approximately 40,000 who served as helicopter I found a can of olive drab (OD) spray paint and . The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. (One has to realize that there was virtually no protection for the pilots from the front and little from the sides or underneath.) There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the . By contrast, there still are 78,000 unaccounted-for Americans from World War II and 8,100 from the Korean conflict. Burkett and Glenna Whitley, Verity Press, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1998. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. . [People], The evacuees were Vietnamese not American military. 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. "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. We fought to an agreed stalemate. While in themselves those landings were not stupid, the way we got there was! 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. 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. 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 . As explained by Peter E. Davies in his book UH-1 Huey Gunship Vs NVA/VC Forces Vietnam 1962-75, many US Army pilots volunteered for combat simply because they wanted to fly the UH-1. Most Agent Orange contained .0002 of 1 percent of dioxin. The average age for helicopter pilots in Vietnam was in the area of 22 years as I recall. American involvement in February 1973. Is that AM or FM? 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. 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. [Burkett]. . magazines, a membership directory and a calendar each year and periodically publishes Congress while the North Vietnamese were very well supplied by China and the 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. Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? [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. [Parade Magazine] August 18, 1996 page 10. I have got to pass this on to an Aussie friend of mine, Ian. 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. ", Federal Aviation Administration, Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/919100/aviation-industry-average-age-of-active-pilots-in-the-united-states-by-category/ (last visited March 04, 2023), Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* [Graph], Federal Aviation Administration, May 18, 2021. THE UNITED STATES DID NOT LOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM, THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE . In fact, we all did well. The movie and a book the movie was based on contend that the CIA condoned a drug trade conducted by a Laotian client; both agree that Air America provided the essential transportation for the trade; and both view the pilots with sympathetic understanding. Steve DaCosta, Cavalier15, June67-June68. . I can tell you what in my opinion made the best pilots. Federal Aviation Administration. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. No this is Pat Bieneman I am the owner of this site. More Scout Teams were lost because of this than any other helicopter team. . The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. Our single-engine UH-1H Hueys did not float in the water very well. There walks a dead man. Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. He flew through the fog and light rain. 4.7 average based on 3 product ratings. See also The History of the Ranch Hand Epidemiologic Investigation. . [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than our non-vet age group. on 29 April 1975 from UPI's offices on the top floor of the Saigon Hotel which 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! To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set DID after the U.S. Congress cut off funding. As soon as he stepped from the left side to the right, the aircraft tipped. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem. I graduated from Flight Training 2 day short of a year. 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. More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. Myth: A disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War. one of 42 pictures of this helicopter that UPI photographer, Hubert Van Es took sent to. . was typical of the continual commentary from the enlisted crew members. sent to webmaster@vhpa.org whereupon f.. 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. w.. Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial Phil Marshall, DMZ Dustoff 711, 237th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) Camp Evans and Quang Tri, Vietnam 1969. You only have access to basic statistics. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. Copyright 1995 - 2018 Gary B. Roush, 242 ASHC Muleskinners, May 1968 - May . [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. He was not strapped in. 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? Always smiling and never hurt anyone, I would guess. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. Please note: This I have no idea who he was, but we logged his flight time as PP: Patient Protector.. The VC knew the points in an assault where the helicopter was most vulnerable, so thorough prepping by gunships and strike aircraft was essential. story building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, located at 22 Ly Tu Trong St. 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. survive the 365 days in Southeast Asia was to be a gunship pilot, blazing my way back to the states, defending myself with mini-guns, rockets, and grenade launchers. 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. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. The others on board simply assumed he was also headed for dinner, but I knew the true meaning of his statement. [McCaffrey] 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.. of 21 year old Scotch purchased in 1971 by Brian Novak one of the original They were the ones who flew the troops into and out of battle. 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. aj.. 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. [2]:3, The helicopters transported over 1,000 Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) paratroopers for an assault on a suspected Viet Cong (VC) stronghold 10 miles (16km) west of Saigon. These three represent all of out Vietnam War helicopter pilots. The domino theory was accurate. I am so very proud to have served with them. Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 reunion. Two high ranking Fast Contour flying as close to the ground as possible to avoid ground fire was also mastered. 66 founding members. 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. As one of those troopers on the ground, I can honestly say how proud I am to have served with Brave men. I dont think so. These men never refused to fly into harms way. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). I told my roommate, This is it. 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. Drinking and how not to get caught. 