Steve Lentz
gata51@sscg.net

While I wasn't in the 5th Special Forces, I had the honor of working with them in Vietnam and it is among my fondest memories. I was in the Air Force and served in 'Nam from Nov. '68 thru Nov.'69. I was a Crewchief on a C-7A Caribou and was stationed at Cam Ranh Bay. However, part of our mission included a couple TDY tours at a mission site at Nha Trang.

This site was located right beside the 5th S.F. facilities and the 281st Avn. Co. known as the "Wolfpack'. There was also a Squadron of Air Force Hueys right beside the mission site building. I beleive that Squadron was the 20th and was called the "Green Hornets". I was told their mission was to fly in support of MACV-SOG operations. Anyway, our job there was to turn around Caribous. We loaded them with whatever the 5th S.F. told us and flew that material wherever they told us to go. As I recall, most of those missions were headed to CIDG camps and sometimes I went along on those missions to help with airdrops or whatever. I have quite a few pictures of the mission site and activities from there. I also have some pictures taken during air drops and some of base camps, etc.

I really enjoyed working with the 5th S.F. and had trememdous respect for them. I like to think they felt the same way about the Caribou troops and our operations. We always got along great and we would fly anywhere, anytime for the Special Forces. Two things I'll always remember form the mission site are the Playboy Club and the Delta Club. They always had good food and cold beer!

I'd like to say one more thing about the 5th Special Forces. They were "simply the best", and I'm honored to have been able to work with and for them. I don't know who'll be reading this, but if you're a Vet, I'd Like to say,"WELCOME HOME"!!

Steve Lentz' Thumb Nail Photos:
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