Abilene Reporter-News from Abilene, Texas • Page 33

Vietnam scouts Crew Chief Garth Rankin, left, of San Antonio sits in the pilot's seat of an Army scout helicopter and talks with Lt. Ronald Beyer of 1925 Poplar in Abilene at their base in Phuoc Vmh, Vietnam. The two men are with one of several helicopter hunter-killer teams in Ihe Jst Ait- Cav Division and played an active role in recent U.S. action in Cambodia. FOR HUNTER-KILLER TEAMS 'Bird Down' Is Dreaded Alert By ERNIE ZAUGG Special In Reporter-News PHUOC VINH, VIETNAM The scouts of the hunter-killer teams of the l-9th Cav.

of the 1st Air Cav. have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Vietnam War. They are just three-men in a plexi-glass-domcd, light chopper or loach scooting about at. tree' lop level looking for the enemy. The crew chief has an M-60 machine gun in his lap.

He shoots at sight. It is like a duel in the Old West, man against man, see who lias the best nerves. The scouts have Ihe highest kill ratio in the Cambodian war. At Phuoc Vinh I met WO Charles Frazier, Wyoming, who has 100 kills. The Cambodian war lias tripled the number of enemy killed by the scouts, but also the number of scouts shot doivn.

At noon May 28 a scout loach was shot down. In (he mess hall at Phuoc Vinh chairs were knocked over as the men rushed out. From all directions men rushed toward their choppers. This was the scramble. Since every man may himself get shot down, he's eager to help others when they get shot down.

Far off in Cambodia scout crew chief Garth Rankin, 2230 West Mistletoe St. San Antonio, Texas, heard Ihe alert: bird down. "Bend it over! Bend it over!" he shouted lo lu's pilot His ship reached the downed bird first. Lt. Ronald Beyer, 1925 Poplar Abilene, Texas, got there second, Rankin, standing on the; skids, was already guiding his EDITOR'S NOTE: Lt Ronald Beyer, a graduate of Wylie High School and Texas AM, has been in Vietnam for six weeks.

He is a plaloon leader for type OHGA scout helicopters of Charlie Troop, 1st Battallion, 9lh Infantry Regiment of the 1st Air Cav Division. Lt. Beyer commands 11 of these scout 'copters or "loaches." Bom in Abilene, he lives with his sisler, Mrs. Barbara Kirby, at 1925 Poplar St. here.

He is the son of Erwin. F. Beyer of Clyde and the brother of Mrs. B. D.

Bozarth of Rt. 2, Abilene, pilot down. Close to the ground he jumped off and ran to W01 Richard Gragert, who was lying near the wreck. Beyer in his chopper helped cover the rescue operation. "Get the others," groaned Gragert.

The others, SP4 Danny Bowers and SP5 Richard Combs, were already dead. Then the enemy opened up. Rankin fired his 45 in their direction. A cobra rolled in on them at 50 yards. Rankin threw himself over Gragert and covered his head with an armored vest, He could hear the "dinks" ninning around.

Soon the air was full of other help. While Beyer protected it, a medivac chopper let down a rigid litter. Rankin strapped Gragert in and sent him up the jungle penetvalor. Then he out himself. Though it later proved less serious, first word at the 1-9 was that Gragert had broken his back.

Tire men were depressed. "That was the third time he was shot down," said one. "He was the best," said another. Another lold of the time Gragert was chasing two 'gooks 1 around a tree. He shot one, but the other kept slipping around the other side.

Gragert stopped the chopper in a hover. The gook came around and ho shot him. With Rankin, Beyer and W01 Timothy Hope, I flew lo the 24th evacuation hospital in Bien Hoa. Gragert lay there like marble statue, his body pure white, his face pink, powder on his burns, a plastic tube in his nose. His visitors talked in whispers, as though in awe of death and suffering.

Rankin, 19, was the youngest. Large, awkward and lithe, his body seemed undecided whether to follow the leopard or the shaggy St. Bernard. Almost surely, Ins tongue, struggling with feeling, would utter an extraordinary exaggeration. Hope seemed likely to utter a brutal truth.

Beyer, the plaloon leader, could only say something mest and reliable and evoke a feeling of trust. Three choppers got shot today at the same spot," said Rankin. "I was wondering aboul Ihe others," said Gragert. "They were dead," said Rankin. 'It was awful sitting there burning," said Gragert.

"I had to get out. Then I here was this awful pain in the hack. When fell, I was like paralyzed. Perhaps I could have done something." "No, you could have done nothing," Hope. "You did a lot to save yourself.

