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AJ
US Veteran
Sgt. Mike Viet Nam Humor
- Thread starter AJ
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This come under the stranger than fiction category. One morning I was up top, preflighting the rotor head. It was my (and everyone else's) practice to grab the jesus nut and try to turn it. Well, it moved!! The outer gear teeth (for the giant torque wrench) has a block that locks into the teeth of the nut. That block is held in place with a bolt that is safety wired. It all looked perfect. I don't know how much torque is applied to the nut but the torque wrench is almost 3 feet long and it takes a couple guys to tighten it down. That step was skipped and the block, bolt and safety wire were all in place. The jesus nut was not even finger tight. Needless to say, my departure for the day's mission was delayed while the hangar rats (sorry guys) came out with the wrench. The thing that freaked me out was my ship had been test flown before it was released to me. Someone missed a couple items on his check list. I always say "Check lists are written in blood." You don't want it to be yours.
I bet the rubber band was missing.
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AJ
US Veteran
Been there and done this! Luckliy I was in a bunker on guard when the monsoons hit.
Back to the jesus nut for a moment, even though the cartoon above is hilarious.
This is the side feature of the main rotor retaining nut. This UH-1H had an engine change down in Panama and the new engine could not produce oil pressure. Rather than ordering another engine we decided we would load the A/C on a US Army LCM (or is it a LCU?) run it through the canal to the Pacific side and ship it home on a C-5. Our tow truck could hook on to the jesus nut and get it from the flat bed and on to the boat (Navy guys, is that allowed?) for transit through the canal.
I really wanted to do the transit but I had lots of other things to do. What a shame. A once in a lifetime experience to go through the Panama Canal. Here was the boat loading operation.
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This is the side feature of the main rotor retaining nut. This UH-1H had an engine change down in Panama and the new engine could not produce oil pressure. Rather than ordering another engine we decided we would load the A/C on a US Army LCM (or is it a LCU?) run it through the canal to the Pacific side and ship it home on a C-5. Our tow truck could hook on to the jesus nut and get it from the flat bed and on to the boat (Navy guys, is that allowed?) for transit through the canal.
I really wanted to do the transit but I had lots of other things to do. What a shame. A once in a lifetime experience to go through the Panama Canal. Here was the boat loading operation.
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K, no one has explained the wording " Jesus Nut"….
If the nut came off, you were going to meet Jesus. Or the "other guy" depending on how you led your life.
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If the nut came off only Jesus could save you…..
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AJ
US Veteran
For those still in the dark about the "Jesus Nut", read and click the link in ost #4301.
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AJ
US Veteran
You only have one job to do, so don't screw it up!!
OP
AJ
US Veteran
Last night/early this morning for my youngest Grandson and his new friends.
The kid would have been in like Flynn if he had just said "High and Tight".
We found it interesting that the one thing that had not changed in 18 years, between our first and most recent visits to Viet Nam, was the fact you still can't drink the water. We stayed at some quality hotels; the one in Nam Dinh was as nice as any in my experience (and I've stayed at some nice places for business over the years) and our hotel in Saigon was a newer Park Hyatt. It just seemed odd that in an otherwise four star hotel you had to brush your teeth with bottled water. And they tell you to do that.
It appeared to me the things the Vietnamese government need to work on for increased tourist trade is potable water systems, air quality, and litter. We've had our issues in the past but most of us take clear air, relatively clean roadsides and waterways, for granted. Tap water that doesn't give you the trots is nice too.
Bryan
The Nam Cuong in Nam Dinh. Nice with a capital N. But don't drink the tap water.
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By chance one saw the rivers up close doubt water would be safe to drink in 1000 years, LOL…including ground water.
You else remembers the old Starlight scopes with the nice green images ?
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AJ
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Saw one once. Was not real impressed at the time. This was 1971 or 72. In 1988, while at a Marine Barracks, we got a chance to use some Night Vision Googles. I was very impressed then. Can only imagine what they are capable of today.
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We had and used the early starlight scopes, better than nothing.
In 1968 RVN I thought thought the Starlight scopes were magic. 
I trained with one at Camp Bullis, at the AF Security Police ground base defense course in 1977. After that I became a K9 handler so my night vision had four legs. 
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AJ
US Veteran
Didn't run into many Chaplins during my time in the Corps. The few that I did talk to were very helpful.
