[1] "Vietnam helicopter pilots describe the war from the cockpit," YouTube video, posted by "Military Times," April 18th, 2018. The third seat was for our testicles. Joe Treen, People.com, 21 April 2000. See also The History of the Ranch Hand Epidemiologic Investigation. Most Agent Orange contained .0002 of 1 percent of dioxin. no, seven! On 11 December 1961, the USS Core (T-AKV-41) docked in Saigon with 32 U.S. Army Piasecki H-21 helicopters and 400 crewmen of the 8th Transportation Company (Light Helicopter) and the 57th Transportation Company (Light Helicopter). How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? pilots in the Vietnam War. . Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated. In fact, not at all, since we usually flew with the doors open, even at night. Further proof of these facts can be found at a recent Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) reunion. It is 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 . 79% had a high school education or better. tail number N4 7004, were Bob Caron who lives in Florida and Jack The platform is the top of the elevator shaft for the building and was not One guy was 19, while the oldest (not counting our Commanding Officer) was the 28-year-old XO, Army slang for the second in command, Executive Officer. looking good. You will get a clear sense of what they were up against and how they conducted themselves. I logged 205 hours in Flight Training. Thank you. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. an.. A grunt is the true reason for the existence of the helicopter. As MedEvac helicopter pilots, we flew the only Army Hueys equipped with the electric hoist/winch. [Parade Magazine]. VHPA Aviator (big file). am.. Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. applies to subscribers): Age 80 and above ---$75.00 Generally, someone is badly wounded in jungle or mountainous (or both) terrain where a helicopter cannot land on the ground or even close to it. My opinion is that he was as afraid that he could not complete the mission, as much as he was afraid to die. come right . Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. Restraining the military in Vietnam in hindsight probably prevented a nuclear war with China or Russia. He flew through the fog and light rain. DID after the U.S. Congress cut off funding. When I found out that I was assigned to be a MedEvac pilot, I was devastated. Running is better than crawling. 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. "The CDC Vietnam Experience Study Mortality Assessment showed that during the first 5 years after discharge, deaths from suicide were 1.7 times more likely among Vietnam veterans than non-Vietnam veterans. . 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. 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. He he he he . It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time. website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and . Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, of what you can do online at https://www.vhpa.org/memhelp.htm#ODA, To preserve the legacy of all Vietnam Helicopter Pilots, an endowment time than any other aircraft in the history of warfare assuming you count actual The U.S. Embassy and its helipad were much larger. However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. Book review. A Huey pilot later with the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion (AHB) at Pleiku, recalled one student who, flush with success after his first solo, decided to see what it was like in the empty instructors seat, but knew he would have to change back to land. Myth: Most American soldiers were addicted to drugs, guilt-ridden about their role in the war, and deliberately used cruel and inhumane tactics. The Weapons Team. Search: Average Age Of Vietnam Helicopter Pilot. The VHPA is a social organization only and As soon as he stepped from the left side to the right, the aircraft tipped. 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. UH-1 Huey Gunship Vs NVA/VC Forces Vietnam 1962-75 is published by Osprey and is available to order here. Keeping with the VHPAs tradition that the History Sections theme becomes the theme for that years Membership Directory, the 2023 Membership Directory (D2023) will be a history of U.S. Air Force helicopters in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War (1961 thru 1975).Read more about the planned U.S. Air Force helicopter Vietnam War history sections. The pilots who were flying this helicopter, I can tell you what in my opinion made the best pilots. [Westmoreland] Source: http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html confidential. We still got there in a hurry, but once there, we hovered over the trees like a target at the County Fair 25-cent target-shooting booth. We especially were concerned about the troops we were there to support. University. Even then, there could be no guarantee that the slicks would be able to land and then depart without being targeted by enemy fire. Knowing that my depth perception left little margin for error on the night approaches (especially), I had to totally concentrate on what I was doing and not relax for a second until we were down on that rockin and rollin ship. Many men volunteered for the draft so even some of the draftees were actually When called upon, a Pilot did not wait for approval from his crew, becuse he knew his crew would never say No. Chart. One guy was 19, while the oldest (not counting our Commanding Officer) was the 28-year-old XO, Army slang for the second in command, Executive Officer. . I could not have been more proud of myself and my flight school classmates for having come this far. The Vietnam War was shortly after China got involved in the Korean war, the time of the Cuban missile crisis, Soviet aggression in Eastern Europe and the proliferation of nuclear bombs. The average age of an employed helicopter pilot is 44 years old. Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom be in your best interest. Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. [People]. If I had gone down over water, I would not have grabbed the wings either, because not only had I never tried to inflate them, I had never even tried to put them on. