Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. A Scout team consisted of a pilot, a Door Gunner and an observer. By the end of the war half of them had been lost. al.. The Scout Pilot. If you ask people who live in these countries that won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the American news media. The initial Army designation was HU-1, which led to the common unofficial nickname of Huey.. A hoist mission was just the opposite. You were a good friend and much appreciated by my parents. member. [CACF] (Combat Area Casualty File) November 1993. If you have not been there and done that you probably will not understand most of this. The great majority of these efforts have erroneously portrayed many myths about the Vietnam War as being facts. October 20, 2021. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Refining close formation skills was an immediate requirement, as airborne assaults could involve a tight gaggle of up to 40 helicopters, including ten gunships. However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. I found a can of olive drab (OD) spray paint and . You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. an.. A grunt is the true reason for the existence of the helicopter. In my mind, the only way I would. [1996 Information Please Almanac] 1995 Information Please Almanac Atlas & Yearbook 49th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston & New York 1996, pages 117, 161 and 292. We grabbed some unsuspecting Schmuck and told him to get his weapon and some ammo and run with us to the aircraft. At least, I believe that is how I would have felt had it been me. Others flew fixed wing and some were already in the Army but applied for and were chosen to attend flight school. Values are as of December 31 each year. University. Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial We thank God for these pilots and crews who fearlessly went into our hell on our behalf day in and day out, during the Vietnam War. Three of the five newest democracies are former Soviet republics: Belarus (where elections were first held in November 1995), Armenia (July 1995) and Kyrgyzstan (February 1995). [2]:4, On 15 April 1962 the United States Marine Corps began Operation Shufly, the rotating deployment of Marine helicopter squadrons, associated maintenance units and air traffic control detachments to South Vietnam to improve the mobility of ARVN forces. If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops probably do not have what they need. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). If so glad to know youre well. l.. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. 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. Get the details for all upcoming vietnam helicopter unit reunions. I wonder how many grunts would have gotten on the hoist had they known that. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. Updated: 7 February 2018 solicitation purposes, or any correspondence related thereto. The third seat was for our testicles. . [CACF]. 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Thanks for the memories. "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. It was an average age for most of the other Army helicopter pilots I flew with in the 237th Medical Detachment in northern I Corps near the DMZ. b.. This freed Marine quotas at Pensacola which could be used to . From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. You will get a clear sense of what they were up against and how they conducted themselves. Those trainers were so small you could lean in them to make the thing turn. 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. We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. ?any tips. No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. Flag, John A. Jelich, Wisconsin, Cecelia Jelich Frost, Killed in Action, Rosary, KIA, Gold Star Family, Gold Star Wife. It has been said many times by Navy and Marine jet pilots that landing on an aircraft carrier is like landing on a postage stamp. 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. [McCaffrey], 87% of the American people hold Vietnam Vets in high esteem. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. . As soon as he stepped from the left side to the right, the aircraft tipped. The Scout Team would search for the enemy and then have the Weapons Team come in and destroy the enemy. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem. Most were 19 or 20 years old, with a few experienced old men per platoon in their late twenties. Statista. 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. Maturity, self-confident, bravery, willing to take chances, courageous, and yes fun-loving are the attributes that make a great pilot. This famous picture is the property of UPI Corbus-Bettman Photo Agency. come forward just a little . 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. to Europe and both have since died. As an example, heavy It was a small price to pay for the successful completion of our daily rescues. The South Vietnamese ran out 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. 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. The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. 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. 01/09/2013. Scott McBride CW4 152HH AH-64D Apache Flight Instructor, Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry Regiment, The Troopers of Charlie Troop 1st Squadron 9th Cavalry 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). U.S. active certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Worldwide aircraft fleet age by region 2020-2030, Air traffic - passenger growth rates forecast 2019-2040. Instead of landing and changing seats he tried to do it in mid air. Those of us lucky enough to come home learned from the experience and were, without question, changed men, no longer wide-eyed boys. The Wall), Center for Electronic Records, National Archives, Washington, DC, [All That We Can Be] All That We Can Be by Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, [Westmoreland] Speech by General William C. Westmoreland before the Third Annual Reunion of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) at the Washington, DC Hilton Hotel on July 5th, 1986 (reproduced in a Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Historical Reference Directory Volume 2A). Please call HQ on 800-505-VHPA (8472) to sign up to be a life Congress while the North Vietnamese were very well supplied by China and the rotary wing aircrews that flew in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era. Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 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. Occasionally, the gunner and crew chief had to exit temporarily to reduce the weight sufficiently for take off. keep your tail straight . Whether they took hits at this time or not is speculation, but he tried another tactic. Magazines are included with VHPA membership and are available to non-members with a After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. Required fields are marked *. Federal Aviation Administration. [People], The person who can be seen aiding the refugees was CIA operations officer, Mr. O.B. Shoot, I had NO idea! [McCaffrey]. 