The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. Maybe we could have used our survival radio once we were in the water or forced down over the jungle. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem. Those Hueys were their horses and they rode into battle en masse, to deliver their troops and evacuate the wounded. 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. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 60m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. The tactical situation is such that the ground troops cannot get the dead or wounded to a secure open area for evacuation. We always at least tried to complete the mission and felt that we let someone down if we didnt. Congress while the North Vietnamese were very well supplied by China and the The emotions are almost indescribable, but there was one more feeling: relief from being so scared! At least, I believe that is how I would have felt had it been me. Online membership The building is the Pittman Apartments, a 10 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." May 18, 2021. 2160250. buzz lightyear of star command complete series . 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. 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. He was a Dustoff pilot. The average age for helicopter pilots in Vietnam was in the area of 22 years as I recall. Myth: The media have reported that suicides among Vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000 - 6 to 11 times the non-Vietnam veteran population. On the ground, the troops would look up at Hueys flying over. pilots in the Vietnam War. [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. In fact, we all did well. 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. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture was Vietnamese. 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. ad.. it will be forwarded to the appropriate VHPA representative. He flew through the fog and light rain. Then I did another Young & Stupid thing. They were Kim's cousins not her brothers. I have posted your reply to Steve on here so he will be able to read it. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force. 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. U.S. active certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Worldwide aircraft fleet age by region 2020-2030, Air traffic - passenger growth rates forecast 2019-2040. There was a down side to the over-sized appendages, however. . "No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. Please call HQ on 800-505-VHPA (8472) to sign up to be a life Thanks Tom H. AKA,Cavalier 16, 68/69, Brought a tear to my eye. Also "Estimating the Number of Suicides Among Vietnam Veterans" (Am J Psychiatry 147, 6 June 1990 pages 772-776). Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated. The terms Protective Armor and Helicopter are mutually exclusive. I logged 205 hours in Flight Training. . The night I was wounded, my new co-pilot Don Study put us right on the deck, but all the while I had visions of my first 30-foot hover when I was a Funny New Guyan FNG. . In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally When I read the quickly handwritten sheet for this particular mission, I knew before we left that it was going to be an insecure hoist. Learn how your comment data is processed. All rights reserved. The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. [1996 Information Please Almanac] 1995 Information Please Almanac Atlas & Yearbook 49th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston & New York 1996, pages 117, 161 and 292. In Vietnam, pilots frequently encountered fog and monsoon rain, which severely tested their blind flying skills. Would love to chat with Bruce Huffman. The Scout Team would search for the enemy and then have the Weapons Team come in and destroy the enemy. The most common ethnicity of helicopter pilots is White (82.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.8%), Unknown (5.5%) and Asian (2.7%). h.. 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 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. Can I pick up Armed Forces Radio on it? That knocked the rotor blades off and the TH-55 went in., Successful candidates then progressed to the Contact Phase at Knox Army Heliport, Fort Rucker, for specific training on the UH-1B, C, and D, followed by the Tactics Phase at nearby Lowe Army Helioport, which prepared them for realistic combat conditions. As the Aircraft Commander in control of the helicopter, my eyes never left the tree branches that were touching the nose of my aircraft. Even then, there could be no guarantee that the slicks would be able to land and then depart without being targeted by enemy fire. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. to Europe and both have since died. Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service. They were immensely important to the troops on the ground as aerial fire power. Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. . Get the details for all upcoming vietnam helicopter unit reunions. One point I want to make is the the Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners were the and are still the best as well. Another tradition started in 1988 is a "Cobra" [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. In order to be Old and Wise, one must first be young and stupid. 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. advertising and other information. Myth: Air America, the airline operated by the CIA in Southeast Asia, and its pilots were involved in drug trafficking. or down. dont care. It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time. When you crash, well try to recover your bodies. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Refining close formation skills was an immediate requirement, as airborne assaults could involve a tight gaggle of up to 40 helicopters, including ten gunships. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. We were an easier target during the day, but unlike at night when we kept all the lights off, we could see what we were doing! 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. 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]. 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. If you are wearing body armor, they will probably miss that part. The second pilot you will meet is retired CWO2 Allan Potter. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. I wanted that top 20% and focused all my abilities and energy on making gunship training. It was a fact that Dustoff crews had three times the casualty rate of other helicopter crews. But this time he definitely took hits in a .50-caliber crossfire, and as he peeled off from the mountain, fuel was streaming from the aircraft. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. Even more demanding was formation flying at night, with navigation lights off, using the glow from the leaders cockpit instruments for station keeping. 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 . af.. Membership is open to all helicopter pilots who flew in No matter what the enemy threw at them, they never backed down. and flew his bird to the top of Monkey Mountian. Based on the data, more than 30% of the current for-hire pilots fall within the age range of 50 to 64. I suppose we would have survived; we had water wings! Your email address will not be published. 4.7 average based on 3 product ratings. n.. Experienced pilots with proven records of successful, aggressive combat could be invited to join a platoon in a fire team of one or two gunships operating with a scout helicopter and escorting slick assaults. e.. Cover your Buddy, so he can be around to cover for you. 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. I arrived in Vietnam on the 4th of July 1969, barely 21 years old. 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. The engine RPM and the rotor RPM must BOTH be kept in the GREEN. In retrospect, I think that is what happened to one of the pilots in our unit a few months after I left. And two are in Africa: Tanzania (October 1995) and Guinea (June 1995). . Traditions: The VHPA has developed some traditions over the Background [ edit ] 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 . Larry Clark and Mike Law in 1990. . 