119th Assault Helicopter Company
The 119th Assault Helicopter Company was a United States Army aviation unit that provided troop transport, armed escort, and specialized helicopter support during the Vietnam War.
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Overview
The 119th Assault Helicopter Company was a United States Army aviation unit active in the Vietnam War. It served across the Central Highlands of South Vietnam and also operated over substantial areas of Laos and Cambodia. The company arrived in Vietnam in September 1962 and was deactivated in November 1970, giving it more than eight years of operational service in the theater. The unit originated as the 81st Transportation Company, which operated CH-21 helicopters. These twin-rotor aircraft, commonly known as “Flying Bananas,” used piston engines and were employed for military transportation duties. In 1963, the organization was reorganized and redesignated as the 119th Assault Helicopter Company (Airmobile). It then transitioned to turbine-powered Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters, initially using UH-1A and UH-1B models. The company’s principal organization eventually placed it under the 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion, 17th Combat Aviation Group, and 1st Aviation Brigade. Its main headquarters was at Camp Holloway in Pleiku, although it operated from Camp Radcliff for part of the period from late 1969 into 1970. Camp Radcliff was attacked twice by People’s Army of Vietnam sapper forces while the company was stationed there, once in each of those two years. The company used a mixed helicopter fleet tailored to assault-aviation missions. It generally operated between 16 and 20 lightly armed UH-1D troop-carrying helicopters, known within the unit as “slicks,” together with approximately eight UH-1C gunships. The troopships used the radio callsigns “Alligator” or “Gator,” while the gunships used “Crocodiles” or “Crocs.” By 1969, the company’s UH-1D aircraft had been upgraded to the more powerful UH-1H model, an important adaptation for operations in the high-density-altitude conditions of the Central Highlands. The unit supported a wide range of American and allied formations. Its missions included helicopter transportation and assault support for the 4th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Marine Corps, United States Army Special Forces, and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. It also undertook classified missions for the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam–Studies and Observations Group, commonly known as MACV-SOG. These assignments placed the company within both conventional airmobile operations and sensitive cross-border activities. At full strength, the company comprised approximately 225 personnel, including roughly 50 to 60 pilots, a comparable number of aircrew members, and maintenance and other support specialists. More than 60 members were killed in action, and additional personnel were wounded. The unit was deactivated in November 1970 after its Vietnam service. It is remembered primarily as a combat aviation organization rather than as a commercial brand or continuing institution.
History
The 119th Assault Helicopter Company was a United States Army aviation unit associated with the Vietnam War. Its organizational history began with the 81st Transportation Company, a unit equipped with CH-21 helicopters. The CH-21 was a twin-rotor, piston-engined transport helicopter used by the United States Army before turbine-powered aircraft became dominant in Army aviation. The organization reached Vietnam in September 1962. In 1963 it was reorganized and redesignated as the 119th Assault Helicopter Company (Airmobile). The change reflected both its new organizational role and its transition to Bell UH-1 helicopters. The company initially received UH-1A and UH-1B models, allowing it to perform a combination of troop transport, assault support, and armed aviation missions. During its Vietnam service, the company operated throughout the Central Highlands, an area characterized by demanding terrain and high elevations. Its operational reach also extended into parts of Laos and Cambodia. The company was eventually assigned to the 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion, within the 17th Combat Aviation Group and 1st Aviation Brigade. Camp Holloway at Pleiku served as its principal headquarters. For a limited period from late 1969 into 1970, the company also operated from Camp Radcliff. The unit’s aviation structure combined troop-carrying “slicks” and dedicated gunships. Its normal equipment included approximately 16 to 20 lightly armed UH-1D troopships and about eight UH-1C gunships. The troopships used the callsigns “Alligator” or “Gator,” while the gunships were identified as “Crocodiles” or “Crocs.” The company also used “Black Dragon” at one point, a callsign associated with the later “Flying Dragon” identity of the 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion. The Central Highlands’ density altitude affected helicopter performance. By 1969, the company’s UH-1D troopships had been upgraded to UH-1H aircraft with more powerful engines. This change improved their suitability for the local environment and the demands of troop-lift operations. The 119th supported formations from several branches and levels of the United States and allied military structure. Its customers and operational partners included the 4th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Marine Corps, United States Army Special Forces, and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. In addition to conventional aviation support, the company flew classified missions for MACV-SOG, whose activities included sensitive operations beyond the borders of South Vietnam. The company had an approximate total strength of 225 personnel. This included between 50 and 60 pilots, a similar number of other aircrew members, and personnel responsible for maintenance and essential field support. Its service was costly: more than 60 members were killed in action, while many others were wounded. Camp Radcliff, one of the company’s temporary operating locations, was attacked twice by People’s Army of Vietnam sapper forces during the period in which the unit was present. These attacks illustrate the vulnerability of aviation installations even when they were used primarily as launch and support sites rather than as front-line maneuver positions. After operating in Vietnam from 1962, the company was deactivated in November 1970. The available historical material does not establish a continuing commercial successor, current corporate owner, or modern operating entity. The 119th Assault Helicopter Company is therefore best understood as a historical United States Army combat aviation unit, not a present-day consumer brand or commercial aviation company.