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. You were way more mature for your age than 99% of the young men today. member. I cannot talk about how tough flight school was, nor can I state what the washout rate was because I did not go myself. 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. Mailing Address: The ideal entry-level account for individual users. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. 1969 We must now hover over the trees or rocky terrain, while we let out up to 150 feet of quarter-inch cable with a jungle penetrator or a Stokes litter attached to it. Chart. Terry Clark? In the last decade, 69 nations have held multi-party elections for the first time in their histories. I wonder how many grunts would have gotten on the hoist had they known that. 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. Another Huey pilot explained, We were expected to perform simulated missions like we were in Vietnam. They could rotate around a battle site from above, unleashing punishing weapon support from above. Ancient U.S. Army proverb. Occasionally, the gunner and crew chief had to exit temporarily to reduce the weight sufficiently for take off. http://www.air-america.org. Candidates later tackled the difficult arts of landing in small areas, night, and instrument flying crucial skills for their operational work in Southeast Asia. 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. I can throw a rock in there, its so close! was the rest of my thought. [The Wall Street Journal]. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. Myth: Air America, the airline operated by the CIA in Southeast Asia, and its pilots were involved in drug trafficking. Myth: The domino theory was proved false. Updated: 7 February 2018 One point I want to make is the the Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners were the and are still the best as well. g.. When called upon, a Pilot did not wait for approval from his crew, becuse he knew his crew would never say No. However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. Categories . Profit from the additional features of your individual account. He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. We believe that the Huey along with the Huey Cobra have more combat flight In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally As a group, we helicopter pilots did what we had to do and then some. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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. To all of the brave Pilots and their crews, I can say but three things. I remember my very first primary flight instructor pointing at him as I listened intently to his every word. Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* [Graph]. Most of the Commissioned Officers were older. 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). 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). address changes for the directory and use the comments form to 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. Accessed March 04, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/919100/aviation-industry-average-age-of-active-pilots-in-the-united-states-by-category/, Federal Aviation Administration. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NEW 2008 HASBRO GI Joe Helicopter Pilot Wild Bill 25th Anniversary FREE SHIPPING at the best online prices at eBay! We are now Older and Wiser, and for that I am very thankful. If I had gone down over land, I probably would not have taken my weapon with me. . . There is no such thing as a fair fight-only ones where you win or lose. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. of fuel, ammunition and other supplies because of a lack of support from At the same time, I made flight adjustments according to the guys in the back. I think I can make it back! was his last message as the aircraft caught fire, rolled inverted and crashed in flames, killing all on board. Life member rates based on age are as follows (also Is this the Steve DaCosta who was friend of my brother W.O. He was an Air Cav pilot, delivering and evacuating troops into and out of battlefields. . 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. [McCaffrey], The oldest man killed was 62 years old (TAYLOR, KENNA CLYDE). 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. Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated. Soviet Union. Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era (1961-1975). There, the new guys learned how to apply their recently found skills to combat situations. As MedEvac helicopter pilots, we flew the only Army Hueys equipped with the electric hoist/winch. [VHPA databases]. The pilots and crews of these helicopters were heroes, one and all. If you are wearing body armor, they will probably miss that part. I tried to use the opportunity to prove to myself that I could accomplish the goals I set for myself and do them well. University. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic." The third seat was for our testicles. [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. $36/year subscription. A Scout team consisted of a pilot, a Door Gunner and an observer. I then realized that ole PP back there was just sitting in the hell hole taking it all in, not doing a thing! Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so much. 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. All rights reserved. Larry Clark and Mike Law in 1990. [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. [Online]. 01/09/2013. i.. Chicken Plates are not something you order in a restaurant. [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, Myth: Most American soldiers were addicted to drugs, guilt-ridden about their role in the war, and deliberately used cruel and inhumane tactics. Five Thousand pilots and crews lost their lives and 3,258 Hueys alone were lost during the war. . History of the founding of the VHPA written by https://www.vhpa.org. Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. 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. . [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. To retrieve the data click on 2020 Active Civil Airmen Statistics. . As an elevator at the reunion hotel was transporting me and other attendees to the Saturday night banquet, another Dustoff pilot stepped on from his floor. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service. The tactical situation is such that the ground troops cannot get the dead or wounded to a secure open area for evacuation. Statista. [1] "Vietnam helicopter pilots describe the war from the cockpit," YouTube video, posted by "Military Times," April 18th, 2018. Traditions: The VHPA has developed some traditions over the Yes, most definitely young, but stupid? [The Wall Street Journal] The Wall Street Journal, 1 June 1996 page A15. Were about five miles out. Five miles out from where? 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.
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