Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) John Sullivan, a respected Army aviator, conceived of the idea to convert a ship into a floating helicopter repair facility. The Board prescribed an airmobility doctrine integrating helicopters into combat. The Howze Board proposed huge changes in Army doctrine, equivalent to the change that the United States Cavalry made when they got off their horses and adopted use of armor. Howze, the Army's first director of aviation, to conduct a review of the tactical possibilities suggested by the study. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara bypassed Secretary of the Army Elvis Jacob Stahr Jr. Rogers that suggested adopting helicopters for use in a combat role. The Army Staff in The Pentagon responded slowly to a study from the Army Aircraft Requirements Review Board chaired by LTG Gordon B. But other organizations and branches strenuously objected to allowing the Army to deliver ordnance via aircraft. Some US combat officers recognized the possibility of using armed helicopters to provide close air support. Helicopters had been used during the Korean War to ferry wounded and supplies. Operation Flat Top was a United States military project to convert USS Albemarle, a World War II-era seaplane tender, into a forward theater, offshore helicopter repair facility, for use during the Vietnam War. Three UH-1 "Huey" helicopters sit atop her aft flight deck.
USNS Corpus Christi Bay (T-ARVH-1) at anchor off Vung Tau, South Vietnam, circa 1967–1969.
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