c.. NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy. Mine were draped over the back of my seat, along with my M-16 rifle. As I look back on my own experiences, two things stand out in my mind that I consider young and stupid.. Warrant Officer-1 Al Gaddis was a tall, curly haired kid as I remember him. San Antonio, Texas 78208-0091, Copyright 2023 DUSTOFF Association | Powered by Barefoot Pixel, USAAAD conducts life-saving rescue of two civilians near Mount Adams. 66 founding members. A few were even awarded. There is a reason why these medevac pilots were called our angels in the sky. We who fought the enemy face to face on the ground, whether infantry or recon, knew that if we were wounded, these guys would do anything necessary, face any danger the enemy could present, to get us out of hell and back to the care we needed. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. I and many more just like me can only say Thank You for all that you did. They also acted as medical evacuation helicopter pilots when needed. Or, to hear veteran helicopter pilots describe their personal experiences in the line of duty, click here. Vietnam seldom flew above 1,500 feet which is traffic pattern altitude for solicitation purposes, or any correspondence related thereto. I am so very proud to have served with them. 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. Crew Members Association http://vhcma.org/. Okay, so the Hueys were extremely reliable, and I still love those incredible machines, but for the moment let us discuss navigation equipment on a Huey. on VHFCN (http://www.vhfcn.org) , Heli-Vets and FaceBook also another FaceBook site. Without his heroic actions that day we, the Grunts, would have been in severe situation as we were running out of food, ammo and our radio batteries were almost dead. All rights reserved. These men never refused to fly into harms way. Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) is a non-profit war veterans organization filed under As one of those troopers on the ground, I can honestly say how proud I am to have served with Brave men. (Three years for The Vietnam War helped medical progress in this area. ao.. In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally Hello. When they saw one flying balls out, they knew it was a Dustoff on an urgent mission. [McCaffrey], MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. When we, as students, first began training in Hueys at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, our Instructor Pilots (IPs) were required to fill out a Department of the Army (DA) form if our testicles were too big to fit comfortably in the standard front seat of a Huey. The VHPA has a membership of over 16,600 (8,700 dues current) helicopter pilots from around the world out of the approximately 40,000 who served as helicopter pilots in the Vietnam War. [CACF] (Combat Area Casualty File) November 1993. They explained the trajectory of the weapons fired from an aircraft, especially when firing in a turn., Fort Rucker trained 120 aviators on its gunship aerial weapons course for the UH-1B in 1965. He was an instructor pilot at Downing Army Airfield at Ft. Wolters, Texas, in May of 1968. ag.. The third seat was installed in our combat aircraft to accommodate the well above average size of our family jewels, which were required to complete most of the missions we flew in Vietnam. a31 road closure alton; cdw insurance for rental cars; hygro cotton bath towels; Hello world! Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. The third seat was for our testicles. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? The total of non-pilot crewmembers killed was 2,704, according to records of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Association. Correspondence relating to commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be But as the Army would have it, during Friday night formation of the middle weekend of gun school, 24 of us, including 12 in the gun school, received orders to attend MedEvac school at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, immediately after graduation. . You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. [Burkett] Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History by B.G. Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. To all of the brave Pilots and their crews, I can say but three things. Trainees (known as candidates) then commenced the nine month long US Army Primary Helicopter School course at Fort Wolters, Texas, where they endured some extremely robust Preflight training as potential warrant officers. . I could not have been more proud of myself and my flight school classmates for having come this far. Categories . 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. We always at least tried to complete the mission and felt that we let someone down if we didnt. . The initial Army designation was HU-1, which led to the common unofficial nickname of Huey.. In June of 1967, Marine officers destined to become fixed-wing pilots began reporting to Air Force bases for flight training. Being scared in the sense of risking ones life for others, for sure, but also a sense of being scared that you will not be up to the standards of your fellow pilots. To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary wing If I had gone down over land, I probably would not have taken my weapon with me. Innocent people get killed. Here is an example done at the 2005 It was finally time to find out if we had the gonads to be combat helicopter pilots. