I was a door gunner, crew chief, and then mechanic as a Lancer white dot from Aug 70 to Sept 71. Most of these pilots were very young but professional and I am alive today because of their dedication and bravery. I was in a lead ship when a ship behind us crashed and two crewmembers died in Danang Bay. It was hard to lose our friends but we knew we were there to do a job for our country. Thank you for your service.
Rick S Thank you sir for your service. We lost our uncle there. Sgt. Coley Leon Andrews Crew Chief Door Gun Huey 1/503 173rd ABN. Volontierd Second Tour K.I.A. 12/19/66 close to LZ BEARCAT Picking up a Prisoner from a LRRP TEAM They flew him home for Christmas.
I flew helicopters for 28 years, none in combat under fire. Although I was a soldier in combat. These things have a memory sometimes good, mostly with sadness. Thank you gentlemen for your service from a British Veteran.
Thank you guys. I was a young AF brat during the war and I remember the hippies screaming at my gi's and my mom crying while she protected us at the airport while waiting for my dad to get home from Thailand in 69. It was an awful experience. I want to thank all of you for your bravery and service. I joined the Navy in 74 and by then the war for us was virtually over. Today's generation loves and treats our veterans with kindness, something you deserved and never received. Just saw the thumbs down, who in the hell does that to our heroes? They must be the ones who talk tough but never serve!
my brother was drafted in 66 and I don't remember much protesting going to and from airport's but it was a fk up knowing my brother could be killed but we just didn't think that way but it was always running in the background
@@chloehennessey6813 Some things have changed in punctuation since the Vietnam War Era. Easiest for you is to simply know that the periods stood for a Morse Code language that signified 'idiot amongst us'. Google it.
What an inspiring story! You guys were real heroes. I was assigned to Delta Company, 158th Aviation Battalion (Ghost Riders) in 1980right after I graduated from Flight School. D/158 Avn became the first Black Hawk Company in the Army most likely due to the stellar reputation of the unit and the intrepidity of guys like Steve Smith and Ken Peterson. Hats off to all of you guys! D/158 later became C. Co, 101st Battalion in 1981 and then Delta, 1st of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers) a few years later. A proud history!!!
My beautiful wife's dad was with 1/8 101st aircav for multiple semesters down there at The University of Southeast Asia. I don't know if he kept in touch with guys from his own unit, but he still plays golf with his best buddy four times a week, huey pilot (naturally). These guys remind me of his pilot buddy. Motivated competent professionals. Thanks for posting.
They’ve all been affected, which make them human as well as heroes. I would challenge anyone to do what these men have done & not be affected by it. It takes a lot of courage to relive it by relating deeply personal memories in a forum like this. All respect to them.
Men can do incredible things when in lethal situations. The mark of real men & great training & lots of experience. I hope their stress levels have subsided & they are at peace.🙏🏻
I as an individual like to listen to the soldiers who were in combat and to listen to there stories as there is nothing better than hearing what actually happened from those who were there and not those who claim that they were there and were not??.
Remarkable how the detail & professionalism of military training, simulates chaos; enough to enable the team to work amongst the hell of a real war. Respect.
Chloe Hennessey ...I was a 1st Lt,1st ARVN DIV South VN and worked alongside with 101 st airborne at camp EAGLE in Hue city from 69-72.With me all of them are real heroes your brother included,they fought for freedom and we Vietnamese people owe them for that. God bless you all.
Yes they were "Brave" but a little stupid at the same time. They were 19-21 YO and their brains have not fully developed when they were in country. They took more chances. I was in I Corps in 67-68. There were a few times that pilots and crews picked up Marines from a hot zone when their own helos wouldn't pick them up. 2Bn - 327th PIR - 101st ABN - VN
101st Pukin Buzzards, the right stuff ! Good friend of mine is retired 101st Airborne Ranger used to make jumps out of Chinooks in NVA territory & clear LZ's for Fire-bases and other stuff. Thank you for your sacrifice it was a Fucked up War. 20mm Vulcan is a great orange bug repellent. Cobra's rule.
I can't say that any of these are my favorite videos but they are eye opening experience that I cannot imagine and hope I never have to praise God we had these men to take care of us
This is the trailer to the Documentary (The Giant Killer) that I was working on when we filmed the above interview. It will be available February 20th 2018 on iTunes, Amazon, Direct TV and other VOD sites ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3c0NaOZDBTc.html
Amazing story, truly amazing patriots right there! Say is there any way to hear them transmissions? He talked about a CD with the recordings. Is that puplished?
You can go over there today and visit museums, or the tunnels, even talk to former foes! Fifty yrs ago things were so different! Thanks you wonderful guys and Welcome Home!!