Everyone says lhal. You are the best Bowers was already a cinder Combs you could have heard a mile." Beyer said simply, "Thej were dead." He was the leader'. He spoke with such authority that Gragert ceased to fret. 'They will send you lo a hospital near home," said Beyer. Hope opened his mail for him which he had brought and handed him a color pholo of his daughter.

They talked aboul Charlie troop. "We will never forget said Rankin. "Write," said Hope. "We got to be getting 1 said Beyer. Hope and Beyer went out Rankin lingered for a lasl word.

He spoke quictlv something about 30,000 As I walked down the hospila walk wild Rankin, I asked, "What did you Say about 30.00C gooks?" "1 tnld him I would have gon down (o gel. i if there hai been 30,000 gooks down said Rankin. Having been caught in a noble sentiment, he blushed. Then lie banged his hat against the fence and added, "Hell, I would have gone down, if there had been million gooks down there." POWs Topic of Discussion At Air Force Convention 507 Students Sign Up For H-SU Session WEBB AFB The Air Force Association Convention to be held in Big Spring, July 17-19, will center around Ihe topic of the prisoners of war and Ihose missions in action in Southeast Asia. However, tile AFA is also currently involved in two other major efforts: acting as a positive voice against critics of the military, and support of the reserved officers a i i program.

All three of the programs have received full support from the AFA units across the nation. The campaigns are waged through editorials and in Air Force Space Digest, and through speeches by AFA leaders. The program, in support of POW'S, for example, was Initiated in October 1969, with an article, Forgotten Americans of the Vietnam War," which first publicly documented the plight of prisoners and the doubts and burdens of the families. The complete article was Colonel Anderson i dagger Hardin-Simmons University enrollment for Ihe second summer session rose to 507 students by late Monday afternoon. Final enrollment figures will be available after July 2, the sign-up deadline.

Classes will begin Tuesday morning commencement scheduled for Aug. 14. At about tbe same time last year same 513 students had signed up for classes. Final enrollment for i a summer session last year was 608. i i a a administrative associate and director of admissions, said, ''We expect additional lo sign up for classes before the enrollment deadline and others to enroll for several three-week workshops.

We anticipale our enrollment will be approximately Hie same as last year." PAGE ONE ABILENE, TEXAS, 79604, TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 14, 1970 Snyder Plant Opens By NONA BUNCH Reporter-News Correspondent began Monday at lew facilities of manufacturers of mobile homes, and the new firm will employ ipproximalcly 150 persons fully operational. Loyd Palmer, plant manager, said two assembly lines have jeen set up for conjunction of he first mobile homes. He inlicipated it would take from a yeek to 10 days to finish the list mobile homes, but 15 lomes daily will be tumed out vben in full operation. When compleled, HID building 'ill be 200 feet wide and 350 feet ong, containing 70,000 square 1 eel of space. It will be the argest manufacturing facility nder one roof that las, and will be the eighth such nstallalion in Hie United Stales, aid Palmer.

Snyder Chamber of Commerce Manager Mickey I explained that the Scurry Jounly Industrial Foundation iad bought the property after he company had picked out the and will build Use plant. Trip foundation also bought an adjacent 20-acre site and gave the company a three-year option on it. Snyder was chosen as site for he new plant, said Larry ,1 flitzenthaler, It i a I president, for ils proximity to a irime mobile homes market and sources manufacturing supplies. lie saitl the company's decision to build there also was Jifluenced by stable labor conditions in the area and by the quality of the community, whid vas recently named an All- American city by Magazine. The Ritz-Craft story, said 'aimer, is typical of Ihe success thai lias developed over the past ew years in the mobile homo ndustiy.

The company is young, laving been found just 16" years ago in a small building in Argos, nd. by four men who were strong in their belief in future of mobile home living. Two years after the founding of the original planl, Rilz-Crafl pened ils second plant al Sarasola, Fla. By that lime. Ritz-Crafl was well on ils way lo lie top, said Palmer 'riie nti-oduced the "Mark mobile home that was lo be the pace setter for several industries With ils front made oi 'ibei-glass, the Mark was a Forerunner of Ihe future ol mats the Soon thereafter, he recalled, )e company again made ndustiy news by introducing a 0-foot wide mobile home.

Engineering and production in- wnen novations during Die lale 50's set he stage for Ihe mobile home wilding surge of the 60's. I lomes today account for nan 50 per cent of all new anu'ly dwellings sold in United States, according the Department of "igures. In 1964, Rilz-Crafl expanded again with a fourth a in -aurinburg-Maxton, N.C. The next plant was opened ravel trailers and pleasure Mifflinburg, Pa. The seventh plant was opened last year at Neligh, Neb.