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). Another Huey pilot explained, We were expected to perform simulated missions like we were in Vietnam. They also acted as the means of supply of ammunitions, equipment and food. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. Then I did another Young & Stupid thing. Scientific research has shown that dioxin degrades in sunlight after 48 to 72 hours; therefore, troops exposure to dioxin was infinitesimal. Always make sure someone has a P-38. We risked much in a totally dark valley that night, and there was no doubt that someone appreciated us. [Nixon], The Vietnam War has been the subject of thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, hundreds of books, and scores of movies and television documentaries. (Westmoreland quoting Douglas Pike, a professor at the University of California, Berkley a renowned expert on the Vietnam War) [Westmoreland] This included Tet 68, which was a major military defeat for the VC and NVA. Back home in the real world, my buddies were at the drive-in, drinking beer and looking for a carload of girls to flirt with, just as I had been doing a year or two before. theyre on the penetrator . There are over 4,945 helicopter pilots currently employed in the United States. I and many more just like me can only say Thank You for all that you did. (One has to realize that there was virtually no protection for the pilots from the front and little from the sides or underneath.) average age of vietnam helicopter pilot 02.12.2021 hartford basketball roster 2021 jack flaherty contract bulls statement jersey 2020 is required reading in many colleges, High Schools and military units. The initial Army designation was HU-1, which led to the common unofficial nickname of Huey.. As an example, heavy Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. 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. He was an instructor pilot at Downing Army Airfield at Ft. Wolters, Texas, in May of 1968. 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. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. This is a true testament for any theater! There was a down side to the over-sized appendages, however. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. VHPA Aviator magazine With the patient finally on board, the Radio Operator with the ground unit Rogered our departure message with a Thanks a HELL of a lot, Dustoff!. Is this the Steve DaCosta who was friend of my brother W.O. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter Warrant Officer Shelly Berryman flew Huey helicopters in Vietnam War But it also exposed American servicemen and women to a chemical that now has them dying on average 13 years earlier than their counterparts who did not serve in . He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force. I just tapped him gently on the shoulder and whispered, Hey, Buddy, Im as far back in the elevator as I can get now. I knew what he was really saying. Although I was sworn to secrecy at the time, with the Freedom of Information Act, I believe that I can now break the silence. [People.com] Vietnam 25 Years Later, by In September of 68 1LT Bruce Huffman had his crew disembark fron his ship and had it loaded with ammo, C-rations and batteries for the radio. The further you fly into the mountains, the louder the strange engine noises become. These three represent all of out Vietnam War helicopter pilots. We lost a lot of Pilots but we also lost a lot of Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners. ad.. trina daughter instagram 97887 65581; music city drum corps staff saiservicecentre2020@gmail.com More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. I will always thank Warrant Officer Study for his late-night, picture-perfect landing on the round end of the boat. 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. about halfway down . q.. Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative. It took all of our skill and luck to avoid flying into the valley walls as we stuck our heads out the windows to find our way to the LZ without balling up the helicopter. Maybe we could have used our survival radio once we were in the water or forced down over the jungle. Federal Aviation Administration. I arrived in Vietnam on the 4th of July 1969, barely 21 years old. 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. "Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category*." 5.5% of all helicopter pilots are women, while 94.5% are men. View complete answer on zippia.com In all, a very scary time for our country. ak.. 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 At the conclusive battle of the war (the Fall of Saigon), the . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. aj.. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. Warrant Officer Candidates (WOCs) then progressed to Fort Rucker, Alabama, or, from 1967, Hunter Army Airfield at Fort Stewart, Georgia, for advanced flight training and instrument flight instruction. You will get a sense of what that was like from listening to his stories. [McCaffrey], 87% of the American people hold Vietnam Vets in high esteem. 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. While it may be possible to ward off this natural event some of the time, it cannot, despite the best efforts of the crew, always be prevented. They gave us classes on what altitudes to fly to avoid certain types of enemy fire small arms or 0.51 cal. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. Small, two seat TH-55 Osages were also used. Our single-engine UH-1H Hueys did not float in the water very well. You were a good friend and much appreciated by my parents. All of these, however, are better than extraction by Medavac, even if it is technically, a form of flying. And what was even stupider, I suppose, was the fact that if the doors were closed when we reached the water, we opened them so we could get out easier if we did go down. Ground troops typically did not enter a sprayed area until four to six weeks after being sprayed. It was called "shell shock" and other names in previous wars. It wasnt easy, and I will now confess that my depth perception almost was not good enough to pass my initial flight physical, but I made it. Fournisseur de Tallents. Have you ever heard the expression, He was flying the aircraft balls out? That was us. