The following photos were owned by CW2 Jim Broderick "Sidekick 4" and provided by CW2 Fred Harms "Sidekick 3."
Rouge's Gallery!!
Photos from CW2 Gorden Henson
In addition to the "Coors Can" rocket pods, the Sidekick also had "Budweiser Can" rocket pods!
Stallion Pilot Denny Turner 11/68 - 12/69 was the architect of these pods.
"When I arrived at 92nd in Nov '68 I did some art, signs & graphics work around the company to get to know folks, ...and in December I suggested and volunteered to touch up the Coors cans which had gotten scratched up by then. Another new set of olive drab cans had just arrived in the gunnie shack to replace a set being DX'ed, so I suggested that a Budweiser pair was only fitting, which was approved by some of the Gunnies' crew & cadre that were on hand. I bought paint and brushes at the Cam Ranh Bay Base AFEX and Hobby Shop and painted the Budweiser cans. The white 1-part epoxy background was painted-on with aerosol spray cans and the red and blue lettering & graphics were hand painted with oil-based hobby enamels over the white. A few careful top coats of clear satin acrylic aerosol spray sealed it all.
It is noteworthy that unofficial artwork which decorated military aircraft, vehicles and weapons was not authorized by the DOD and chain of command, but was recognized in local units and chain of command as being important to Soldiers' & Units' Esprit de Corps and thus performance; A good example of the official and unofficial matters commanders had to balance in their duties. We encountered some Helicopter Companies and Soldiers in the field that envied our ships' nominal artwork, because their Units would not allow same. Indeed, in January of 1969 in conjunction with DOD & all Units tightening-up preparations in anticipation of a repeat of the February 1968 Tet Offensive; some cadre in the 92AHC attempted to have all unauthorized artwork removed from our aircraft and Army equipment; But it raised such a resistive stir among our unit's Soldiers, that the importance to Esprit de Corps was realized and the removal intiative abandoned in our unit, and aircraft artwork also remained on other units' aircraft under similar initiatives."
