* Includes pilots with an airplane and/or a helicopter and/or a glider and/or a gyroplane certificate. Publi le 12 juin 2022 par . Others flew fixed wing and some were already in the Army but applied for and were chosen to attend flight school. reunion. As MedEvac helicopter pilots, we flew the only Army Hueys equipped with the electric hoist/winch. Every helicopter flying in Vietnam had one real purpose: To help the grunt. The engine RPM and the rotor RPM must BOTH be kept in the GREEN. Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era (1961-1975). 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. h.. 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. Maybe it was only three miles . 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. However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. A constant line of chatter was transmitted from the medic and the Crew Chief to the pilots, who were both on the flight controls in case either was violently incapable of continuing to fly the aircraft. Obviously, I was wrong, but I did not know it then. rules. All rights reserved. 5.5% of all helicopter pilots are women, while 94.5% are men. Oh, were we Young and Stupid on hoist missions, too; the second Y & S thing we did! 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. Candidates later tackled the difficult arts of landing in small areas, night, and instrument flying crucial skills for their operational work in Southeast Asia. I cannot talk about how tough flight school was, nor can I state what the washout rate was because I did not go myself. 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. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot. University. [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. Later, the crew became a two-man pilot team. When we were on short final approach over the landing zone, I heard small arms fire and my brand-new Crew Chief yelled Were taking fire!, I pulled power into the rotor system to get out of there as quickly as I could, when the radio operator on the ground called out Dustoff, where are you going?. (One has to realize that there was virtually no protection for the pilots from the front and little from the sides or underneath.) 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Have you ever heard the expression, He was flying the aircraft balls out? That was us. historical reference directories, CD-ROMs and DVDs. it will be forwarded to the appropriate VHPA representative. 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. "Pogo" Hunter who died in 1995. The Air Cav was just what the name implies. I can tell you what in my opinion made the best pilots. Our single-engine UH-1H Hueys did not float in the water very well. u.. Everybodys a hero on the ground in the club after the fourth drink. survival radio, whats that? "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. Business Solutions including all features. . Those Hueys were their horses and they rode into battle en masse, to deliver their troops and evacuate the wounded. The South Vietnamese ran out Can I pick up Armed Forces Radio on it? ", 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. 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 . ai.. Small, two seat TH-55 Osages were also used. 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. 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. aircraft in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era and inform them of the existence of the They could often see what we could not and helped keep the enemy off of us and to even the odds for us, so to speak. Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted. Or, to hear veteran helicopter pilots describe their personal experiences in the line of duty, click here. 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. has no political agenda as is our brother organization, The Vietnam Helicopter Learn more about how Statista can support your business. If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops probably do not have what they need. The most common ethnicity of helicopter pilots is White (86.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.8%) and Unknown (2.4%). VHPA and encourage all eligible individuals to become members. time than any other aircraft in the history of warfare assuming you count actual Get the details for all upcoming vietnam helicopter unit reunions. Fournisseur de Tallents. [Nixon] No More Vietnams by Richard Nixon. The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. 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. There is an explanation 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. They were the ones who flew the troops into and out of battle. I have posted your reply to Steve on here so he will be able to read it. Owned and operated by CharityUSA.com, LLC. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter Warrant Officer Shelly Berryman flew Huey helicopters in Vietnam War But it also exposed American servicemen and women to a chemical that now has them dying on average 13 years earlier than their counterparts who did not serve in . He was an assault helicopter pilot, in other words a gunship pilot. In fact, we all did well. I arrived in Vietnam on the 4th of July 1969, barely 21 years old. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. The Vietnam War was shortly after China got involved in the Korean war, the time of the Cuban missile crisis, Soviet aggression in Eastern Europe and the proliferation of nuclear bombs. Scared that maybe, just maybe, youll fail your mission where someone else just like you would have succeeded. If so glad to know youre well. It was a rare breed of man whobecame a Scout Pilot. 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. Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom be in your best interest. Based on the data, more than 30% of the current for-hire pilots fall within the age range of 50 to 64. 