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184th Recon Airplane Company
call sign Nonstop

dedicated to those who served honorably in the Vietnam Conflict
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184rac at reunion 2015

Photo of some of the 184th Unit Members at the Birddog Memorial Dedication
Fort Rucker, Alabama hosted the All Birddog Unit Reunion and Birddog Unit Memorial  held on October 8th thru 10th, 2015.  The Reunion was attended by representatives of all the eleven combat Birddog companies that served in the Vietnam conflict.  The memorial honored the individual units, aviators, crew, maintenance and support personnel.  The memorial is a well deserved tribute to the contribution that this airplane and the people who flew and kept them in the air to all who visit the Fort Rucker Museum. The link below will direct you to the page where you can view the photos taken at the event.

Click Here To View The Galleries

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Tribute to a great Army Aviator
Billy Hibbs
LTC US ARMY, Master Army Aviator
Departed On His Last Mission
December 29th, 2013

Click here to view the tribute page

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The 184th RAC flew observation missions in support of US and Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam Conflict. The unit flew the O1-G Birddog single engine, two place, high wing aircraft. The missions included conducting artillery fire missions, directing air strikes, and general reconnaissance.

The unit deployed to Vietnam in July of 1966 from Fort Sill, Oklahoma where it was initially activated.  Before deployment the unit trained for several months as men and equipment arrived at the unit.  The main body flew to Tacoma, Washington from where it embarked on the troop ship U S General John Pope.  After a 21 day voyage the 184th main body landed at Cam Rahn Bay, flew in C123’s to Ben Hoa Air Base and then traveled by convoy to Phu Loi about 20 miles north of Saigon.  Phu Loi was to be the home base of the 184th for the duration of it’s involvement in the conflict.

The mission of the 184th Recon Airplane Company was to provide reconnaissance, aerial observation and artillery adjustment support to various Army units to include the 25th Infantry Division, the 1st Infantry Division, the 9th Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the 5th ARVN Infantry Division, and other US Army Units.  The unit also acted as forward air control for the placement of air strikes when Air Force observation aircraft were not available.

The aircraft was a two place aircraft designed for one pilot and one aerial observer.  In Vietnam the O1G aircraft was armed in various configurations but primarily carried marking rockets.

The 184th had 24 O1G aircraft, 28 officers and pilots and 122 enlisted men.  The unit was organized into a Company Headquarters, an operations section,  3 flight platoons with 8 aircraft each, one service platoon with an aircraft maintenance section, a tech supply section, a motor pool and one signal detachment.  The 184th was the only Birddog company with a signal detachment.