. pilots in the Vietnam War. The Air Cav was just what the name implies. Mailing Address: 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. The first one you will meet is retired Army Col. Douglas Moore, a medevac pilot in Vietnam. The BSR (Bang Stare Red) Theory states that the louder the sudden bang in the helicopter, the quicker your eyes will be drawn to the gauges. . In all, a very scary time for our country. Categories . Army Flight School was about 9 months long, this was the shortest calendar time. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He flew through the fog and light rain. on 29 April 1975 from UPI's offices on the top floor of the Saigon Hotel which As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died. Were about five miles out. Five miles out from where? "Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category*." . Please support The Veterans Site by adding us to your ad blockers whitelist ads help us to provide food and supplies to veterans. Joe Treen, People.com, 21 April 2000. Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. contained this quote about Vietnam, there has been "the most extensive accounting in the history of human warfare" of those missing in action. Thanks for posting the memories. Thank you. 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. (Three years for Based on the data, more than 30% of the current for-hire pilots fall within the age range of 50 to 64. aj.. Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. I wanted that top 20% and focused all my abilities and energy on making gunship training. Average age of active pilots in the United States from 2002 to 2020, by category* [Graph]. Copyright 1995 - 2018 Gary B. Roush, 242 ASHC Muleskinners, May 1968 - May It was NOT the U.S. Embassy. (CACF and Westmoreland), Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book "All That We Can Be," said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam "and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. 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. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. looking good. The additional weight of patients on the end of the hoist as they were lifted off the ground further complicated the stability of the aircraft. applies to subscribers): Age 80 and above ---$75.00 We always at least tried to complete the mission and felt that we let someone down if we didnt. 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. The second pilot you will meet is retired CWO2 Allan Potter. 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. ab.. Thousands of Vietnam Veterans earned medals for bravery every day. 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. 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?. Over the course of the war, some 12,000 helicopters of various kinds saw service in Vietnam. May 18, 2021. Is this the Steve DaCosta who was friend of my brother W.O. 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. U.S. active certificated pilots - number 1990-2020, Worldwide aircraft fleet age by region 2020-2030, Air traffic - passenger growth rates forecast 2019-2040. Hello. dont care. 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. [Westmoreland] Approximately 70% of those killed were volunteers. My opinion is that he was as afraid that he could not complete the mission, as much as he was afraid to die. . Always smiling and never hurt anyone, I would guess. 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. I promised myself that it would never happen again, and it didnt. n.. af.. A paid subscription is required for full access. [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. It was called "shell shock" and other names in previous wars. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment in Vietnam. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough. THE UNITED STATES DID NOT LOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM, THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE After the first of the two injured soldiers was hoisted on board, the din of the covering fire began to register in my head. [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. We still got there in a hurry, but once there, we hovered over the trees like a target at the County Fair 25-cent target-shooting booth. They also acted as medical evacuation helicopter pilots when needed. Both immigrated Chart. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). Any combination of these can be deadly. Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted. Operation Chopper occurred on 12 January 1962 and was the first time U.S. forces participated in major combat in the Vietnam War. 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. 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. It is unfortunate that many helicopters never had the opportunity to fulfill their one true mission in life, simply because someone forgot this fact. The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. Vietnamese where among those taken that day to Tan Son Nhut airport, General To retrieve the data click on 2020 Active Civil Airmen Statistics. We lost a lot of Pilots but we also lost a lot of Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners. 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. or down. [McCaffrey] 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. After training, they entered transport or gunship platoons referred to simply as slicks or guns. Most would complete at least two combat tours. If so glad to know youre well. . [1996 Information Please Almanac], POW-MIA Issue (unaccounted-for versus missing in action), Politics & People, On Vietnam, Clinton Should Follow a Hero's Advice, document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Traditions: The VHPA has developed some traditions over the In UH-1C gunnies, a pilot had to master taking off with a 1,000lb overload, persuade the aircraft to hover at an altitude of just three feet, and then dip the nose slightly to achieve forward movement basically skidding and bouncing along the runway to develop enough speed and lift to rise higher. In the movie We Were Soldiers and Young the Lift Pilot was portrayed by Snake and To Tall. ah.. Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. Those brief and simple heartfelt words meant more to me that night than anything else ever said to me during my entire tour. 