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans' group." [McCaffrey] is passed from outgoing President to incoming President at each reunion. I asked to take a different test and was able to pass that one! There was an adrenaline high, too, and a tremendous sense of accomplishment that I have yet to experience since flying my last mission in Vietnam. It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time. It would instantly cut the cable should any part of the lift apparatus get snagged in the trees or in any other emergency situation. I can throw a rock in there, its so close! was the rest of my thought. The Vietnam Helicopter Flight Crew Network (VHFCN) is a non profit veterans organization dedicated to the fulfillment of the following purposes: To provide a forum for recreational communications amongst a fraternity of aircrew members who served in Vietnam during the period 1961-75. One point I want to make is the the Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners were the and are still the best as well. survival radio, whats that? ), Once out to sea, landing on the ships was an interesting experience, especially when the decks were bouncing up and down like a fishing bobber with a carp under it. Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. We sacrificed our youth and innocence; we achieved above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. t.. As mentioned earlier, there was little protection from weapon fire for the pilots, and with body parts exposed on a third seat, we were especially vulnerable. In the last decade, 69 nations have held multi-party elections for the first time in their histories. November 14th, 2013 at 5:45 pm Dave Shannon (crewmember, 92nd AHC) Says: I always liked the subdued look of combat zone attire, as opposed to anything shiny or glittery. The third pilot is retired Col. David Rainey U.S. Army. They were Kim's cousins not her brothers. We took no hits on that mission, and as we lifted out of the landing zone, the fact that we cheated death again left me with all the exciting feelings I mentioned at the beginning of this article. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. If everything is as clear as a bell, and everything is going exactly as planned, youre about to be surprised. Also passed from President to President is a plaque with past Presidents' names on it. Currently, you are using a shared account. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot The second pilot you will meet is retired CWO2 Allan Potter. [Parade Magazine] August 18, 1996 page 10. . These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern-day cavalry for the Army. Book review. 5 Stars . [1996 Information Please Almanac], The 140,000 evacuees in April 1975 during the fall of Saigon consisted almost entirely of civilians and Vietnamese military, NOT American military running for their lives. nfl open tryouts 2022 dates; liste des parc de maison mobile en floride; running 5k everyday for a month before and after; girls who code summer immersion program We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. The picture of a Huey helicopter evacuating people from the top of what was billed as being the U.S. Embassy in Saigon during the last week of April 1975 during the fall of Saigon helped to establish this myth. They were the ones who flew the troops into and out of battle. The most incredible, dangerous, high pucker factor, exhilarating thing a man can do with a helicopter is to pull an insecure hoist mission, day or night. "The problem is that those who think the Vietnamese haven't cooperated sufficiently think there is some central repository with answers to all the lingering questions," notes Gen. John Vessey, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Reagan and Bush administration's designated representative in MIA negotiations. They were immensely important to the troops on the ground as aerial fire power. There are over 4,945 helicopter pilots currently employed in the United States. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. We will never forget you, or the sound of your rotor blades off in the distance, coming to our aid. [Home] [ReunionInformation] [Donations] [OurLegacy] [MembershipServices] [RelatedWebSites] Member Login. I have got to pass this on to an Aussie friend of mine, Ian. Uh, thats a can opener for those of you who arent military. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. That was us giving you covering fire! he replied. plaque made from the mold for the AH-1G prototype collective grip. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. As they entered a one year combat tour, many pilots heard the ominous rumor that the average life expectancy of a US Army Aviator helicopter pilot in combat was only 19 minutes. tail number N4 7004, were Bob Caron who lives in Florida and Jack On what turned out to be his final mission, they were to pick up wounded on a mountain top, but got caught in heavy fire while making their approach. That was the unforgiving part. I think that some of us changed for the better, but some of us did not. The Weapons Team. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. My father mentioned a pilot and I was curious if this was one of the same. keep your tail straight . More Scout Teams were lost because of this than any other helicopter team. Those Hueys were their horses and they rode into battle en masse, to deliver their troops and evacuate the wounded. The further you fly into the mountains, the louder the strange engine noises become. Hello, I enjoyed Reading the blog. VHPA and encourage all eligible individuals to become members. Five minutes or more seemed like hours while we sat in the air over the ground troops, taxing every bit of professionalism we hadand the reader better believe we had the utmost professionalism. Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service. ai.. 5.5% of all helicopter pilots are women, while 94.5% are men. al.. Age 70 to 74 --------$150.00 Parameters for authorizing operating a US Navy submarine reactor plant above practicable design limits is Read More, Additionally, 1.3 million of those five million flight hours were accomplished during combat. By the end of the war half of them had been lost. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. When I returned to the states later and applied for my military drivers license so I could drive the. I can personally remember one time when we were pinned down due to superior enemy fire from a tree line and a weapons platoon helicopter (Cobra) sat just off to our right and lit up the tree line with such superior fire that the enemy was destroyed. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Most were 19 or 20 years old, with a few experienced old men per platoon in their late twenties. The first one you will meet is retired Army Col. Douglas Moore, a medevac pilot in Vietnam. The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. sent to webmaster@vhpa.org whereupon [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Updated: 7 February 2018 If we waited for gunship support, it may be too late for the wounded, so most times we tried to sneak in and sneak out (if thats possible in a clattering helicopter) and complete the rescue before the enemy had TOO much time to shoot us up . Both immigrated [Houk] Testimony by Dr. Houk, Oversight on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 14 July 1988 page 17, Hearing before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs United States Senate one hundredth Congress second session. A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. . The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. . All of these, however, are better than extraction by Medavac, even if it is technically, a form of flying. advertising and other information. Publi le 12 juin 2022 par . Many men volunteered for the draft so even some of the draftees were actually Restraining the military in Vietnam in hindsight probably prevented a nuclear war with China or Russia. q.. Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative. He was an Air Cav pilot, delivering and evacuating troops into and out of battlefields. Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial [Westmoreland] Source: http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. The movie and a book the movie was based on contend that the CIA condoned a drug trade conducted by a Laotian client; both agree that Air America provided the essential transportation for the trade; and both view the pilots with sympathetic understanding. looking good. . Occasionally, the gunner and crew chief had to exit temporarily to reduce the weight sufficiently for take off. Candidates later tackled the difficult arts of landing in small areas, night, and instrument flying crucial skills for their operational work in Southeast Asia. Age 60 to 64 --------$350.00 I was okay to fly helicopters in the Army, but not to drive a jeep! The Scout Team would search for the enemy and then have the Weapons Team come in and destroy the enemy. was several blocks from the Pittman Apartments. By Phil Marshall, DMZ Dustoff 711, 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) Camp Evans and Quang Tri, Vietnam 1969, published in Association of Naval Aviation, Cape Fear Seahawk Newsletter, July 2012, Vol. Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. Age 59 and below --$450.00. The VC knew the points in an assault where the helicopter was most vulnerable, so thorough prepping by gunships and strike aircraft was essential. Scientific research has shown that dioxin degrades in sunlight after 48 to 72 hours; therefore, troops exposure to dioxin was infinitesimal. As an elevator at the reunion hotel was transporting me and other attendees to the Saturday night banquet, another Dustoff pilot stepped on from his floor. Even then, there could be no guarantee that the slicks would be able to land and then depart without being targeted by enemy fire. War is brutal and not fair. dont care. I used to laugh at the occasional Huey slick driver who flew out to let guys from his unit use the shopping facilities on the ships. I made a pedal turn (U-turn) about 200 feet in the air, probably over some bad guys, and hovered back in over the trees. . It was called "shell shock" and other names in previous wars. one of 42 pictures of this helicopter that UPI photographer, Hubert Van Es took They will always be our heroes, our Angels in the Sky.. am.. Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. . You were a good friend and much appreciated by my parents. [Houk]. survive the 365 days in Southeast Asia was to be a gunship pilot, blazing my way back to the states, defending myself with mini-guns, rockets, and grenade launchers. Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in Southeast Asia - a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. population at the time and slightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war." . Although many of them had experience of fixed wing aircraft, very different challenges lay ahead when it came to learning the sophisticated, coordinated control techniques required for rotary wing flying. In the movie We Were Soldiers and Young the Lift Pilot was portrayed by Snake and To Tall. In reference to Mr. Walker, would he also be the same pilot that was nick named, Baby Huey in Vietnam? Show publisher information Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Soviet Union. It was a "civilian" (Air America) Huey not Army or Marines. The Naval Air Training Command, located at Pensacola, Florida, could not train enough Marine helicopter pilots to bring the units in Vietnam up to strength. applies to subscribers): Age 80 and above ---$75.00 A hoist mission was just the opposite. A dead man, meaning, he should never have made it back because Dustoff aircraft were unarmed MedEvac helicopters with red and white targets (crosses) painted all over them and flew single-ship missions. I did well enough to make the school, along with about 25 of my classmates.
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