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. So, were we really Young and Stupid? The DA-4733-DSC should not be confused with the much more common DA-4734-GSTT (Gunship Sized Tiny Testicles), where other pilots made up for their lack of size with big guns and big wrist watches. [McCaffrey] Speech by Lt. Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, (reproduced in the Pentagram, June 4, 1993) assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Vietnam veterans and visitors gathered at "The Wall", Memorial Day 1993. The Vietnam War helped medical progress in this area. only 10 to 20 minutes of that time exposed to hostile fire. f.. If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. 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. Phil Marshall, DMZ Dustoff 711, 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) Camp Evans and Quang Tri, Vietnam 1969. 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. Correspondence relating to commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be Learn more about how Statista can support your business. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. I enlisted in the (WOFT) Warrant Officer Flight Training. Ancient U.S. Army proverb. The UH-1 evolved from a 1955 US Army competition for a new utility helicopter. The average age (according to General William C. Westmoreland before the Third Annual Reunion of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) at the Washington, DC Hilton Hotel on July 5th, 1986) was 26 The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. We lost a lot of Pilots but we also lost a lot of Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners. If I had gone down over land, I probably would not have taken my weapon with me. Add to that, it is also the most unforgiving mission flown in a helicopter. You only have access to basic statistics. . ac.. Running out of pedal, fore or aft cyclic, or collective are all bad ideas. The third pilot is retired Col. David Rainey U.S. Army. How to get a day off of work or which college offers the best ability to party. 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. 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. Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial Most Agent Orange contained .0002 of 1 percent of dioxin. Those brief and simple heartfelt words meant more to me that night than anything else ever said to me during my entire tour. It was a "civilian" (Air America) Huey not Army or Marines. Although the percent who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. [VHPA databases]. 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. He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. If you are wearing body armor, they will probably miss that part. Joe Treen, People.com, 21 April 2000. sent to. o.. 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! I graduated from Flight Training 2 day short of a year. It required every skill we had. 79% had a high school education or better. The death squads focused on leaders at the village level and on anyone who improved the lives of the peasants such as medical personnel, social workers, and schoolteachers. [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. 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. They gave us classes on what altitudes to fly to avoid certain types of enemy fire small arms or 0.51 cal. While there are still officially more than 2,200 cases, there now are only 55 incidents of American servicemen who were last seen alive but aren't accounted for. confidential. Were about five miles out. Five miles out from where? Number of helicopter pilot licenses in China 2014-2019; Global share of pilots whose mental health was affected by the pandemic 2020 ; The total of non-pilot crewmembers killed was 2,704, according to records of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Association. [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. Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era (1961-1975). At the same time, I made flight adjustments according to the guys in the back. Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. Currently, you are using a shared account. (EC), [Home] [ReunionInformation] [Donations] [OurLegacy] [MembershipServices] [RelatedWebSites], This We dont have any place for you to land, so just hang your butts out in the open sky for several minutes so any kid with a bow and arrow can shoot you down, and Gee, those red crosses on your helicopter sure make great aiming points, dont they? I arrived in Vietnam on the 4th of July 1969, barely 21 years old. d.. The VHPA publishes six Would love to chat with Bruce Huffman. PO Box 8091 [Westmoreland] Source: http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. There were many of the Warrant Officers that were in their 18,19, and 20s. Warrant Officer-1 Al Gaddis was a tall, curly haired kid as I remember him. I promised myself that it would never happen again, and it didnt. U.S. active certificated pilots - average age 1993-2020; . Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic." Most 18 year olds only think about girls and what they can get from them. or down. I have no idea who he was, but we logged his flight time as PP: Patient Protector.. The emotions are almost indescribable, but there was one more feeling: relief from being so scared! Our single-engine UH-1H Hueys did not float in the water very well. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. It was NOT the U.S. Embassy. 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. The tactical situation is such that the ground troops cannot get the dead or wounded to a secure open area for evacuation. Your email address will not be published. Published by on October 31, 2021. Also passed from President to President is a plaque with past Presidents' names on it. He dropped to the deck a couple miles out and then screamed up the hill at 120 knots and tree top level, trying to sneak in past the enemy. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. 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. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phuc's brothers were killed in this incident. Can I pick up Armed Forces Radio on it? It was a well known (and very true) fact that during an emergency exit from an aircraft, if you dont have it strapped to your body, you wont take it with you. [Parade Magazine]. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. 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. 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. members without the express consent of the member. [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.
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