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. aa..Thus the term SHIT! can also be used to denote a situation where high Pucker Factor is being encountered. [Westmoreland], Democracy Catching On - In the wake of the Cold War, democracies are flourishing, with 179 of the world's 192 sovereign states (93%) now electing their legislators, according to the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. The Vietnam Helicopter Flight Crew Network (VHFCN) is a non profit veterans organization dedicated to the fulfillment of the following purposes: To provide a forum for recreational communications amongst a fraternity of aircrew members who served in Vietnam during the period 1961-75 At the conclusive battle of the war (the Fall of Saigon), the . information contained in this publication shall not be distributed to non-VHPA In my mind, the only way I would. The cables going out . Age 65 to 69 --------$250.00 "The aviation units were the sole combat element of the U.S. Army that did not come. In Vietnam, pilots frequently encountered fog and monsoon rain, which severely tested their blind flying skills. Please use the membership application form to submit Would love to chat with Bruce Huffman. You will come away from this video with a real sense of the quality of heroism that every one of our Vietnam War helicopter pilots displayed on a daily basis. "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. 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. Here are some facts to clear up that poor job of reporting by the news media. If you are allergic to lead, it is best to avoid a war zone. We were unarmed, and experience had taught us that, usually, we were better off to quickly fly to the landing zone, get in and get out as fast as possible while avoiding the bad guys, and fly straight back to the hospital. a.. Once you are in the fight, it is way too late to wonder if this is a good idea. This included Basic Combat Training and Flight Training. More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. Put some fire in that bunker! I yelled to Private Whats-His-Name. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern-day cavalry for the Army. 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. directory for dues current members. Currently, you are using a shared account. [The Wall Street Journal] The Wall Street Journal, 1 June 1996 page A15. [VHPA databases]. 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. 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. That was the unforgiving part. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Myth: The fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War II. When sprayed on dense jungle foliage, less that 6 percent ever reached the ground. A few were even awarded. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Learn how your comment data is processed. come left . one of 42 pictures of this helicopter that UPI photographer, Hubert Van Es took 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. The VC knew the points in an assault where the helicopter was most vulnerable, so thorough prepping by gunships and strike aircraft was essential. .j.. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. It happened many times, and their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C. One particular mission I recall was a day hoist. Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. We HAD no survival radios in those aircraft. 4.7 average based on 3 product ratings. Myth: Air America, the airline operated by the CIA in Southeast Asia, and its pilots were involved in drug trafficking. Scared that maybe, just maybe, youll fail your mission where someone else just like you would have succeeded. to Europe and both have since died. 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. It can be expressed in its mathematical formula of S (suction) + H (height) above ground) + I (interest in staying alive) + T (# of tracers coming your way). There was a down side to the over-sized appendages, however. 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. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans' group." I have posted your reply to Steve on here so he will be able to read it. Otherwise, if we got tangled up, it could cause the aircraft to crash. The Pilots of 1st of the 9th Cav were and yes still are the best. . 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. As he entered the crowded car, he said, Ballroom, please.. Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated. Myth: The United States lost the war in Vietnam. "In all the years we've been working on this we have found that's not the case." Can I pick up Armed Forces Radio on it? Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. members without the express consent of the member. 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. l.. Statista. He fell right through the rotor blades. Prayer may not help . 5. r.. A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. Member All rights reserved. However, these same 18-year-old young men attended flight school and were given responsibility to operate a multi million dollar helicopter. Yes, most definitely young, but stupid? In June of 1967, Marine officers destined to become fixed-wing pilots began reporting to Air Force bases for flight training. (So I guess that makes three Young and Stupids. $36/year subscription. . was typical of the continual commentary from the enlisted crew members. o.. 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). Warrant Officer-1 Al Gaddis was a tall, curly haired kid as I remember him. Yet undoubtedly every plane in Laos carried opium at some time, unknown to the pilot and his superiors. To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary wing Show publisher information 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. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only 1/2 of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. 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. 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. I think that some of us changed for the better, but some of us did not. Their stories are extremely compelling. 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.