Originally Posted By: + @ti2d
Originally Posted By: saltydog
I have not the first clue what the Apollo 11 landing reference means. That crew was picked up by Hornet, CVA 12.

The shot is of USS Enterprise, CVA (later CVN) 65, the first nuke carrier. It was taken on May 20, 1975, on a return cruise back to the US. The choppers on deck had been used in the evacuation of Saigon three weeks earlier.


Ah, where are the hueys? I see the CH-53's but no UH-1s... smile


CH-53s actually did much of the heavy lifting in Frequent Wind, probably more than the Hueys. The Hueys were mostly a desperation move toward the end, such as for the embassy rooftop, when there was no more deck space on the Hancock, for example. But they weren't the only ones that went in the drink. I have seen film of 3 Chinooks being ditched. The famous footage is all of Hueys, but it created an impression that they were all deep sixed. Hence the clue.

In any event, these CH-53s were all being returned from that operation.


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