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. Correspondence relating to commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. [Parade Magazine]. . Updated: 7 February 2018 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. Hello. No this is Pat Bieneman I am the owner of this site. They gave us classes on what altitudes to fly to avoid certain types of enemy fire small arms or 0.51 cal. . Myth: The domino theory was proved false. 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. 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. [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. In, Federal Aviation Administration. The Naval Air Training Command, located at Pensacola, Florida, could not train enough Marine helicopter pilots to bring the units in Vietnam up to strength. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. As the Aircraft Commander in control of the helicopter, my eyes never left the tree branches that were touching the nose of my aircraft. Most were 19 or 20 years old, with a few experienced old men per platoon in their late twenties. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR. The Vietnam War helped medical progress in this area. Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* [Graph]. They were heavily armed with mini-guns, machine guns, and various kinds of rockets. I already knew the difference between port and starboard, and it wasnt that hard to figure out beam and quartering approaches. [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, Yet undoubtedly every plane in Laos carried opium at some time, unknown to the pilot and his superiors. trina daughter instagram 97887 65581; music city drum corps staff saiservicecentre2020@gmail.com I can throw a rock in there, its so close! was the rest of my thought. This statistic is not included in your account. "We (Americans) had nothing to do with controlling VNAF," according to Lieutenant General (Ret) James F. Hollingsworth, the Commanding General of TRAC at that time. Traditions: The VHPA has developed some traditions over the [Online]. 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. no, seven! v.. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. There walks a dead man. 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). We will never forget you, or the sound of your rotor blades off in the distance, coming to our aid. contained this quote about Vietnam, there has been "the most extensive accounting in the history of human warfare" of those missing in action. I wont make it back.. come left . 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. . We grabbed some unsuspecting Schmuck and told him to get his weapon and some ammo and run with us to the aircraft. tail number N4 7004, were Bob Caron who lives in Florida and Jack 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%). These three represent all of out Vietnam War helicopter pilots. r.. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. It was a small price to pay for the successful completion of our daily rescues. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. [People]. When I found out that I was assigned to be a MedEvac pilot, I was devastated. 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. Oh, Sugar! (Not my exact word.) Boeing and Read More, I will say this - and I know a lot of other Navy guys that Read More, The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has not specified whether the weapons are intended for Taiwans Read More, Models of the F-19 Stealth Fighter started to appear in the eighties and were available Read More, The USAF plans to begin production in fiscal 2025, with the first E-7A expected to Read More, UH-1 Huey Gunship Vs NVA/VC Forces Vietnam 1962-75, Boeing, US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters Achieve 5 Million Flight Hours, Equivalent to Flying nonstop for more than 208,333 Days or 570 Years and Nine Months, Taiwan to get 100 AGM-88B HARM missiles and 200 AIM-120C-8 missiles for its F-16 fleet, USAF awards Boeing E-7A prototype contract: the Wedgetail will replace the E-3 AWACS, US Navy Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator explains when a submarine reactor can be run at higher than 100% (and why the 105% on the reactor ordered in The Hunt for Red October movie would not be worth any risk to the ship and crew), Former US Navy F/A-18 pilot explains why although during his era the Hornet was the best airplane on the carrier his fun meter was most pegged flying the A-4 Skyhawk, The Stealth Fighter that Never Was: How the Secret Development of the F-117 led to the Birth of the Misleading F-19. The 1990 unsuccessful movie "Air America" helped to establish the myth of a connection between Air America, the CIA, and the Laotian drug trade. The Army employed it in various roles, including that of an armed escort or attack gunship in Vietnam. Myth: The fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War II. (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. There were many of the Warrant Officers that were in their 18,19, and 20s. An automobile accident or other traumatic event also can cause it. 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). I have no idea who he was, but we logged his flight time as PP: Patient Protector.. In the movie We Were Soldiers and Young the Lift Pilot was portrayed by Snake and To Tall. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died. Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. [Burkett]. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment in Vietnam. Hello, I enjoyed Reading the blog. Your email address will not be published. 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. Thank you. The average age of the 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. b.. Thanks for the memories. 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. story building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, located at 22 Ly Tu Trong St. herriman high school soccer roster. . I was okay to fly helicopters in the Army, but not to drive a jeep! The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. a colleague is looking for a helicopter pilot nicknamed chicken man, who spent some time around Solid Anchor in about 1971. Then I did another Young & Stupid thing. dont care. The Pilots of 1st of the 9th Cav were and yes still are the best. I have got to pass this on to an Aussie friend of mine, Ian. 