RockyRaab: One of my lifelong friends and Hunting partners was a "Dust-Off" crewman. He was shot down 3 (three!) times there in Viet-Nam and sadly earned 3 (three!) Purple Heart Medals - those injuries have worsened here late in life and have now caused his "Disability" to attain 100% status. He is legally authorized to Hunt from the vehicle nowadays and in fact the State of Montana allows him to Hunt Antelope without going into the drawing process. My friend attends the annual re-union of the Dust-Off crews that are held in different cities around the United States. I thank them all (Dust-Off crews) for their service in such dangerous conditions. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
Huey music. Give me a Huey any day. Fixed wings are gay.
Got some giggles out of that one.
Chuck Norris is afraid of Hueys.
I send it to all my leftist friends. I'm sure they enjoy it as much as we do.
kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
I did a lot of trips to FAA sites when I was up there, and we sometimes flew with an ERA helicopter pilot that was in Vietnam. I remember him saying he was shot down on his first mission, but said he must have learned something from it as he made it the rest of his tour without getting shot down again. You could definitely tell who had military training, as on take off, they would barely get off the ground and they would pitch the nose down and you'd swear the blades of the rotor were going to hit the concrete. The ones civilian trained would raise up gently and slowly roll the nose down.
Summer of '81, I worked on a ranch that summer which was used for a base camp for 300 BLM firefighters, dozens of trucks, and two Bell Jet Rangers used to transport hot shot crews and do water drops.
I had the privilege of watching two damned fine Viet Vet Pilots perform their jobs for four days, and eventually I was offered an hour long ride, which I eagerly accepted.
Rather than nose down, these two men swept their birds sideways at takeoff. Yes to the point the rotor tips barely cleared the ground. I thought it self explanatory that it was an ingrained habit to avoid enemy fire.
That ride is one of the most memorable events in my life. The pilot might have been trying to see if he could make me squeal. He dropped off of a steep sided 1000 foot high bluff at about 15 feet AGL. It WAS a thrill.
I turned 18 just after the Fall of Saigon. But I knew a few guys that were older and did serve in that conflict.
All who went THERE and did THAT have this man's utmost respect and gratitude.
People who choose to brew up their own storms bitch loudest about the rain.
I worked with and even flew with many kinds of helo pilots in 'Nam. Dustoff crews ignored ground fire, and Scout crews sought it out. I could never fully decide which of them was crazier or had bigger cajones. But in the hindsight of half a century, I think the "Nutso" goes to Dustoff. Scout pilots went around kicking hornet's nests, but Dustoff swooped in after the hornets were swarming.
As to why in hell I'd fly WITH some of those crazies, I can only say that days when I wasn't getting shot at became boring and a ride-along sure cured that. (Yeah, I know, another Nutso, right?)
Friend of mine, now deceased, paraplegic and wheel chair bound from spinal wound received as a young 19 year old Marine serving in combat in Vietnam '66. He said even after all the years he still couldn't handle the sound of helicopters because it still gave him painful flashbacks reliving the day he was shot and being transported out on a chopper.
Civvie pilots have not learned what "GET THE ****OUT OF HERE" means.
I will tell you this: There are not many Hueys still flying, but there is not a 'Nam vet living whose heart does not instantly beat to the same tempo as a Huey's unique sound the moment one is heard.
A fishing friend of mine was a Huey pilot for a couple tours. He was wounded two different times in the same leg from ground level small arms fire. He said they would come into an LZ for troop pickup and the enemy would pop up out of the tunnels and start shooting. I guess the body was protected from the seat shielding but their legs were vulnerable.
I have an older friend shot in the lower leg in a hoit LX, marine Pilot. He has been through "umpteen" surgeries, but he still has the use of his leg! Tough ol bird!