I was a loach, lift and snake driver up in the Highlands flying out of Camp Halloway. Did a lot of sightseeing in the mountains outside Pleiku, Kontum and Dak To. 70-71. Returned to Vietnam for a visit 2004 and ended up making it my 2nd home. First week, my girlfriend (now my wife) I met in Saigon, and I were in downtown Saigon and ran under an overhang to get out of the rain. A Vietnamese couple about our age were next to us. The guy says to me, "You were a helicopter pilot during the war." I asked him why he thought that and he said, "Me Vc. Tried to shoot you down with AK47....what do you think of Vietnam now?". We had an interesting talk and he recommended a few local restaurants and museums. Nice guy. The following year, we got married in a traditional Vietnamese ceremony and we traveled to area where she grew up, near My Lai and first night we were invited to former VC commander of the area. I was sure I was getting into trouble. But when we were introduced, what he said to me reflects my experience of living there, "We both did what our governments told us to do. The war was a long time ago. Now is the time for peace and understanding." I recommend vets whose minds are not locked into the past to visit. The experience got a lot of monkeys off my back. Now I understand why the old farts from WWII returned to battlefields and met former enemies. Lots of Vietnam vets living there permanently. But I have lived in local communities and avoid the expat compounds like the plague. They remind me of camps.
Be proud of your Daddy Ms. Giles. That is all any of us really wanted besides getting home, was to be appreciated for the hell we endured. Please tell him for me, Welcome Home! My welcome home was in San Diego with a bunch of hippies throwing cups of urine and feces on us. I was on a gurney with a hole in my upper chest and had a staff infection by the time I made it to the VA hospital in New Orleans.
'REDSKINS' Company D (Attack Helicopter), 158th Aviation Battalion (Assault Helicopter), 101st Airborne Division. 1971 Camp Evans, RVN Man in the front seat and in the door. Never forget.
Ditto, on "Hanoi Jane", her ex-hubby Tom. She, him and a few others were picketing the front gate at Travis sometimes when we were doing Medevac of Nam wounded. The base CO wouldn't let us run over them, said it wouldn't look good in the media.
Nixon went to China to do business and him and Kissinger had secret talks with VC in Paris and kept SVN out of the loop. Jane and Tom were small fry compared to those traitors.
there a huey pilot documentary with the pilots that were taking chaplains about in unarmed and no armour hueys and the went against orders to go on a rescue mission and they used their rotors to cut the bamboo so they can land and take the injured away many times,anyone know what its called
We lost our uncle there. Sgt. Coley Leon Andrews Crew Chief Door Gun Huey 1/503rd 173rd ABN Volontierd Second Tour K.I.A. 12/19/66 Near LZ BEARCAT They flew him home for Christmas
How weak and fruitless are my words, how can I thank these gentlemen and all of the other servicemen enough. Their generation was put into situations that none of us could ever imagine. Their bravery and dedication to duty is beyond reproach. Anyone who was protesting at that time are gutless and spineless. The Nicolson line from " A Few Good Men" says it all. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9FnO3igOkOk.html&ab_channel=Movieclips Go to 1:29 Thank you for your service. May Gods grace shine upon you always.
Lancers took us to and from the field regularly + resupply...3rd BDE MINI CAV( SCOUTS) 101st ABN 1970-71 call sign UNIQUE EIGHT EIGHT.... anybody know anything about THUNDER AVIATION...HHC 3rd BDE AVIATION Platoon....
Remember the Cobra Woodstock out of Long Binh.. Or Magical Mystery Tour ? Or the Fly United Shinook.. Me.. 229th Avn Btn. Co. D. I was a doorgunner. My Wobbleys Mr. Kato and Magee
this is audio from this mission. Ken flying right seat with Bill Walker 17. Things got busy and Bill forgot to flip the tape so the best part is missing. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B8vZwcodsdk.html
I don’t do this well. The door gunner was shot in the right hand and chest. He had a flack Vest The round hit him in the chest. 2 or 3 ak-47 rounds went into the body of helio. How the pilot landed it was miraculous. I know the fire base. I was there when it was created There is not much substantial in helicopters. I participated in recovery of bodies from slicks. You can take a machete and hack through some parts. When the helicopter hit the trees The occupants were dead most likely the crash killed them. They must have been important as the medvac was there in a couple of hours that was unusual
The soviets, and China provided weapons to North Vietnam and Viet Congress. Among them were the .51 caliber machine guns, just slightly larger than US and US provisioned troops which were .50 cal. Similarly the AK 47s and SKSs used 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition, similar, but not quite, to the 7.62 x 51 nato rounds used in some US weapons, M-14s M-60 machine gun, and some others which were primarily used by US troops until M-14s were mostly replaced by the M-16 rifle shooting the 5.56 mm round
The 7.62 nato round is of similar dimensions as what is known in civilian firearms as .308 caliber. From the pilots discussion, you can tell being shot at by .51 machine gun fire is so totally not a good thing for helicopters or occupants, a very formidable round, as are the .50 cars used by US forces.
David Yuzuk Hopefully I can keep my fingers off the wrong button before I finish this message. Even though I served in RVN, my reading has been limited to WWII history. That year is a painful memory. Thanks to the Lord that saved me I am finally coming to terms with that experience. May the fifty thousand that died in that hell on earth be remembered as those who paid the ultimate price so that the free world can remain free. It’s a shame that politicians feel the need to sully their memory and sacrifice. Again, welcome home guys.
