VSQ Photographs by: Bill Helms III Click photo for larger view
The following excerpt is from the 360th Reconnaissance Squadron history for the period January - March 1967:
"The month of January 1967 saw the completion of a full month's distribution of "combat liquor rations" to aircrew members after each combat mission. This ration is dispensed at the centralized maintenance and intelligence debriefing following the completion of the mission flown. The liquor ration was obtained in coordination with the Flight Surgeon's Office. The squadron Intelligence Section controls the dispensing of the combat ration and also maintains the necessary records for control and requisition purposes."
We put this on the website and asked "Who Knew?" and received about a dozen responses via email from frontenders and backenders alike. This article updates those entries to a standard format, and includes a Comments feature that now allows viewers to add their recollections directly from this webpage. Thanks for taking a look at this topic and we encourage a continuing conversation by filling in your own personal remarks in the Comments section below.
Permalink
Comments (24)
Ed added: I’ve contacted two pilots, one was at Pleiku and DaNang, the other at DaNang, and they both said “not while they were there” on the liquor rations question.
I was at Pleiku from ’68 to ’69. I not only received the small bottles of Coronet VSQ (what we called Mission Brandy), but I brought one home with me that I received in 1968. (See attached front and back picture). I thought no one would ever believe me so I’ve had it all of these years. Note the Federal Stock Number on the back label and the two years printed on the back bottle seal.
Hope this helps in the discussion,
Admin note: The photos of the VSQ Brandy bottles at the top of this article were provided by Bill Helms.
I was the first navigator in the 360th TEWS (April 1966) and remember debriefing with a Flight Surgeon who poured a small paper cup of Old Overholt rye whiskey. The whiskey would leak through the cup so you had to consume it quickly. This was still going on when I left Vietnam in June 1967.
I have fond memories of setting up the squadron…. When we arrived we were given a patch of ground and told to build our squadron and start flying…so we did.
We were very busy!!
Bruce Gessel
I do remember that we would stop at Phu Bai and drop off our calassified to the Army. On one stop we had to wait for them to show and I asked the AC if I could go to the terminal and use the restroom as we were still under the "you mess it, you clean it" rules and all the bags were gone. I went in and done my thing and on the way out I discovered they had a bar in the terminal. I purchased some 33 beers and we drank them on the way back to Danang. I can't remember what I used to buy them but we always carried some American money just in case we needed it. If anyone remembers the rations or our stop at the Phu Bai terminal please let me know.