one of 42 pictures of this helicopter that UPI photographer, Hubert Van Es took If so glad to know youre well. 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. Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) is a non-profit war veterans organization filed under Most were 19 or 20 years old, with a few experienced old men per platoon in their late twenties. The third pilot is retired Col. David Rainey U.S. Army. "Average Age of Active Pilots in The United States from 2002 to 2020, by Category*. address changes for the directory and use the comments form to [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. [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than our non-vet age group. . on VHFCN (http://www.vhfcn.org) , Heli-Vets and FaceBook also another FaceBook site. . It required every skill we had. c.. NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy. We fought to an agreed stalemate. (One has to realize that there was virtually no protection for the pilots from the front and little from the sides or underneath.) There walks a dead man. . If you have not been there and done that you probably will not understand most of this. They gave us classes on what altitudes to fly to avoid certain types of enemy fire small arms or 0.51 cal. 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). Mailing Address: Click here to view the US Army educational video, "A Day in the Life of a Helicopter Pilot," circa 1967. Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom be in your best interest. For more information see Running is better than crawling. . Most of our Door Gunners and Crew Chiefs were also 18-21 years old. (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. In my mind, the only way I would. Recent reports in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc are incorrect. rules. I would never dispute that, but I would argue that putting a helicopter on the tiny pad of the hospital ship is like landing on a corner of that postage stamp. [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. Five Thousand pilots and crews lost their lives and 3,258 Hueys alone were lost during the war. The average age of an employed helicopter pilot is 45 years old. In UH-1C gunnies, a pilot had to master taking off with a 1,000lb overload, persuade the aircraft to hover at an altitude of just three feet, and then dip the nose slightly to achieve forward movement basically skidding and bouncing along the runway to develop enough speed and lift to rise higher. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. [Westmoreland], Democracy Catching On - In the wake of the Cold War, democracies are flourishing, with 179 of the world's 192 sovereign states (93%) now electing their legislators, according to the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. Many times when either our troopers on the ground or another unit was facing enemy fire these brave men would come in with weapons blazing either destroying the enemy or allowing the ground troops to attain and then maintain superior fire power. . The planes doing the bombing near the village were VNAF (Vietnam Air Force) and were being flown by Vietnamese pilots in support of South Vietnamese troops on the ground. I cannot talk about how tough flight school was, nor can I state what the washout rate was because I did not go myself. 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. That sinister-sounding term was coined after the war) Orange was sprayed at three gallons per acre that was the equivalent of .009 of an ounce per square foot. . 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. However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. bombers during World War II most often flew missions lasting many hours with Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. It was called "shell shock" and other names in previous wars. When the Army decided to use helicopters as the Eyes, Protection and Horses of the 1st Cavalry Division, men both young and older were chosen to become pilots. Ground troops typically did not enter a sprayed area until four to six weeks after being sprayed. 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. Many men volunteered for the draft so even some of the draftees were actually There were no Americans involved in any capacity. magazines, a membership directory and a calendar each year and periodically publishes An automobile accident or other traumatic event also can cause it. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the [CACF]. The Weapons Team. directory for dues current members. The Scout Team would search for the enemy and then have the Weapons Team come in and destroy the enemy. it will be forwarded to the appropriate VHPA representative. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic." Currently, you are using a shared account. Others flew fixed wing and some were already in the Army but applied for and were chosen to attend flight school. If you are allergic to lead, it is best to avoid a war zone. Damn Navy talk! The hospital ship would then radio to the helicopter again, Just come in from the left and land to the back of the boat. It always got an immediate Roger!. Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. [Nixon] Atrocities - every war has atrocities. [People]. . Fournisseur de Tallents. . Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. In June of 1967, Marine officers destined to become fixed-wing pilots began reporting to Air Force bases for flight training. I never forgot the reverence with which that statement was made, as I began to form a survival plan of action in my mind. He flew through the fog and light rain. UH-1 Huey Gunship Vs NVA/VC Forces Vietnam 1962-75 is published by Osprey and is available to order here. Thanks for posting the memories. The longer you stare at the gauges the less time it takes them to move from green to red. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phuc's brothers were killed in this incident. It called for release of all U.S. prisoners, withdrawal of U.S. forces, limitation of both sides' forces inside South Vietnam and a commitment to peaceful reunification. Hot garrison chow is better than hot C-rations which, in turn, is better than cold C-rations which, in turn, is better than no food at all. [2]:3, This operation heralded a new era of air mobility for the U.S. Army, which had been slowly growing as a concept since the Army formed twelve helicopter battalions in 1952 as a result of the Korean War. 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. z.. Pucker Factor is the formal name of the equation that states the more hairy the situation is, the more of the seat cushion will be sucked up your ass. And two are in Africa: Tanzania (October 1995) and Guinea (June 1995). Online membership 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. When they saw one flying balls out, they knew it was a Dustoff on an urgent mission. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary wing In all, a very scary time for our country. See also The History of the Ranch Hand Epidemiologic Investigation. Whether their responsibility was to fly the troops into and out of battle, become the Medical Evacuation bird when required, be the forward eyes of the ground troopers or provide them fire support when needed. When I returned to the states later and applied for my military drivers license so I could drive the. [The Wall Street Journal]. The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. Fast Contour flying as close to the ground as possible to avoid ground fire was also mastered. 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. When called upon, a Pilot did not wait for approval from his crew, becuse he knew his crew would never say No. The first one you will meet is retired Army Col. Douglas Moore, a medevac pilot in Vietnam. Flag, John A. Jelich, Wisconsin, Cecelia Jelich Frost, Killed in Action, Rosary, KIA, Gold Star Family, Gold Star Wife. [1996 Information Please Almanac], There were almost twice as many casualties in Southeast Asia (primarily Cambodia) the first two years after the fall of Saigon in 1975 then there were during the ten years the U.S. was involved in Vietnam. The domino theory was accurate. These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern-day cavalry for the Army. 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. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action) [CACF] Even more demanding was formation flying at night, with navigation lights off, using the glow from the leaders cockpit instruments for station keeping. The engine RPM and the rotor RPM must BOTH be kept in the GREEN. confidential. This included Basic Combat Training and Flight Training. [1] "Vietnam helicopter pilots describe the war from the cockpit," YouTube video, posted by "Military Times," April 18th, 2018. [Westmoreland] Source: http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, Maturity, self-confident, bravery, willing to take chances, courageous, and yes fun-loving are the attributes that make a great pilot. But come look for us, will ya? zatarain's chicken fry mix ingredients New Lab; brown service funeral home obituaries; orange high school graduation 2021; the dragon paper airplane; average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. Thank you for your service. 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. The Vietnam Helicopters Memorial Tree was dedicated in 2015 and honors the helicopter pilots and crew members who died while serving in Southeast Asia from 1961 to 1975. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. Candidates later tackled the difficult arts of landing in small areas, night, and instrument flying crucial skills for their operational work in Southeast Asia. Always make sure someone has a P-38. I arrived in Vietnam on the 4th of July 1969, barely 21 years old. Oh, were we Young and Stupid on hoist missions, too; the second Y & S thing we did! . October 20, 2021. 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. Restraining the military in Vietnam in hindsight probably prevented a nuclear war with China or Russia. The cables going out . Myth: Agent Orange poisoned millions of Vietnam veterans. Burkett and Glenna Whitley, Verity Press, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998. al.. Search: Average Age Of Vietnam Helicopter Pilot. It happened many times, and their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C. One particular mission I recall was a day hoist. Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. [Parade Magazine] August 18, 1996 page 10. I already knew the difference between port and starboard, and it wasnt that hard to figure out beam and quartering approaches. of 21 year old Scotch purchased in 1971 by Brian Novak one of the original [Nixon]. That was probably the lowest point of my Vietnam flying experience, and I never forgot it. Whether they took hits at this time or not is speculation, but he tried another tactic. All of these, however, are better than extraction by Medavac, even if it is technically, a form of flying. You will get a sense of what that was like from listening to his stories. The Pilots of Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment 1st Cavalry Division (AM) were the best Pilots of the Vietnam War and today they are the best men America has to offer. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died. u.. Everybodys a hero on the ground in the club after the fourth drink. bombers and were always exposed to hostile fire even in their base camps. They were Kim's cousins not her brothers. I would NOT fly unarmed helicopters! Myth: The fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War II. I could not have been more proud of myself and my flight school classmates for having come this far. Five Thousand pilots and crews lost their lives and 3,258 Hueys alone were lost during the war. The Vietnam Required fields are marked *. a colleague is looking for a helicopter pilot nicknamed chicken man, who spent some time around Solid Anchor in about 1971. As well as prepping an LZ ahead of the slicks, gunship pilots could also warn crews flying troop carriers of threat areas, and advise them of enemy guns to avoid as they lifted out of the LZ. 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. In order to be Old and Wise, one must first be young and stupid. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. Helicopters needed far more hands on piloting than fixed wing types. The claimed flying aces of the Vietnam War, pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft, include 19 North Vietnamese pilots (six MiG-17 and 13 MiG-21 pilots), [1] : 228 and five Americans. They were utterly selfless and courageous warriors on our behalf. Most aviators receives about 210 hours of flight time. That was us giving you covering fire! he replied. Chart. I can throw a rock in there, its so close! was the rest of my thought. how to unhide mouse cursor windows 10; Since I first heard the phrase that is the title of this article, it struck me that those words were exactly what we did as kids flying helicopters in Vietnam. It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. Harnage, 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. With a hot mike, everything that was said, every noise, every round fired, every grunt and groan was amplified and transmitted into everyones headset without touching any buttons. 