(Three years for Topics cover the entire spectrum from Vietnam to . am.. Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. 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. I suppose that is what kept most of us going in the daily risk of flying helicopters in combat in Vietnam. The Vietnam War helped medical progress in this area. [McCaffrey], The oldest man killed was 62 years old (TAYLOR, KENNA CLYDE). I promised myself that it would never happen again, and it didnt. The pilots who were flying this helicopter, They were immensely important to the troops on the ground as aerial fire power. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot - nanchital.gob.mx These new battalions eventually formed a sort of modern-day cavalry for the Army. There are over 4,945 helicopter pilots currently employed in the United States. "In all the years we've been working on this we have found that's not the case." 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. Others flew fixed wing and some were already in the Army but applied for and were chosen to attend flight school. If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. 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. 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. magazines, a membership directory and a calendar each year and periodically publishes 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. 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. [VHPA databases], Army UH-1's totaled more than 10,693,902 flight hours in Vietnam between October 1966 and the end of In the Vietnam War the helicopter became one of the most important elements in the daily operations of our war fighting successes. Three of the five newest democracies are former Soviet republics: Belarus (where elections were first held in November 1995), Armenia (July 1995) and Kyrgyzstan (February 1995). In addition to an annual reunion held around July 4th, members keep in touch informally Show publisher information Did you know the average life expectancy of a US Army Huey pilot in This freed Marine quotas at Pensacola which could be used to . has no political agenda as is our brother organization, The Vietnam Helicopter 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. It happened many times, and their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C. One particular mission I recall was a day hoist. To retrieve the data click on 2020 Active Civil Airmen Statistics. [CACF] (Combat Area Casualty File) November 1993. 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. on VHFCN (http://www.vhfcn.org) , Heli-Vets and FaceBook also another FaceBook site. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. We risked much in a totally dark valley that night, and there was no doubt that someone appreciated us. average age of vietnam helicopter pilot - cbeconsulting.net Steve DaCosta, Cavalier15, June67-June68. website may contain information that VHPA considers proprietary and The others on board simply assumed he was also headed for dinner, but I knew the true meaning of his statement. Helicopters were used in more than 850,000 medical evacuation missions and were responsible for boosting survival rates for the wounded. Refining close formation skills was an immediate requirement, as airborne assaults could involve a tight gaggle of up to 40 helicopters, including ten gunships. . A little more than 12 days later, Operation Chopper commenced. Thanks Tom H. AKA,Cavalier 16, 68/69, Brought a tear to my eye. A third tradition is a bottle . [Online]. I will always thank Warrant Officer Study for his late-night, picture-perfect landing on the round end of the boat. 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. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. [Burkett]. He was not strapped in. [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. Learn how your comment data is processed. [McCaffrey], 87% of the American people hold Vietnam Vets in high esteem. Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. 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. [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. aa..Thus the term SHIT! can also be used to denote a situation where high Pucker Factor is being encountered. If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops probably do not have what they need. Recent reports in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc are incorrect. Read the latest issue of the Friends of the Vietnam Center Newsletter and subscribe to recieve future newsletters. Many times when either our troopers on the ground or another unit was facing enemy fire these brave men would come in with weapons blazing either destroying the enemy or allowing the ground troops to attain and then maintain superior fire power. How old was the average helicopter pilot in Vietnam? One point I want to make is the the Crew Chiefs and Door Gunners were the and are still the best as well. Communications with the Executive Council 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. 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. historical reference directories, CD-ROMs and DVDs. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. The Pilots of 1st of the 9th Cav were and yes still are the best. is passed from outgoing President to incoming President at each reunion. Guts and Gumption: Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Wore Their Hearts on Their I asked to take a different test and was able to pass that one! In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans' group." v.. A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics. As MedEvac helicopter pilots, we flew the only Army Hueys equipped with the electric hoist/winch. information contained in this publication shall not be distributed to non-VHPA Operation Chopper (Vietnam) - Wikipedia I arrived in Vietnam on the 4th of July 1969, barely 21 years old. Many times these brave men had to deliver or retrieve the troopers into or out of areas where enemy fire was heavy. Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial Another tradition started in 1988 is a "Cobra" Ground troops typically did not enter a sprayed area until four to six weeks after being sprayed. . was typical of the continual commentary from the enlisted crew members. 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. . Age 60 to 64 --------$350.00 Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits that is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. If everyone does not come home, none of the rest of us can ever fully come home either. 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 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. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. UH-1 Huey Gunship Vs NVA/VC Forces Vietnam 1962-75 is published by Osprey and is available to order here. [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. November 14th, 2013 at 5:45 pm Dave Shannon (crewmember, 92nd AHC) Says: I always liked the subdued look of combat zone attire, as opposed to anything shiny or glittery. They were heavily armed with mini-guns, machine guns, and various kinds of rockets. Correspondence relating to commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be (Personally, I have fathered 73 children with two good Dustoff-sized testicles.) List of Vietnam War flying aces - Wikipedia 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. It was a well known (and very true) fact that during an emergency exit from an aircraft, if you dont have it strapped to your body, you wont take it with you. A Scout team consisted of a pilot, a Door Gunner and an observer. . Most 18 year olds only think about girls and what they can get from them. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the come left . You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. 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. 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!. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. . Those trainers were so small you could lean in them to make the thing turn. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. . 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. I dont think so. In June of 1967, Marine officers destined to become fixed-wing pilots began reporting to Air Force bases for flight training.