“Winchester” is the indicator used between aircraft that one’s gunship is out of useable ammunition. A fuel shortage is communicated by the word “Bingo” whereby an aircraft much break station and return to base or Forward Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP) for more fuel. While a Bingo gunship must leave the action, a Winchester gunship does not necessarily have to.

In the case of Chief Coker’s gunship, he and his copilot both carried an M4 assault carbine, 600 rounds of ammunition between them, and as many M-67 fragmentations hand grenades as they could squirrel away in their cockpit. Even after Chief Coker’s AH-6 Little Bird gunships went Winchester, his men still loitered over the battlefield slinging lead and heaving grenades — men who came to fight and meant it too, by thunder!

The author’s rendition of how the Chief probably looked flying support over the Haditha Dam.

A commemorative cartoon honoring CWO4 Greg “Gravy” Coker for his part in recounting the Battle for Haditha Dam in a four-part series for SOFREP.

By Almighty God and with honor,
geo sends