AVIAN 34 information
for 14 TC BN
79 TC CO
604 TC CO
608 TC CO

For date 701015


14 TC BN was a US Army unit
79 TC CO was a US Army unit
604 TC CO was a US Army unit
608 TC CO was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Nha Trang
Description: The following is the fourth installment (an extract) from AVIAN 34 (a 38 page magazine publication with color photos), October 1970, Vol. II, Number 3. This installment contains information from page 6 which was presented as a section or chapter titled "14th Transportation Battalion 'Reliables.'" The 14th Transportation Battalion (Aircraft Maintenance and Supply), commanded by LTC Tommy Mansfield, provides direct, backup direct, and general support maintenance for aircraft, armament, and avionics to aviation units in Military Region 2. With headquarters in Nha Trang, the 14th is made up of five companies. The 79th Transportation Company (ADS) at Qui Nhon provides maintenance and technical supply support to 279 aircraft in the northeastern section of the Military Region 2. With an area of operation extending from the southern border of Military Region 1 to An Khe, this unit has the most diversified supply mission within the 14th Battalion. It stocks approximately 11,000 Federal Stock Number items. Under the command of Major Samuel J. Kowal, the 79th is responsible for retrograding and in-processing the majority of aircraft received by the 14th. It is also the control Direct Support Unit (DSU) for the Theater Aircraft Repairables Program (TARP). The 604th Transportation Company (ADS) at Camp Holloway in Pleiku provides maintenance and supply support for 293 aircraft and stocks 9,100 lines of aircraft supplies. The unit's area of responsibility is the northwestern sector of Military Region 2. The Commanding Officer of the 604th is Major Arthur A. Williams. The 608th Transportation Company (ADS) at Dong Ba Thin provides maintenance and supply support for 380 aircraft and stocks 10,200 lines of aircraft supplies. Commanded by Major George H. Fasching, the 608th has the largest area of responsibility in the 14th Battalion, extending from the sea westward to the Laotian border throughout the southern portion of Military Region 2. The 540th Transportation Company (AGS) is located at Qui Nhon and provides general support maintenance and aircraft recovery throughout the 14th Battalion's area of responsibility. It represents the battalion reserve for back-up direct support maintenance as well as providing general support activities for approximately 1038 aircraft. The 540th is under the command of Captain Frank R. Muse. The 614th Light Equipment Maintenance Company (GS), commanded by Major Bobby R. Harris, provides support for avionics, communications, navigational, and flight control equipment in Military Region 2. It supports the 14th Battalion through three platoons-one each located with the 79th, 604th and 608th companies. 58th Transportation Battalion "Vikings" The 58th Transportation Battalion (Aircraft Maintenance and Supply), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Glenwood N. (Mikey) Parrish, provides direct, back-up direct, and general support to more than 1,100 Army aircraft in Military Region 1. Although the majority of aircraft it supports belong to the Army, the 58th also gives assistance to U.S. Marine, Vietnamese, and Korean aviation units. The 58th Battalion's headquarters detachment and three companies are all located at Red Beach, Da Nang. Together they possess a network of closely related shops for specialized avionics and aircraft armament repair, in addition to providing command and control for the continually expanding aircraft maintenance and supply requirements in their area. Commanded by Major Charles Thibodeau, the 142nd Transportation Company (ADS) supports 225 aircraft. Included in this number are 14 different types of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The company's allied shops are staffed by sheet-metal repairmen, engine technicians, prop and rotor specialists, hydraulic mechanics, and technicians. In addition to aircraft maintenance and repair-parts support, a well-equipped armament shop is constantly rewiring, adjusting, and repairing armament systems of the numerous assault helicopters it services. The 142nd also has a CONUS retrograde facility which has evacuated more than 65 aircraft during the first six months of 1970. "Fast and Sure" is the motto of the 610th Transportation Company (AGS). Commanded by Major John Webster, this unit is responsible for providing general support to more than 1,000 aircraft, as well as reassembling, test flying, and issuing all Army aircraft arriving in Vietnam through DaNang. Most of the aircraft handled by the 610th belong to the Americal and 101st Airborne Divisions. Although the 610th is classified as a general support unit, it does perform back-up direct support maintenance when necessary and has the capability to perform limited depot-level maintenance (with the exception of main-frame repair). It also provides technical assistance teams to various aviation units in its area for needed on-the-spot assistance. The 263rd Light Equipment Maintenance Company (GS), commanded by Major Roy Doubrava, is responsible for maintaining the avionics systems of all Army aircraft in Military Region 1. Although the unit averages more than 130 work orders a day, it has never had a customer aircraft lose a day out of action due to an avionics problem. The 263rd lives up to its motto of "Finest Support".
Comments: LTC Mansfield, Tommy; 14 TC BN CO; ; MAJ Kowal, Samuel J.; 79 TC CO CO; ; MAJ Williams, Arthur A.; 604 TC CO CO; ; MAJ Fasching, George H.; 608 TC CO CO; ; CPT Muse, Frank R.; 540 TC CO CO; ; MAJ Harris, Bobby R.; 614 TC CO CO; ;

The source for this information was Vol. II, No. 3 dated Oct 1970 copy contributed by Jerry Mellick


Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org


Return to panel index

Return to Helicopter Pilot KIA index

Return to VHPA Home Page

Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association

Last updated 08/03/2002

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023