Veteran Crisis Line - Dial 988 & then press 1
✈ ✈ ✈ Light Attack Squadron Four Videos
THE BLACK PONY STORY ~ Compiled by the 1997 Reunion Committee
National Archives Videos
- ✈✈ I located a bunch of VAL-4 movie clips available from the National Archives. Jim Falls took the time and effort to travel to the National Archive Facility in College Park, Maryland and over a four day period using a borrowed camcorder he recorded all of the VAL-4 films available.
✈✈ Jim's Report: 'After reading through the description of each film that was listed, and a few more that I found, I narrowed the copying to 25 films. Still, there is quite a bit of duplication of activity, but I wanted to record as many faces as possible. Even in the 25 I copied there is duplication and some of the original filming jumped around. The majority of the films were shot in 1969, although there is a very good one shot in 1970 and three that were made in September of 1971. The one I really wanted to copy could not be found, even after the National Archives did an extensive facility and system search; it was never received at Archives ll and I was told it just "doesn't exist in the system" anymore. According to the listing, it was a patchwork of various other films put together.'
✈✈ 'Seeing the faces as I remember people 45+ years ago was an experience; I suspect you'll have a similar feeling. A suggestion that could add to this project...ask our guys if they have any film (Super 8 for example) they took while in VAL-4. I know "Flash" Leeburn filmed from the cockpit, so there may be some other O's who did as well. - Jim
- Note: To save disc space on the website, the following videos are now on YouTube. Winds, Bob
- Disc 1 Side 1 March 25, 1969
- First 3.5 minutes are dark and quircky - be patient. Saigon and Binh Thuy Arrivals
- Disc 1 Side 2 April 5, 1969
- Squadron arrives in Vietnam. Briefings in Vung Tau; unloading trucks and stowing equipment; planes craned off the boats, opened and towed to the flight line for un-cocooning in Vung Tau.
- Disc 2 Side 1 April 8, 1969
- Vung Tau loading and unwrapping continues.
- Disc 2 Side 2 April 6, 1969
- Vung Tau: Engine Run - crew brief - Skipper Winans leads flight of 5 Broncos to Binh Thuy
- Disc 3 Side 1 April 9, 1969
- Vung Tau - Depreservation and getting the planes ready.
- Disc 3 Side 2 April 12, 1969
- Skipper Winans and Ltjg. Jeff Johnson go flying. Loading M-60s. Pre & Post Flight activities at Binh Thuy
- Disc 4 Side 1
- Binh Thuy: Pre & Post flight activity
- Disc 4 Side 2
- Binh Thuy: Grey Broncos and some PBR stuff.
- Disc 5 Side 1 September 11, 1971
- Binh Thuy - grey Broncos - AO Lesson 4 - How to muscle phque a Zuni pod without getting a hernia.
Light Attack Squadron Four ~ Filmed By Navy Camera Crews
- Black Ponies arrive at Tan Son Nhut AB in Saigon #1
- More of the arrival at Tan Son Nhut #2 ~ Enhanced Version
- The MPs speak & spending the night #3
- Briefing in the chapel at Binh Thuy #4
- #103 & #104 ~ Start ~ Taxi ~ Take-off #5
- Same planes, different angle #6
- Grey 101 & 2 other grey birds go flying #7 And Part 2 #8
- 106 (Grey) taxis in #9
- Critical Past TF-116 VAL-4 Videos found on the net ~ Clip 1 ~ Clip 2
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Quest For Clips ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
- If anyone has any movies that they took of VAL-4 in Vietnam, please Email: Bob so we can get them added to the website.
VAL-4 Home Movies ~ converted to a computer-usable format.
Mark Spedding's Videos
- Light Attack Squadron Four
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Vung Tau Detachment
- Providence Orphanage
- Ben Xe Moi
Bill Pippin's Videos
- First ~ Second ~ Third ~ Fourth ~ Fifth ~ Sixth
Plankowner Dave Erck's 2010 Return To Binh Thuy Videos
- Plankowner ATN Dave Erck made several trips back to Vietnam in 2010 and had a chance to return to the Can Tho - Binh Thuy area. He sent me some videos he took of where we used to live and work. The Air Force Base at Binh Thuy is on the way to become the new Can Tho Airport - but still looks familiar. The aviation side of the Navy Base no longer exists - which is apparent on Google Earth. The PBR side of the base is now a fish cannery and retains some items from it's US Navy days - like the tracks they used to pull boats out of the water on.
- In the first video Dave filmed around the entry to the aviation side of NSA Binh Thuy and continues into the PBR side which is now a cannery and the Basac River boat ride he took past the base.
- Still being used by the local citizens as workboats - seen along the river during Dave's travels.
- The road towards the Air Force Base and what is now the Can Tho International Airport.
- The old way to get from Can Tho to Saigon was by ferry. Since the Japanese built a bridge over the Basac near Can Tho, the commute is much quicker.
Other OV10 Videos On YouTube
Bronco Landing Gear Tests Test 1 ~ Test 2
These are the "washboard" videos filmed in 1967. The wingspan of the prototype YOV-10s was 30' ~ 10 feet shorter than the 'A' models VAL-4 flew in Vietnam.
A photo slideshow I compiled now in .mp4 format ~ set to music of the time.