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. 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. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information We lost a lot of Pilots but we also lost a lot of Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force. (the herbicide was called "orange" in Vietnam, not Agent Orange. If you are allergic to lead, it is best to avoid a war zone. It is unfortunate that many helicopters never had the opportunity to fulfill their one true mission in life, simply because someone forgot this fact. Vietnamese where among those taken that day to Tan Son Nhut airport, General statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. View complete answer on zippia.com to Europe and both have since died. [Nixon]. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. 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. The early (65-68) Weapons Team was made up of two pilots, crew chief and a door gunner. Show publisher information [VHPA databases], Army AH-1G's totaled more than 1,166,344 flight hours in Vietnam. [McCaffrey]. There were no Americans involved in any capacity. 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. 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. 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. Flag, John A. Jelich, Wisconsin, Cecelia Jelich Frost, Killed in Action, Rosary, KIA, Gold Star Family, Gold Star Wife. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. The gunships that were escorting him told Al to put it on the ground right away because of the serious leak. Both immigrated bombers during World War II most often flew missions lasting many hours with The VHPA is a social organization only and . Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew. Recent reports in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc are incorrect. More Scout Teams were lost because of this than any other helicopter team. . Myth: A disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War. Terry Clark? 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. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. A hoist mission was just the opposite. . submit other directory changes and updates. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. 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. Harnage, (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. When sprayed on dense jungle foliage, less that 6 percent ever reached the ground. These men never refused to fly into harms way. [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. and flew his bird to the top of Monkey Mountian. Don S. the last (in-country) Masher33, 1971, It is not easy to read this stuff. Myth: Air America, the airline operated by the CIA in Southeast Asia, and its pilots were involved in drug trafficking. We especially were concerned about the troops we were there to support. 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. 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. We risked much in a totally dark valley that night, and there was no doubt that someone appreciated us. its on the ground . 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. It happened many times, and their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C. One particular mission I recall was a day hoist. Most Agent Orange contained .0002 of 1 percent of dioxin. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. . Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture was Vietnamese. The building is the Pittman Apartments, a 10 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. 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. 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. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. af.. The initial Army designation was HU-1, which led to the common unofficial nickname of Huey.. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem. The great majority of these efforts have erroneously portrayed many myths about the Vietnam War as being facts. I used to laugh at the occasional Huey slick driver who flew out to let guys from his unit use the shopping facilities on the ships. Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL get your undivided attention. looking good. I have to take one thing back. 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. If everything is as clear as a bell, and everything is going exactly as planned, youre about to be surprised. . Prayer may not help . Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Read the latest issue of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter and subscribe to recieve future newsletters. To all of the brave Pilots and their crews, I can say but three things. Uh, thats a can opener for those of you who arent military. confidential. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. In fact, not at all, since we usually flew with the doors open, even at night. During a hoist mission, we flew with one finger on a button on the cyclic stick that operated an electric solenoid. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. 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!. The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Walking is better than running. More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. The UH-1 evolved from a 1955 US Army competition for a new utility helicopter. I asked to take a different test and was able to pass that one! 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. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. . About 12,000 U.S. military helicopters spent 7.5 million hours above Vietnam, flying 2 million missions. 79% had a high school education or better. No Pilot that I know of ever went into a combat situation without both. He was an Air Cav pilot, delivering and evacuating troops into and out of battlefields.
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