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. EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN LIFE I LEARNED AS A HELICOPTER PILOT IN VIETNAM. After training, they entered transport or gunship platoons referred to simply as slicks or guns. Most would complete at least two combat tours. hostile fire exposure versus battle area exposure. Most were 19 or 20 years old, with a few experienced old men per platoon in their late twenties. Number of helicopter pilot licenses in China 2014-2019; Global share of pilots whose mental health was affected by the pandemic 2020 ; I graduated from Flight Training 2 day short of a year. 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. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/919100/aviation-industry-average-age-of-active-pilots-in-the-united-states-by-category/, Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category*, Available to download in PNG, PDF, XLS format, Number of pilots active in the airline industry 2019-2029, Share of female pilots by major airline 2021, Global opinion on how long the aviation industry will take to recover 2021, U.S. student certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Number of pilot licenses in China 2018-2020, by type, Employment by registered airlines in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2020, by position, Employment profile of pilots worldwide 2020-2021, Job seeking status of pilots worldwide 2020, U.S. active certificated pilots - average age 1993-2020, U.S. aviation industry - average age of active pilots by category 2002-2020, Methods used to increase the potential supply of female pilots 2020, Global civil aviation training market size 2017-2021, Dependence of pilots on flight deck automation worldwide 2019, Downward pressure of automation on the role of pilots worldwide 2019, Methods used to reduce flight operations costs 2020, Pilots' plans to change jobs globally 2021, Difficulty to ensure stable supply of qualified pilots over the next decade 2020, Air traffic - passenger volume forecast by region 2037, Forecast of new pilots in the global aviation industry by region 2021-2040, Demand for new pilots in the commercial aviation industry by region 2021-2040, Projected pilot shortage globally by region 2029, U.S. aviation industry - number of active pilot certificates by age and category 2020, U.S. aviation - industry number of active pilot certificates by age 2020, United Airlines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, JetBlue Airways - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Delta Air Lines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Number of pilots active in the airline industry: by region 2017, American Airlines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Pilot deficit in U.S. commercial aviation 2016-2026, Southwest Airlines - pilot expenditure 2012-2021, Airline pilots worldwide - average age 2016, Number of pilots in the airline industry: per aircraft type 2016, Number of drone pilot licenses in China 2014-2019, Number of new pilots in Finland 2017, by type, Number of helicopter pilot licenses in China 2014-2019, Global share of pilots whose mental health was affected by the pandemic 2020, National and international commercial air traffic in Morocco 2016-2019, Number of bird strikes caused by military aviation Australia 2006-2015, Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. They were the ones who flew the troops into and out of battle. ), 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. u.. Everybodys a hero on the ground in the club after the fourth drink. Helicopters needed far more hands on piloting than fixed wing types. website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and 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. This is a true testament for any theater! Here is an example done at the 2005 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. Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. Always make sure someone has a P-38. 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. 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. It does not have to be war related. 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. But come look for us, will ya? You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. time than any other aircraft in the history of warfare assuming you count actual No matter what the make up of the team was they flew in helicopters that were made with the intention of dispensing a superior amount of fire power on the enemy. Shortly after arriving at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, I learned that those of us with the highest flight grades would attend a two-week gun school near the end of training, while the rest learned formation flying. [All That We Can Be]. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! Your email address will not be published. https://www.vhpa.org. 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). As he entered the crowded car, he said, Ballroom, please.. Walking is better than running. I have no idea who he was, but we logged his flight time as PP: Patient Protector.. I suppose that is what kept most of us going in the daily risk of flying helicopters in combat in Vietnam. Always smiling and never hurt anyone, I would guess. For more information see Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Business Solutions including all features. 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. Thanks for the memories. Most 18 year olds only think about girls and what they can get from them. Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. U.S. active certificated pilots - average age 1993-2020; . "The aviation units were the sole combat element of the U.S. Army that did not come. As an example, heavy Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. There is an explanation As soon as he stepped from the left side to the right, the aircraft tipped. It is [Parade Magazine]. website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and contained this quote about Vietnam, there has been "the most extensive accounting in the history of human warfare" of those missing in action. In the last decade, 69 nations have held multi-party elections for the first time in their histories. an.. A grunt is the true reason for the existence of the helicopter. webmaster@vhpa.org approximately 40,000 who served as helicopter Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information 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). 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. It d.. [The Wall Street Journal]. . However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. This form number DA- 4733-DSC (Dustoff-Sized Cajones), was used to determine which pilots would obtain MedEvac training at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, upon completion of training at Mother Rucker. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Oh, were we Young and Stupid on hoist missions, too; the second Y & S thing we did! More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. a31 road closure alton; cdw insurance for rental cars; hygro cotton bath towels; Hello world! It was called "shell shock" and other names in previous wars. x.. Medals are OK, but having your body and all your friends in one piece at the end of the day is better. How to get a day off of work or which college offers the best ability to party. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. In my mind, the only way I would. The gunships that were escorting him told Al to put it on the ground right away because of the serious leak. That was us giving you covering fire! he replied. v.. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. Myth: Agent Orange poisoned millions of Vietnam veterans. Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. During a hoist mission, we flew with one finger on a button on the cyclic stick that operated an electric solenoid. . Tactics such as pinnacle landing on top of steep hills, slopes, and karst outcrops amid destabilizing downdraughts to deliver heavy supplies to US Army firebases and outposts while under enemy fire were also tackled. 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.