Dust Cloud over Candy

This is another snapshot from Fire Support Base Candy in April 1970.  In the background and rising into the sky is another dust cloud.

I said earlier that when we were on Candy pulling guard, the Army was pounding away on Cambodia with large howitzers.  Well those howitzers were fed powder bags and explosive projectiles that were delivered in a steady stream by Chinook helicopters coming in from Bien Hoa.

Chinooks were these large, two bladed helicopters that did most of the heavy lifting in Vietnam. Artillery supplies were loaded in cargo nets and slung from a hook that was tucked up close to the bottom of the helicopter.  Every time a Chinook arrived during the day, it would come in fast, slow to a hover, settle the load to the ground, and then release the cargo net from the hook.  Once the load had been dropped, the Chinook would very quickly lift upward while accelerating forward and within thirty seconds would disappear from sight.

Left behind however was a dust cloud that a grunt at least could not escape from.  As the cloud rolled over us, the sweat on out bodies attracted it like a magnet.  A day of that and we were coated red from head to foot.  Candy was the only firebase I remember where I would have preferred living in the jungle.