5.5% of all helicopter pilots are women, while 94.5% are men. 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. 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. It is dedicated to the fulfillment of Laura Ungaro, I enjoyed reading this very much, many good memories were recalled. (the herbicide was called "orange" in Vietnam, not Agent Orange. During his two tours in Vietnam, Col. Moore flew 2,752 combat medevac mission and transported 2,952 wounded men back to the medical help they needed. [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. f.. I would NOT fly unarmed helicopters! We put him in the back of the cargo compartment with his M-16 and a helmet, hooked him up to the intercom, and we were off. Yes, most definitely young, but stupid? . The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. 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. Most 18 year olds only think about girls and what they can get from them. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. VHPA Aviator magazine 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. 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! Being scared in the sense of risking ones life for others, for sure, but also a sense of being scared that you will not be up to the standards of your fellow pilots. UH-1 Huey Gunship Vs NVA/VC Forces Vietnam 1962-75 is published by Osprey and is available to order here. With a fair amount of apprehension, it was now the moment of truth. Could we really do what we had been trained to do, without letting anyone down? directory for dues current members. Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. Have you ever heard the expression, He was flying the aircraft balls out? That was us. Can I pick up Armed Forces Radio on it? i.. Chicken Plates are not something you order in a restaurant. Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. Parameters for authorizing operating a US Navy submarine reactor plant above practicable design limits is Read More, Additionally, 1.3 million of those five million flight hours were accomplished during combat. Hello, I enjoyed Reading the blog. Dustoff pilots with their unique seating arrangement is where that statement originated. 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. [McCaffrey], MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. "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. There is an explanation It required every skill we had. We honor the memory of all those who lost their lives in that service. . its on the ground . I found a can of olive drab (OD) spray paint and . submit other directory changes and updates. . The engine RPM and the rotor RPM must BOTH be kept in the GREEN. 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. The average age of an employed helicopter pilot is 45 years old. [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, The rest of the mission went as expected with no more surprises. There were many of the Warrant Officers that were in their 18,19, and 20s. Search: Average Age Of Vietnam Helicopter Pilot. The VC knew the points in an assault where the helicopter was most vulnerable, so thorough prepping by gunships and strike aircraft was essential. Show publisher information American involvement in February 1973. They were Kim's cousins not her brothers. The total of non-pilot crewmembers killed was 2,704, according to records of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Association. Updated: 7 February 2018 bombers during World War II most often flew missions lasting many hours with o.. 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. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. Are you interested in testing our business solutions? 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. 5 Stars . Required fields are marked *. [VHPA 1993], The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. From 1965, around 99 percent of each completed class of students were sent to Vietnam. ad.. 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. A third tradition is a bottle [Nixon] Atrocities - every war has atrocities. About 12,000 U.S. military helicopters spent 7.5 million hours above Vietnam, flying 2 million missions. come right . 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. PO Box 8091 Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. 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 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. fund has been established at the Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech 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. through mini-reunions (local get togethers) throughout the year and through the Internet Also "Estimating the Number of Suicides Among Vietnam Veterans" (Am J Psychiatry 147, 6 June 1990 pages 772-776). Communications with the Executive Council In, Federal Aviation Administration. Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) is a non-profit war veterans organization filed under Read the latest issue of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter and subscribe to recieve future newsletters. [Parade Magazine]. 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. Candidates later tackled the difficult arts of landing in small areas, night, and instrument flying crucial skills for their operational work in Southeast Asia. From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. . Okay, so the Hueys were extremely reliable, and I still love those incredible machines, but for the moment let us discuss navigation equipment on a Huey. No this is Pat Bieneman I am the owner of this site. Another Huey pilot explained, We were expected to perform simulated missions like we were in Vietnam. theyre on the penetrator . . Refining close formation skills was an immediate requirement, as airborne assaults could involve a tight gaggle of up to 40 helicopters, including ten gunships. Statista. 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!. v.. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. Member 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%). Donations can be made here https://www.vhpa.org/donate.htm, The VHPA has a membership of over 16,600 (8,700 dues current) helicopter pilots from around the world out of the We believe that the Huey along with the Huey Cobra have more combat flight Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so much. The biggest responsibility of a helicopter pilot was to fly that helicopter in such a manner as to provide support for the men on the ground. San Antonio, Texas 78208-0091, Copyright 2023 DUSTOFF Association | Powered by Barefoot Pixel, USAAAD conducts life-saving rescue of two civilians near Mount Adams. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. $36/year subscription. it will be forwarded to the appropriate VHPA representative. 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. 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). Its just what they do. [People.com] Vietnam 25 Years Later, by 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. information contained in this publication shall not be distributed to non-VHPA As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died. Put some fire in that bunker! I yelled to Private Whats-His-Name. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only 1/2 of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. Flight training was preceded by grueling infantry instruction at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Fort Polk, Louisiana, where recruits, predominantly volunteers, learned through Basic Combat Training that they were primarily soldiers, with a secondary role as helicopter crew members. They could rotate around a battle site from above, unleashing punishing weapon support from above. 2160250. buzz lightyear of star command complete series I wont make it back.. Trainees (known as candidates) then commenced the nine month long US Army Primary Helicopter School course at Fort Wolters, Texas, where they endured some extremely robust Preflight training as potential warrant officers. It happened many times, and their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C. One particular mission I recall was a day hoist. Oh, were we Young and Stupid on hoist missions, too; the second Y & S thing we did! Shoot, I had NO idea! 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. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! advertising and other information. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. In the movie We Were Soldiers and Young the Lift Pilot was portrayed by Snake and To Tall. "The aviation units were the sole combat element of the U.S. Army that did not come. The third seat was for our testicles. The longer you stare at the gauges the less time it takes them to move from green to red. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. Flag, John A. Jelich, Wisconsin, Cecelia Jelich Frost, Killed in Action, Rosary, KIA, Gold Star Family, Gold Star Wife. Your email address will not be published. That was us giving you covering fire! he replied. He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. 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. on VHFCN (http://www.vhfcn.org) , Heli-Vets and FaceBook also another FaceBook site. Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era (1961-1975). When sprayed on dense jungle foliage, less that 6 percent ever reached the ground. 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. [1996 Information Please Almanac] 1995 Information Please Almanac Atlas & Yearbook 49th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston & New York 1996, pages 117, 161 and 292. For the latter, a specially equipped H-13 had optional blanked out external vision. They also acted as the means of supply of ammunitions, equipment and food. When I returned to the states later and applied for my military drivers license so I could drive the. In action, gunships sometimes left their lights on for night missions, for according to another Huey pilot, We had a doctrine that wed rather have the enemy shoot at the gunship than at the lesser armed slicks.. keep your tail straight . . 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. 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. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. 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. Online membership 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. Number of helicopter pilot licenses in China 2014-2019; Global share of pilots whose mental health was affected by the pandemic 2020 ; 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. 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. Obviously, I was wrong, but I did not know it then. There was a down side to the over-sized appendages, however. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. And the answer is: There IS none! Sure, we had a compass and an Automatic Direction Finder, but in the event of an engine failure on the way to the hospital ship, this would have probably been my emergency call. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. 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. * Includes pilots with an airplane and/or a helicopter and/or a glider and/or a gyroplane certificate. The average age of an employed helicopter pilot is 44 years old. [Nixon]. On the ground, the troops would look up at Hueys flying over. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Please note: This survival radio, whats that? to Europe and both have since died. [Parade Magazine] August 18, 1996 page 10. Small, two seat TH-55 Osages were also used. . All rights reserved. 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? . Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. The 1990 unsuccessful movie "Air America" helped to establish the myth of a connection between Air America, the CIA, and the Laotian drug trade. I wanted that top 20% and focused all my abilities and energy on making gunship training. All of these, however, are preferable to cold rice balls, even if they do have the little pieces of fish in them. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans' group." He fell right through the rotor blades. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The VHPA publishes six To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary wing 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!. Categories . If we had been shot down on virtually any hoist mission, our high hover would not have allowed us to make a safe landing, and many would surely have died. Two high ranking Others flew fixed wing and some were already in the Army but applied for and were chosen to attend flight school. tail number N4 7004, were Bob Caron who lives in Florida and Jack Scared that maybe, just maybe, youll fail your mission where someone else just like you would have succeeded.
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