I was in a Chinook company on Ft Wainwright in 75, almost all of the pilots I flew with were Vietnam vets. Some of those guys could fly that big Bird to the absolute limits, I learned early on to hang on tight when one would ask the new copilot if they had ever seen one do some maneuver. Had a lot of fun with those guys. The Huey company was on Ft Richardson, the rest of the battalion was on Wainwright.
I was 19-years old during flight school (1970) and it was sheer teenage reflexes that save my ass in Vietnam many more times than skill. Most Army helicopter pilots over there were more motivated to go in for fellow soldiers than any thoughts of mom, apple pie, or the American flag. Not that we weren't scared most of the time when the [bleep] hit the fan, but we were most afraid of screwing up or letting a team member down. Even though I continued by career - and continued to fly - until mandatory retirement at age 60, I honestly can't say that looking back on that time, that I could have or would have done what I did then, if I had been 5-years older. Since then I've continued to believe that in combat, at least half of the time it pays to be lucky rather than good.
Last edited by Offshoreman; 09/02/21.
AKA The P-Man
If you cherish your memories with kids, be a good role model . . . . so the RIGHT memories of you mean something to them.
Had a Loach pilot and his gunner come in to medi vac my dog. Saved his life. I'm sure most who were there have their own story. Was in awe of the Cobra teams. Problem with that was when they pulled along side of the Huey you were in you you knew you were soon to be in trouble. All in all those guys deserve a bridge and much more.
I was in a Chinook company on Ft Wainwright in 75, almost all of the pilots I flew with were Vietnam vets. Some of those guys could fly that big Bird to the absolute limits, I learned early on to hang on tight when one would ask the new copilot if they had ever seen one do some maneuver. Had a lot of fun with those guys. The Huey company was on Ft Richardson, the rest of the battalion was on Wainwright.
I was at B Btry 1/43 ADA (Site Summit) just south of Ft. Richardson in 1975 and the first half of 1976.
kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
These stories bring back a lot of memories.. my brother was in the 101st in Vietnam attached to the 1st Cav in 66/67 and he talks about the Hueys pretty religiously and I fully expect him to bow his head when he does- which doesn't surprise me at all. When my turn came in 72 I signed up for 4 years of infantry and started basic at Fort Ord in Sep 72... halfway through basic I guess they were running short of helo pilots so they offered to send me to helo pilot school . Like a fool I turned it down because I had a commitment to go to Europe and wanted to travel- not to mention all the helo pilots getting killed at the end. Thing was, the last man was sent in January of 73 just a couple days before we were due to be sent over so I would "probably" never have seen combat but hard to tell. The last man didn't come back until 75 so I've always regretted my decision in that one and many other opportunities I had while in the Army...
We used to train with the helo pilots loading and unloading in hot LZ's and it was a real experience. We would fly at tree top levels literally- sitting on the floor of the Hueys and letting out feet sit on the skids while they flew as fast as the bird would travel. When we got to the appointed area, the experienced pilots and usually Vietnam vets would probably slow down to about 5-10 mph and kick us out about 5 feet off the ground and were gone before we could stand up. Always had to pick tree limbs and fir needles out of our shoe laces at the end of the day from following the tree top contours so closely with the skids. Met a lot of the guys coming back from Nam when I was in AIT and later at my assignment units... to this day I am not afraid of too many guys no matter how big they are after seeing that mile long stare some of those guys had after their experience. Nobody in my life will be as spooky as those guys and not nearly as tough... some of their experiences were tough to listen to, but I learned a lot hearing their stories while they were still fresh from the killing fields... those helo pilots I met were some crazy and brave mf'ers, but every vet I met went through more than a guy should have to bear...
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
I suspect intervention from above. When I arrived for the first tour I was a certified UH-1 IP/Gunnery IP. They put me in scouts. Arrived for the 2d tour I was a instrument IP and certified to act as a squadron level safety officer. They put me in scouts again. Later on when with B1/9th Cav I was signed off as an OH-6 IP, so they transferred me to a Huey company. Go figure....
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain