I'm doing range sweeps for a subroc program that was making shoots at San Clemente. The sub is not going to shoot for a while cause the engineers have found a problem so we are airborne, loafing above an under cast half asleep. A destroyer Captain calls and says he is Vietnam bound with a green crew and needs to do some shooting at San Clemente range. WE OK it. I'm loafing and out in front appears this cute little black cloud. First black cloud I'd ever seen. Suddenly the sky is full of little black clouds and they are way too close. Those knot heads are shooting their anti aircraft through an overcast without clearing it. We dive down and tell them to knock it off. They go over to the target area and start shooting. We are low now watching because we don't trust them. They are bouncing their 5 inch shells on the water two or three times before the shells get to the target area, these gunners can't even hit an island. I could just imagine being in a landing craft headed for the beach with some knot heads on a destroyer bouncing his "friendly" fire all around me. So much for the pinpoint accuracy of Naval gunfire. Glad I went the aviation route.

Like a buddy once said "I think we entertained more VC then we killed".

Last edited by pooch; 06/19/17 01:22 PM.