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment in Vietnam. to Europe and both have since died. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the (EC), [Home] [ReunionInformation] [Donations] [OurLegacy] [MembershipServices] [RelatedWebSites], This American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. The VC were surprised and soundly defeated. Updated: 7 February 2018 I knew that if Don got in trouble on the approach, I could not be of much help because of the gunshot wound in my left arm, but we were Young and Stupid and we made it. In June of 1967, Marine officers destined to become fixed-wing pilots began reporting to Air Force bases for flight training. Most of our Door Gunners and Crew Chiefs were also 18-21 years old. A Scout team consisted of a pilot, a Door Gunner and an observer. For the latter, a specially equipped H-13 had optional blanked out external vision. There, the new guys learned how to apply their recently found skills to combat situations. I had no idea of the satisfaction, pride, sense of accomplishment, and even elation that I would feel in the next six months. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. Helicopters in The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. [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. 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. w.. Those Hueys were their horses and they rode into battle en masse, to deliver their troops and evacuate the wounded. As he entered the crowded car, he said, Ballroom, please.. "Average Age of Active Pilots in The United States from 2002 to 2020, by Category*. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only 1/2 of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. It was NOT the U.S. Embassy. The VHPA publishes six Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. 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. Read more about the planned U.S. Air Force helicopter Vietnam War history sections. Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 dont care. EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN LIFE I LEARNED AS A HELICOPTER PILOT IN VIETNAM. Normally, one has to push a button to talk over the intercom in a military aircraft, but on a hoist mission, we turned it to hot mikes, because we all needed our hands for other things. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary wing When you crash, well try to recover your bodies. [All That We Can Be]. Myth: A disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War. Even though I had yet to fly my first hour of combat, I had already done many incredible things that my high school and college friends could not even dream of. u.. Everybodys a hero on the ground in the club after the fourth drink. 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. Click here to view the US Army educational video, "A Day in the Life of a Helicopter Pilot," circa 1967. (Three years for Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). Prayer may not help . . [People], The evacuees were Vietnamese not American military. We believe that the Huey along with the Huey Cobra have more combat flight Would love to chat with Bruce Huffman. To retrieve the data click on 2020 Active Civil Airmen Statistics. He was an Air Cav pilot, delivering and evacuating troops into and out of battlefields. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and The total of non-pilot crewmembers killed was 2,704, according to records of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Association. We all volunteered to do something that only a year or two before we could not have even dreamed that we would be doingsomething that only a very few could ever experience; something for which only a very few could even qualify. Soviet Union. [Houk]. We are now Older and Wiser, and for that I am very thankful. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. "Pogo" Hunter who died in 1995. During a hoist mission, we flew with one finger on a button on the cyclic stick that operated an electric solenoid. The others on board simply assumed he was also headed for dinner, but I knew the true meaning of his statement. Shoot, I had NO idea! on 29 April 1975 from UPI's offices on the top floor of the Saigon Hotel which First of all, there was landing on the Navy Hospital ships, USS Repose and USS Sanctuary, in the South China Sea, very near the Demilitarized Zone. . When sprayed on dense jungle foliage, less that 6 percent ever reached the ground. Annual car sales worldwide 2010-2022, with a forecast for 2023, Number of cars sold in the U.S. 1951-2021, Battery electric vehicles in use worldwide 2016-2021, Annual gas prices in the United States 1990-2021, Automotive industry worldwide - statistics & facts, Motorcycle industry in the United States - statistics & facts, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. In other words, it took a man with a huge pair of Brass Balls but with the ability to know when to use them but with the brains to know when to hold them. [People], The person who can be seen aiding the refugees was CIA operations officer, Mr. O.B. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Both immigrated Instead of landing and changing seats he tried to do it in mid air. 1969 You will meet and hear the stories of three U.S. Army helicopter pilots who flew missions in Vietnam in this video. Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. These men never refused to fly into harms way. Their stories are extremely compelling. Age 60 to 64 --------$350.00 Translation: There are bad guys all around, weve got wounded, get in here NOW before they die or we have more wounded, and you have to come back again. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Refining close formation skills was an immediate requirement, as airborne assaults could involve a tight gaggle of up to 40 helicopters, including ten gunships. