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"GETTING THE WORD. Marine helicopter squadron is briefed."
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"It was another day's work for the U.S. Marines' Helicopter Squadron 163 in Vietnam. In the sultry morn-ing the crews huddled at Da Nang for the final briefing on their mission: to airlift a battalion of Vietnamese infantry to an isolated area about 20 miles away. Intelligence reports indicated that the area was a rendezvous point for the Communist Vietcong, who come down the Ho Chi Minh trail from the north.

Among those listening at the briefing were Lance Cpl. James C. Farley, crew chief of the copter Yankee Papa 13, and LIFE Photographer Larry Burrows, who had been covering the war in Vietnam since 1962 and had flown on scores of helicopter combat missions. On this day he would be riding in Farley's machine and both were wondering whether the mission would be a no-contact milk run or whether, as had been increasingly the case in recent weeks, the Vietcong would be ready and waiting with 30-caliber machine guns..."

Image 3/29 of the photos of Larry Burrow's 'One Ride with Yankee Papa 13'.

The April 16, 1965, issue of LIFE Magazine is free on Google Books - https://books.google.com/books?id=RlMEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

More info available in post #939