- 1970
Deactivation
[1]The 119th Assault Helicopter Company was deactivated in November 1970.
- 1969
Transition to more powerful UH-1H troopships
[1]By 1969, the company’s UH-1D troopships had been upgraded to UH-1H helicopters to improve performance in the high-density-altitude Central Highlands.
- 1969
Temporary operations from Camp Radcliff
[1]The company operated from Camp Radcliff for part of the period beginning in late 1969.
- 1963
Reorganization as an assault helicopter company
[1]The 81st Transportation Company was reorganized and redesignated as the 119th Assault Helicopter Company (Airmobile), with a transition from CH-21 helicopters to UH-1A and UH-1B aircraft.
- 1962
Arrival in Vietnam
[1]The unit arrived in Vietnam in September 1962 and began operating in the Central Highlands.
Products and positioning
A combat aviation unit focused on airmobile troop transport, helicopter gunship support, aviation logistics, and specialized military missions.
Transport helicopter
CH-21 Flying Banana
The CH-21 was the twin-rotor, piston-engined helicopter operated by the unit during its earlier identity as the 81st Transportation Company. It served as a transport platform before the organization’s 1963 conversion into an assault helicopter company and its re-equipment with turbine-powered UH-1 aircraft.
Utility and assault helicopter · 1963
UH-1A and UH-1B Huey
The company received UH-1A and UH-1B helicopters after its 1963 reorganization. These turbine-powered aircraft formed the basis of its early assault-aviation capability and supported troop movement, armed escort, and other combat aviation tasks in the Central Highlands.
Troop transport helicopter
UH-1D Huey
UH-1D helicopters served as the company’s lightly armed troop-carrying “slicks.” The aircraft were used to move soldiers and support airmobile operations for United States and allied formations. Their performance limitations in the Central Highlands contributed to the later upgrade to UH-1H aircraft.
Attack and escort helicopter
UH-1C Huey gunship
Approximately eight UH-1C helicopters served as the company’s gunships. Operating under the “Crocodiles” or “Crocs” callsigns, they provided armed support and escort for the troop-carrying helicopters and for ground operations in the company’s area of responsibility.
Upgraded troop transport helicopter · 1969
UH-1H Huey
By 1969, the company’s UH-1D troopships had been upgraded to the more powerful UH-1H model. The upgrade was particularly relevant to operations in the Central Highlands, where high density altitude made additional engine performance valuable for troop transport and assault missions.
Brand decisions
1969
Upgrade from UH-1D to UH-1H troopshipsGeneration changeBackground
High density altitude in the Central Highlands placed demanding performance requirements on troop-carrying helicopters.
Action taken
The company upgraded its UH-1D troopships to the more powerful UH-1H model.
Aftermath
The newer aircraft improved the suitability of the troop-lift fleet for the company’s operating environment.
1963
Reorganization and conversion to assault aviationStrategyBackground
The organization began as the 81st Transportation Company with CH-21 transport helicopters. The changing requirements of Army aviation in Vietnam led to its reorganization as an airmobile assault helicopter company.
Action taken
The unit was redesignated as the 119th Assault Helicopter Company (Airmobile) and re-equipped with turbine-powered UH-1A and UH-1B helicopters.
Aftermath
The change gave the company a broader combat aviation role, combining troop transport and armed helicopter support.
Sources4 sources
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