Also in merged 4 Corporation, Saginaw, Mich. The Wickes Corp. is the worlds Charles" Cole largest supplier of building Hendricks. company manager 1969, Hitz-Craft growing Mobile Homes Division. Fiis executive staff consists of Wickes three of the original officers of the company, John Riteithaler, materials, the merger a Mobile undertaken to strenlhen Craft's position in the industry single and to provide employees with the greater job stability and enlarged i i according to i I a management.

Ritz-Craft now operates is now of Wickes general rapidly- and a The Snyder plant will be known as Ritz-Craft of Texas and will be operated under the direction of an executive staff including a plant manager, sales manager, assistant a manager, purchasing agent, and superintendent, The plant will produce fully furnished mobile l( an iuny mrnisneu mODIle subsidiary of Wickes. Larry I homes Up to 14-foot wide and 70- Kitzentnaler, one of Ihe original foot long for sale throughout Ihe Ritz-Craft 1 Southwest. downtown river Slip into Serbia's box-pleat skimmer perfect any time, any place! Impeccably tailored in polyester and cotton won't wrinkle or crush, wilt or muss. Wash on but never iron. Predominantly blue or orange.

Sizes 8 to 20. $26.00 deiijatd ky Muritl Gigantic Fashion Clearance WITH GREAT SAVINGS ON THE FINEST QUALITY MERCHANDISE LADIES' SPRING-SUMMER DRESSES 1A A selection of fine clothes, one group of dacron- polyesrer dresses and pant dresses. Values from 24.00 to 110.00. WRAGGE ADELE SIMPSON TEAL TRAINA ERhJEST STRAUSS GHANA BAKER AVI DOW DESIGNER CLOTHES Off Entire stock of Spring- Summer Couture Goth- Values from 36.00 to 150.00. SUITS and off The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger will be one of the aircraft to conduct a flyover and be on static display at Webb AFB's Open House July 18 beginning at 2 p.m.

The open house will be in conjunction with the state convention of the Texas Air Force Association to be held in Big Spring. (U.S. Air Force Photo) ordered inlo (he Congressional wing commander and invocation Jtecords four times, increasing by Chaplain i a Ilio circulation in large numbers. Header's i Colonel) Frederick J. Kevettor.

2:05 Webb's Cessna T-37s reprinted a condensed version as and Northrop T-38s take-off. the lead story in ils November issue. In conjunction with convention Webb AFB will hold an open house July J8 from 2 to way cargo drop. 5 All local residents arc invited to attend the celebration. Following is tho schedule of events: 2 p.m.

Opening remarks by W. Alkinson, 2:10 Fort Sam Hou.slon parachute the exhibition. club's skydiving 2:25 Lockheed C-130, run- 2:35 Aircraft flyovers: T-38s Convair F-102s Lockheed C-5a (World's largest aircraft). Final flyover (T-37s and T- 38s combined formation). 3:00 Jody Drill Team's precision marching.

3:20 I-aeklaml AFB, sentry dog demonstration, 5:00 End of acLivilius. Various exhibits by the IVaining Command and Odessa Civil Air Patrol will be available for public viewing in Four McDonald Douglas F-4 the hangars adjacent to Phantom Ifs 'aircraft displays. ACC Professor In America Miss Mima A Williams, associate professor of Knglish at Abilene Christian College, is Galaxy spending the monlh of July on an educational lour of South America. She will visit Ihe capital cities and nearby areas of six countries. Included in the month-long trip are l.ima, Peru: Santiago, Chili; TCuenos Aires, Argentina; i Uruguay; Asuncion, Paraguay; and Krazilia, Brazil.

A member of Ihe ACC faculty since 1947, Miss Williams has also traveled extensively in Europe and the Orient, as well (he as thn United Stales, Mexico and 'Canada. Group of Spring and Summer suits. Two and three piece suits, Linens, Wool knils, Silk Tweeds and Cotton. JUNIOR DRESSES and off Spring and summer selection, range of fabrics, knits and all great junior styles. Sizes 6 to Hand 5 'to 13 Values 22.00 to 66.00.

Table of COSMETICS Price Various top name cosmetics at Yi price. SUNGLASSES V2 Price SPECIAL OCCASION 3 and Vi off Selection of long and short special occasion dresses. RACK OF BLOUSES Vs and off Choose from such names as Fern Form, Vera, Lady Manhattan, Ship N' Shore, in cottons, silks, rayon blends, lacron cotton, and polyester cottons. 5.50 to 34.00 values. ASSORTMENT OF LADIES HOUSESHOES Price of colors and.