We have been learning about Neil Ostgaard and his service in the Vietnam War. Neil graduated from Tracy High School in 1961 and attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota where he participated in Army ROTC. Neil graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor’s degree and a commission as an Army 2nd Lieutenant. He volunteered for flight training; completed his Primary Flight Training; and was assigned for further training in the OV-1 Mohawk; a twin-engine, reconnaissance aircraft.

Neil described the Mohawk and outlined their initial flight training.

“It is a twin-engine, turbo-prop with ejection seats; a forward cockpit; and a triple stabilizer on the tail. Our training started off very basic: getting used to getting airborne; the Mohawk’s flight instruments; and turning and maintaining altitude. The instruments were different and everything was faster, including reading charts. That aircraft could get up to 350 knots at full power. I was impressed by its speed and it had full reverse, so you could land in short fields. There were more warning lights, so you went through more of what to do. That was a lot of the classroom training.”

Once the new pilots had mastered the basics of flying the Mohawk, instructors began testing their ability to manage in-flight problems.

“You spent the whole time flying in one and a half to two-hour shifts. It was challenging because you were always worried about what was coming next from the instructor: cut engine power; instrument alerts, etc. The most fun part was landing. We were distinguishable from other pilot trainees because we wore orange flight suits, rather than gray. That gave you a “Cock of the Walk” feeling. (Neil laughed) I loved training in the Mohawk and that was even before we got to gunnery school.”

Neil partnered with another Mohawk pilot trainee during the course.

“The fellow that went through it with me was Jerry Fornell. He was from the Transportation Corps, like me, so we were good buddies. But he did not go on to gunnery training.”

After Neil completed the basic OV-1 Mohawk course, the Army sent him to back-to-back, operational flight training courses.

“We went to Fort Stewart, Georgia for gunnery training, which was called OV-1 Suppressive Fire Course. This was followed by OV-1 Aviation Combat Surveillance Familiarity Course. Both were three weeks. The aircraft became heavier. The aircraft we flew in the basic OV-1 course had only fuel pods under each wing. When we went to the fire suppression course, you added 2.75″ rocket pods under each wing and a .50 caliber machine gun under each wing. The training was firing these weapons and took place at an aerial firing range. We were learning about controlling the aircraft, because it was heavier, and rolling in to fire rockets and hitting the target. Hitting the target took quite a lot of practice.”

Neil moved to another installation for training in the Mohawk’s reconnaissance mission.

“It was a mix of classroom training and a lot of night flying at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. It was interesting flying along those desert mountain ranges. They look close when you are flying, but they are really miles away. This was where we learned about the surveillance equipment operators, or technical observers. We called them TOs. These OV-1s had SLAR – Side-Looking Airborne Radar – and infra-red (IR) cameras. And there were the visual recon (VR) camera aircraft. They operated during the day and were the only ones carrying weapons. With the SLAR you flew straight and level and it peered off to the side. I think they sent us through these courses to give us an idea what these [TO’s] in the right seat were doing and how we might help them.”

Neil completed his operational training in April 1967 and reported to his first unit.

“I got my unit assignment orders to the 245th Aviation Company being formed at Fort Lewis, Washington. I went to Lewis from Huachuca. They were just getting their aircraft, [which] were being built in Florida. So pilots were going to Florida to ferry aircraft back. I went down and picked up a couple aircraft. With prior approval on one of those flights I stopped at the St. Paul airfield, parking at the Air Guard facility, for my brother’s wedding. The unit was filling out its personnel and equipment, getting ready to deploy. I had realized during flight school we were all headed to Vietnam.”

The 241st Aviation Company completed their preparations work and deployed to Vietnam in October 1967.

“A lot of the equipment went by ship. Unit personnel flew out of McChord AFB in Washington to Vietnam. We flew on C-141s which didn’t have commercial seats; they had web seats. We refueled in Anchorage and landed in Danang. Everyone was looking out the windows as we came in over Vietnam. It was hot and humid there in October. We were going to Marble Mountain Airfield on the coast south of Danang. I was only there about a week when I got orders to the 131st Aviation Company at Phu Bai, outside of Hue. That was the only unit with armament on their aircraft and they asked for me. So, after training with and getting to know the personnel in my first unit, I was transferred to an entirely new unit that I did not know.”