I was in the 539th Transportation Company from June 1969 to June 1970; I was stationed at Phu Loi Vietnam which is located 25 miles north of Saigon. We were part the 520th Transportation Battalion. The Battalion’s mission was the Maintenance and Supply of in excess of 1000 Army Aviation Aircraft throughout III Corps.

Towards the end of my tour I was transferred to the Battalion’s “glamour boys” “Pipesmoke.” Pipesmoke’s mission was to perform field extractions of crashed and combat damaged aircraft. When I was assigned to “Pipesmoke” they had already recovered in excess of 2700 aircraft from the field.

When off duty I ran the company projector which I believe was supplied by the 221st. In typical Army fashion I had to physically take the projector on a weekly basis to your unit where I would sign it out again for another week. I would do this by catching the early morning courier flight from Phu Loi. I would leave the projector at your unit and go and enjoy the delights of Saigon for the day and return to the 221st to collect the projector returning to Phu Loi on the evening courier flight.

Visiting your unit on a weekly basis I befriended an enlisted man who's name I forget (note: this appears to have been Sgt Bobbie Swindel, Saigon Detachment). At the end of my tour we arranged a trade. I traded him an AK47 and he gave me around 50 black and white 8" x 10" photographs taken by members of your unit. I still have the photos, I doubt he still has the AK!

- David Layne