Commanding Officer

 

LtCol Frank K West, Jr. .........24 Nov - 29 Jun 1971
The Last of the Vietnam Commanding Officers.

 

 

Old Tigers:

Since I was Chatterbox-6 from Nov. '70 thru June '71
I'm qualified to call myself an "Old Tiger" -
so here I am!!

 I'm in a quandary, however, about my previous tour in HMM 262 in
1962-3 (before the war, Chatterboxes or even CH-46s) - Would that make
me a "Pre-Historic Tiger", OR -GOD FORBID- maybe even a 
"Saber Toothless Tiger"??

Colonel Frank K. West (dec.)
"Flying Tiger"
A Marines, Marine.
March 19, 2001

 

THIS" WONDERFUL" MAN WAS OUR LAST C.O. IN NAM AND HE ROTATED TO KBAY AS
OUR COMMANDER. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY THE THE GREATEST LEADER I EVER KNEW,
MY RESPECTS TO LT/GENERALS Mc CORKLE AND DELONG. WELL I DON'T HAVE TO TELL
YOU, I REMEMBER BOTH OF YOU SERVED UNDER HIM ALSO, AND LOOK WERE BOTH OF
YOU ARE NOW. COL. WEST YOU ARE THE BEST MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU, AND YOUR
FAMILY. REST IN PEACE, GOD BLESS AND AS ALWAYS SEMPER FI S/SGT W. F. BILL DAVIS

HE TOOK OVER AS CO OF HMM-262 THE DAY AFTER I LEFT VIET NAM...WAS A SUPER
INDIVIDUAL AND LEADER...OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY...HOPEFULLY HE IS
FLYING THE GOOD LORD AROUND ON A "VR" OF HEAVEN. SEMPER FI, FRED
(LtGen Fred McCorkle, USMC)

I remember when he took over as our C.O.   There was
something about him that made me feel comfortable and
confident that he would lead us proudly in the Flying Tiger
tradition.   He was a man who could lead with confidence and
I could be proud to serve under.
(Sgt. Dave "Butch" Powell, Ground Support
Equipment/Gunner