"HILLCLIMBER NOTES"

*SITE UPDATE INFORMATION*

1/14/12: If you have noticed that the site menu links are not uniform it is because the site is undergoing another redesign. This time site users will not really notice anything except for the menu button changes. In "tech talk" terms I'm modifying the site architecture to use div tags and CSS as the main form of construction. This will cut the amount of html code virtually in half and eliminate hundreds of images that are now used in the current sit construction.

Bear with me since this is going to take months.

This link will take you to a review of The History Channel presentation called "Vietnam In HD." It is written by Rodney Brown and is not intended for the easily offended. You can visit this link at The History Channel website store and buy this documentary here.

This is the first Hillclimber yearbook to be displayed on the site. I have a connection to two more - 1971 and 1978. They will be up as soon as I secure the images.. This file is approximately 8.5 megs and will take a minute or so to download if you have a high speed internet connection. If you are using dial up, then allow more time.

These books are a real snapshot of time and give names and images to our history.

3 /11/10: This is an eight meg download of a publication that Sy Berdux keep among his war related items. It is an early ground unit commanders' utilization handbook for the CH-47 A Model. This could well be the first attempt at such a publication. The primary purpose for the Chinook was as a transport vehicle for the "Honest John" rocket. The truth is that the CH-47 was a "throw away" transport system for that missle. The idea was that in the event of a war with the Soviets, the CH-47s would fly east out of West Germany and put the limited range Honest John within range of Moscow. What they were going to do for gas for the return trip was never made clear. The Chinook wound up being used in the secondary rolls that had been designed to help get the funding justified before Congress. A similiar funding situation existed with the Space Schuttle program and the "Ozone hole" that needed to be studied according to NASA and other scientific interest groups. This was the crisis dejour at the time and Congress had to save the world. Interesting that since the Space Schuttle program has been ended we never hear anymore about the "Ozone hold." The Ozone hole and the fact that we were all going to die from it was always in the news during late August and September just in time for that years Congressional budget negotiations.

18/12/10: "Hillclimber 17" has been found! THE ORIGINAL ENTRY IS BELOW. The update is below the line.

This Zippo Lighter is from late 1969 to 1970. It belonged to a CW2 Pogo, aka Hillclimber 17. Since no CW2 Pogo shows up on any Vietnam Veterans lists and is also not listed by the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association rosters we are assumining that "Pogo" is a nickname. This lighter is now in the collection of a menber of the Swiss Army General Staff. LTC Rolf Gerster collects these lighters and has several in his collection. His website can be reached by going to www.gersters.ch.

Since we don't know who CW2 Pogo was we are asking for help in locating this former Hillclimber. He may already be listed on the Hillclimber member's roster, we just don't know. If anybody has any ideas, then please send an email to rrbrown@147thhillclimbers.org

__________________________________

CWO Richard R. Jackson was Hillclimber 17 with the nickname of "Pogo." He passed away 15 February 2010. He was the half brother of Joseph Pisano. I'm sorry that the news could not have been better.