5.5% of all helicopter pilots are women, while 94.5% are men. The incident in the photo took place on the second day of a three day battle between the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) who occupied the village of Trang Bang and the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) who were trying to force the NVA out of the village. Most 18 year olds only think about girls and what they can get from them. In closing, I would merely like to state that I am able to write this today in large part because of luck whole lot of GOOD luck and a little bit of good humor. Larry Clark and Mike Law in 1990. years. Get the details for all upcoming vietnam helicopter unit reunions. Life member rates based on age are as follows (also ao.. The VHPA is a social organization only and Small, two seat TH-55 Osages were also used. I guess that woke him up, as the next thing I heard was his rifle plugging away at a mound of dirt just outside his door and about 30 feet down. Show publisher information Although the percent who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. All rights reserved. If you lose you If everyone does not come home, none of the rest of us can ever fully come home either. How to get a day off of work or which college offers the best ability to party. A paid subscription is required for full access. [McCaffrey], MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. k.. One point I want to make is the the Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners were the and are still the best as well. U.S. active certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Worldwide aircraft fleet age by region 2020-2030, Air traffic - passenger growth rates forecast 2019-2040. [Westmoreland], 97% were discharged under honorable conditions; the same percentage of honorable discharges as ten years prior to Vietnam [Westmoreland], 85% of Vietnam Veterans made a successful transition to civilian life. [VHPA databases]. Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era (1961-1975). I have posted your reply to Steve on here so he will be able to read it. . 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. "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. Also passed from President to President is a plaque with past Presidents' names on it. It does not have to be war related. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand stayed free of Communism because of the U.S. commitment to Vietnam. 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served [Westmoreland], 74% said they would serve again even knowing the outcome [Westmoreland], There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non veterans of the same age group (from a Veterans Administration study) [Westmoreland]. Don S. the last (in-country) Masher33, 1971, It is not easy to read this stuff. After training, they entered transport or gunship platoons referred to simply as slicks or guns. Most would complete at least two combat tours. This famous picture is the property of UPI Corbus-Bettman Photo Agency. It was a fact that Dustoff crews had three times the casualty rate of other helicopter crews. come forward just a little . You will meet and hear the stories of three U.S. Army helicopter pilots who flew missions in Vietnam in this video. [McCaffrey], 87% of the American people hold Vietnam Vets in high esteem. Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 story building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, located at 22 Ly Tu Trong St. As one of those troopers on the ground, I can honestly say how proud I am to have served with Brave men. Laura Ungaro, I enjoyed reading this very much, many good memories were recalled. We will never forget you, or the sound of your rotor blades off in the distance, coming to our aid. The Pilots of 1st of the 9th Cav were and yes still are the best. Phil Marshall, DMZ Dustoff 711, 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) Camp Evans and Quang Tri, Vietnam 1969. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment in Vietnam. [All That We Can Be]. I and many more just like me can only say Thank You for all that you did. VHPA Aviator magazine No Pilot that I know of ever went into a combat situation without both. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. 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! rotary wing aircrews that flew in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era. PO Box 8091 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. Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. If we didnt do it, the next guy would, and we would have been found to be personally lacking what it took to complete the mission. Book review. "The aviation units were the sole combat element of the U.S. Army that did not come. It is dedicated to the fulfillment of A hoist mission was just the opposite. Many of these brave men went from High School to Flight School. My father mentioned a pilot and I was curious if this was one of the same. Whatd he say? Hell, I dont know. aircraft in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era and inform them of the existence of the The Army employed it in various roles, including that of an armed escort or attack gunship in Vietnam. come right . 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. who is now retired in Arizona. tail number N4 7004, were Bob Caron who lives in Florida and Jack It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. It is unfortunate that many helicopters never had the opportunity to fulfill their one true mission in life, simply because someone forgot this fact. . Read the latest issue of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter and subscribe to recieve future newsletters. 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. . The BSR (Bang Stare Red) Theory states that the louder the sudden bang in the helicopter, the quicker your eyes will be drawn to the gauges. Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* [Graph]. All through flight school, we were taught by gun pilots, slick drivers, scout pilots (although not as many of the scout pilots, they had a high loss ratio), and oh, yes, ONE Dustoff pilot. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. 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. information contained in this publication shall not be distributed to non-VHPA I asked to take a different test and was able to pass that one! Thanks Tom H. AKA,Cavalier 16, 68/69, Brought a tear to my eye. They were heavily armed with mini-guns, machine guns, and various kinds of rockets. $99) To contact the magazine editor [email protected]. . A third tradition is a bottle 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. through mini-reunions (local get togethers) throughout the year and through the Internet On one particularly difficult night MedEvac in the mountains, all our windows fogged up as we dropped from 7,000 feet through a hole in the clouds to pick up a Soldier with a head wound. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. No this is Pat Bieneman I am the owner of this site. 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.