Phu Cat AB - An unusual request, please help

[P-40Warhawk]

Hi everyone, I've never made a request like this one, so I hope I'm doing this right. I've placed this post here in the hopes someone who saw this might be a regular of this forum.

 

 

Sometimes when I look at ebay, I will just browse through the items listed. Sometimes my curiosity will get to me and I will then check the 'sold' items setting to see what I missed. Last December (2015) I did just such a search for 'Phu Cat'. An item came up that had sold in an auction which I think ended in November 2015; I would post the link I saved but it no longer goes to the auction since ebay deletes old listings after something like 60 days. The listing was named "Vietnam Slide USAF HH 43F HUSKIE SAR helicopter in revetment at PHU CAT AB". It sold for something like $23 + shipping. The seller had a lot of old aviation slides for sale.

 

Oh how I wish I had seen that slide prior to the auction ending. It has great personal meaning. My grandfather flew SAR out of Phu Cat when that slide was taken (the listing said 1970) with DET 13 of the 38th ARRS and that very possibly was his helicopter. Last year my grandfather's health began to deteriorate, and this month he was taken to the hospital. At 91, there just are not many more years ahead to share memories and stories. When I found the ended listing, I told him about it and he wanted to know more about the picture. This is a screenshot, but the seller said the actual slide had very good detail.

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone knows the buyer, or one of you is the buyer and would consider selling it (I would be happy to pay a fair market value), or even to pay a fair price for a high quality print made from it if the buyer does not want to sell it, it would really make his day to see it. I've never made such a post like this, or as personal as this one. It is the buyer's and I understand if they do not wish to sell it; I only wish I had seen it before the auction had ended. Or if anyone knows if this was an official USAF picture I can get a print of, please let me know.

[vintageproductions]

If it was during 2015 it may have been a piece that Chris A purchased. He then sold everything to Jason Hardy. I know Jason said he had boxes of photos he hadn't even gotten around to sorting yet.

 

Can't hurt to ask him.

[P-40Warhawk]

Thanks, I will send him a message.

[P-40Warhawk]

I haven't heard anything about this, so I'm hoping that by bumping it back up someone might see it and respond.

 

Sadly he passed away last year, but that just makes this link all the more important to us; his family.

[ADMIN]

Have you had any luck??? Surely someone here would know.

 

Chris

[P-40Warhawk]

Hi! Believe it or not, I haven't heard one thing. I'm even trying to find anything related to Detachment 13, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron at Phu Cat Air Base Republic of Vietnam, 1970-1971. My grandfather commanded the detachment, and also flew many missions in the HH-43's of the detachment. He really wanted to see a more detailed image, but sadly he passed away last year without the slide ever turning up again. His family is still very interested in seeing it as it is a tangible link to his service and history.

[beezman]

Hi,

May you grandfather rest in peace. We have devoted nine pages to the 38th ARRS in our book Yankee Air Pirates vol. 1. But we do not have any images in it regarding Det. 13 though. More info about the book series on the link in my signature below.

[P-40Warhawk]

Hi! Thanks for the comments.

[P-40Warhawk]

I know this is a long shot, and unfortunately he passed away since I posted this back in 2016, but it would still be meaningful to his family to learn about the slide.