As we approach the year 2000 and beyond, the term resupply to Marine helicopter crews generally means arriving at a predetermined point to pick up palletized loads of meals ready to eat (MREs), ammunition, water and other heavy and bulky items which will probably be carried externally to the recipient.  Other times the mail, hot chow and other items will be loaded internally.  When the receiver is a U.S. Marine organization the types of supplies are fairly well standardized for efficiency.  The Marines of the 1964 - 1965 time frame in Vietnam were not operated with the techniques, aircraft nor the modern supply system of the 21st Century.   Additionally, they did not fly resupply missions to U.S. forces but rather to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and their small cadre of U.S. Army Special Force advisors.

The outposts manned by the ARVNs, and their advisors, relied on HMM-364 for their supplies since few, if any, roads lead to them.  Most of the time they were carved out of the jungle or located on the tops of hills or mountains.  Now, some will say, "That's no different than the mission might be today."  Well, in 1964 -1965 the Vietnamese supply system was far from that of the Marine Corps' and it was barely able to keep those at these outposts alive.  Without generators to supply electricity to power refrigeration units, meat had to be brought in alive and the animals were slaughtered and eaten as needed.  This need for live meat sometimes converted the UH-34 into a flying cattle car.  Fresh vegetables, rice, fruits and varied types of ammunition were also delivered and the majority of it was hauled within the cabin area of the helicopter.

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Because nothing in the supply system was standardized as expected today, preparation for the resupply commenced when the Vietnamese resupply truck pulled up to where the aircraft of HMM-364 were staged.  It was then that the crew saw a hodgepodge of items thrown together and they had their first clue as to what the supplies consisted of.  SSgt. John C. Thompson can be seen directing the distribution of items to various helicopters.

Warren R. Smith, former Cpl. USMC recalls, "On one resupply mission I think the logistics people got their wires crossed.  We received truck load after truck load of large melons to take to an outpost that had a small airstrip with the base located up the hill from the strip.  When we arrived there wasn't a sole there to assist in unloading and moving the melons up to the outpost.  We unloaded them in piles next to the helicopter.  It got quite comical as succeeding aircraft arrived at the zone and tried to find a place to land among the piles of melons left by previous flights."

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HMM-364 transported large pigs (80 lbs) and small pigs (60 lbs.) that were packaged in triangular shaped reed baskets.  Occasionally, they would escape from their reed baskets and would be asked to leave the aircraft.  These pot bellied animals were later sought as pets by citizens of the United States and other countries.
 

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This pig was being slaughtered for dinner.  The outpost was very close to the border of Laos.

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Chickens and ducks were tied together by their feet with about six to each bundle.  The crew found it quite annoying when reaching into the piles of foul to find the leg bundles for offloading. That unwelcome hand which was going to give them a lift to some hungry troops in the field was generally pecked at with vigor.
 
 

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As mentioned earlier, lack of standardization made resupply a cumbersome task.  One of the reasons depicted here was the use of so many different type and caliber weapons carried by the ARVNs.  Note in the picture, from left to right, the first soldier is fiddling with a hand grenade, the next has a 12 gauge shotgun, the next a Thompson .45 cal., the next an M-1 carbine and the next an M-1 Garand.  There were also a number of 9mm weapons used.   There were certainly additional types of personal weapons not mentioned here.

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The ARVNs also had herds of cows that pastured in the fields around their barracks.  These cattle appeared to be a cross between the Brahma and the Guernsey types found in the United States.  The major difference was their size.  They were much smaller than either breed found in the States.  The problem with cows is, the bigger the animal the larger the mess they leave behind in the aircraft.
 

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Cpl. Smith recalls an incident, "I seem to remember an Air Force C-123 taking 20 cows out of Da Nang when it jammed a landing gear on retraction.  The crew was, of course, not going on to their destination but rather were going to make an emergency landing back at Da Nang.  They had a big problem however, they didn't want to become pressed meat on their landing with cows being thrown toward the front of the cargo bay.  Their solution was to fly over Da Nang harbor, open the rear door and herd the cattle out without parachutes.  I chuckle every time I hear someone say, "Thank God cows can't fly."

Cpl. Smith recounts another memory, "Rice was always a standard item to be delivered, and if I recall correctly, the rice came 220 lb. sacks.  We would pile them by the door so in case we started to lose rotor RPMs, we could kick a lot of weight out quickly.  It always amazed me how the small ARVN troops could put one of those sacks on their back and run off with them at a brisk pace.  On the other hand, they didn't seem to have the strength to assist in unloading ammunition boxes when we were making deliveries.  If you were hauling rice, you almost always had a case or two of the fish oil sauce.  Break one of those bottles and you would have to fly with your head out the door or window until it could be cleaned up.  Every time I had to change a fuel tank I tried not to think of all the things that had drained down and through the floor of the aircraft."

Information provided by:
    Warren R. Smith, former Cpl. USMC (pictures included)