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). Reunion dates and locations have been announced for the following units: The latest quarterly issue has the agenda and registration details for Vietnam War conference scheduled for March 2-4, 2023 that will focus on the year 1973: The Paris Peace Accords and the Allied Withdrawal from South Vietnam Also included are updates on the Oral History Project and volunteer opportunities.Stay in touch and help us preserve your legacy. Age 75 to 79 --------$100.00 Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Aero Bonus 320085 1/32 Us Army Helicopter Pilot Vietnam War 1960-1975 at the best online prices at eBay! approximately 40,000 who served as helicopter solicitation purposes, or any correspondence related thereto. You only have access to basic statistics. [VHPA databases], Army UH-1's totaled more than 10,693,902 flight hours in Vietnam between October 1966 and the end of c.. NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy. $99) To contact the magazine editor aviator@vhpa.org. 01/09/2013. Magazines are included with VHPA membership and are available to non-members with a They were immensely important to the troops on the ground as aerial fire power. $36/year subscription. If you have not been there and done that you probably will not understand most of this. The radioman on the ship would tell them Cleared for a port quarter approach. The silence on the radio was the proverbial pregnant pause, and I could imagine the conversation inside the Huey cockpit. ?any tips. . x.. Medals are OK, but having your body and all your friends in one piece at the end of the day is better. fund has been established at the Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech Please use the membership application form to submit Every helicopter flying in Vietnam had one real purpose: To help the grunt. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. I then realized that ole PP back there was just sitting in the hell hole taking it all in, not doing a thing! submit other directory changes and updates. Your email address will not be published. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. Life member rates based on age are as follows (also Myth: Kim Phuc, the little nine year old Vietnamese girl running naked from the napalm strike near Trang Bang on 8 June 1972, was burned by Americans bombing Trang Bang. Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) is a non-profit war veterans organization filed under https://www.vhpa.org. . In retrospect, I think that is what happened to one of the pilots in our unit a few months after I left. If everyone does not come home, none of the rest of us can ever fully come home either. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. Business Solutions including all features. We know that it was a .50-cal that got him and not an AK47 bullet because an AK round is not big enough to shoot off the balls of a Dustoff pilot. At least, I believe that is how I would have felt had it been me. We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. [3], Battlefield Viet Nam Episode 5 "The Undeclared War", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Chopper_(Vietnam)&oldid=1133354489, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 10:36. it will be forwarded to the appropriate VHPA representative. d.. Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. 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. survival radio, whats that? One pilot lost a testicle to a .50-caliber round and was able to father only 44 children (at last count) after returning from overseas. It was the Pilots mission to fly as low and as slow as he could allowing the observer and the Door Gunner to watch for signs of the enemy or to allow the enemy to fire at them. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic." If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops probably do not have what they need. We sacrificed our youth and innocence; we achieved above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. Uh, thats a can opener for those of you who arent military. . His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. member. The VC knew the points in an assault where the helicopter was most vulnerable, so thorough prepping by gunships and strike aircraft was essential. Obviously, I was wrong, but I did not know it then. g.. THE UNITED STATES DID NOT LOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM, THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE War is brutal and not fair. 5 Stars . They could rotate around a battle site from above, unleashing punishing weapon support from above. 66 founding members. The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. The first time I tried to land on the ship at night, I terminated at a 30-foot hover over the deck instead of on the deck, and the Aircraft Commander had to take over and hover us down to the ship. This famous picture is the property of UPI Corbus-Bettman Photo Agency. Vietnam seldom flew above 1,500 feet which is traffic pattern altitude for After the first of the two injured soldiers was hoisted on board, the din of the covering fire began to register in my head. through mini-reunions (local get togethers) throughout the year and through the Internet We fought to an agreed stalemate. And two are in Africa: Tanzania (October 1995) and Guinea (June 1995). One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Here are some facts to clear up that poor job of reporting by the news media. So, were we really Young and Stupid? was several blocks from the Pittman Apartments. Statista. He fell right through the rotor blades. l.. plaque made from the mold for the AH-1G prototype collective grip. May 18, 2021. Thank you for your service. [CACF] (Combat Area Casualty File) November 1993. I already knew the difference between port and starboard, and it wasnt that hard to figure out beam and quartering approaches. [Nixon]. Your email address will not be published. The rest of the mission went as expected with no more surprises. In reference to Mr. Walker, would he also be the same pilot that was nick named, Baby Huey in Vietnam? 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." Age 70 to 74 --------$150.00 The additional weight of patients on the end of the hoist as they were lifted off the ground further complicated the stability of the aircraft. Only a few privileged people, other than the crew members themselves, know an obscure fact that there were actually three seats in the cockpit of a Dustoff helicopter, rather than two seats, as mounted in all other Hueys.

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