Combat Story (Ep 7): Eric Brethen OH-6 Loach & AH-1 Cobra Pilot | Vietnam Veteran | 3 x DFC 

I too am a Vietnam Vet. USMC Sergeant. Semper Fi. 😊

Was flying F-4s out of Cam Ranh Bay 3 Sep 68 - when I got shot down in III Crops supporting Thien Ngon Special Forces Camp which was under seige at the time. A UH-1 came in to get me out and also got shot down - then this crazy LOCH pilot comes in like its a Sunday walk in the part and picks me up - one crazy and BRAVE crew. I am forever in debt to that that LOCH crew for pulling me out of that very sticky situation over 50 years ago!

I'm proud to say Eric Breathen is my Uncle. Wanted thank you for your service and everything you sacraficed for our freedom. Love you happy veterans day.

Around that time, the Army was losing so many pilots that the Army tried to entice people who had done their tour to become a WO helicopter pilot. So the Army recruiter must have been overjoyed when he expressed interest in becoming a pilot and his superiors must have been impressed when he volunteered to fly the Loach. The risks involved in flying a Loach were so great that 6 months was considered a full tour. I'm glad that he made it back and that you provided him with an opportunity to tell his story.

Gene Vasser D Troop 3/4 Cav 25th Inf 69-70 loach crew chief Cuchi pilot was centaur 11

This is the best story, with the greatest content ever published on the internet or in print. Eric is a truly humble and outstanding human being.

Sorry folks. This may be long. I watched this entire interview with brave soldier and American hero Eric Brethren. His words are 100% true as a Loach pilot. My brother, Terry Opp from a small town outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota was a crew chief on a Loach from '69 - '70. He didn't talk much about Vietnam but when I got a few beer in him he would loosen up a bit. Here are some of his stories that he told me. He was with the 11th Armored Air Cavalry Division ( I can not absolutely confirm that as Division, Battalion, Regiment or whatever. I was never a military guy and I do not know the lingo.) that was stationed north of Saigon on the border of Cambodia in the "Parrot Head" or "Fish Hook" area because of the map reference he said. The only difference I heard in the two stories of being a Crew Chief on a Loach was that my brother never mentioned a door gunner. He was it. He had an M-60 hanging from a canvas strap on the left side of the ship. Later, just like Eric said, they put a mini gun on the side of the ship that the pilot controlled. My bother also mentioned loading ammo cans with as much C-4 as they could pack in it and kicking them out the door over suspected bad guys. He said he always prayed an enemy round would not hit one of the cans as they would have been instantly vaporized. He said his ships were shot down 7 times. I checked the serial numbers on the pics he had and sure enough the Army had them listed as decommissioned due to combat action. He also spoke of the hunter/killer teams. A small difference is that he said they would fly at around 130 knots on their first pass over a suspected bad guy location then come back around to try to draw fire. Once contact was made he would knock a flare off the side of his gun, de de mow, (sorry for not knowing Viet lingo) and call in the Cobras. Then go back low and slow to check for damages, bodies or to draw more fire. I've heard of shitty jobs before but this has to take the cake. He said his worst pucker moment was when he was told to check a valley that wasn't showing any enemy movement and the brass thought that was strange. So in they went on a first fly by and nothing. On their second slower trip through the valley he said the whole friggin place opened up on them from all sides. He said his pilot nosed down to get air speed then went straight up and basically saved both their lives. Not only did the Cobras come in but artillery went crazy for a few hours. They had stumbled onto a heavy NVA strong hold. Not only did Loaches do hunter/killer missions they also provided air support for resupply conveys and such. If there was an ambush they were there to lay down suppressing fire and to call in support if needed. My brother said it was always funny to hear 20 different voices yelling in 20 different accents from around the country. That's what makes us UNITED. My brother phoned home the Christmas he was there. Eric also mentioned this. The call came late at night. My mom came to wake me up, I was 7 at the time, and she said Terry wanted to make sure I was taking care of them. He talked to my dad for a while, then my mom then he spoke with me and said he would be home soon and to take care of mom and dad until he got back. Then there was a lot of static on the line and he said he had to go because the base was getting shelled. When my mom heard this she freaked right the hell out. I started bawling, my dad got this far off look in his eyes, (he was a CB vet in Okinawa), and well, that was that night. We heard from him about 4 weeks later. I don't know if the VC wanted to kill him more or my mom. My brother said his last pilot was this huge black guy that had to duck down and turn sideways to get through a doorway. He had to fold himself into the pilot seat. My brother said he was the best pilot he had but he was the worst shot to ever fire a gun. I guess the pilots used to put grease pen markers on the bubble screen ahead of them and use that as a reference to aim with. My brother said there was a B-52 strike going on a few miles away from where they were following a resupply convoy so when that was over they went to the strike area to check it out. The rooky pilot wanted to aim his guns so they found this dead NVA propped up against a tree on the far side of the blast area. He said the pilot made about 15 passes at this guy with guns blazing and didn't hit shit but he said he could fly like no ones business. They have been the best of friends since then. As far as lucky charms my brother had found a 4 leaf clover when he was younger and taped it to a little piece of cardboard and kept it in his wallet always. When I asked him about making it home alive he showed me that 4 leaf clover and said nothing could have happened to him while he carried that with him. I could go on and on about Vietnam stories from my brother, my friends and other family members but I don't need to. We all have them. Or should have. And it is still sad we do. Maybe one day our strength will really be our peace. One last thing as I have responded to the people that have made comments and of course they are all welcome. I have only repeated and told here the things that occurred to a 7 year old, a 15 year old, a 35 year old and a 50 year old that had an older brother in 'Nam and was an understandable listener to the shit that went on there and a respect for the people that served there. My brother was not a pilot in or on a Loach. He never claimed to be one nor did I claim he was one either. He was a Crew Chief that guided the daily missions and carried out those missions. His only flying skills, according to him, were trying to do an auto rotate moments before you hit the ground. To tell the truth I really don't think he could have flown a led zeppelin. And again I reiterate the stories I have convened here are the stories a big brother hero from that conflict decided to share with his much younger brother. I am so glad he shared them with me as I do not think he shared them with anyone else except his combat buddies. Now that he has passed, well, one less 'Nam American hero. I apologize for not doing the research into this prior to me conveying these stories. As I am writing this now the gentleman being interviewed here just said "my crew chief" and so on so apparently what my brother said was true as he claimed to be the crew chief and door gunner while he flew with a pilot on those missions. According to Wikipedia the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment aka the Black Horse Regiment operated in South Vietnam from '66 - '72. The air part of the regiment may have came in the late 60's when they added helicopter support and attack units. Again I only speculate with this observation. Once again I am only sharing bits and pieces of stories that my brother shared with me after several beer and a few shoe boxes full of polaroids taken in the late '60s some where in Vietnam.

Thank you sir. I was a 67V OH-06/OH-58 mechanic stationed at Schofield with our hangar at Wheeler AFB from 1977-79. We were a GS unit so we fixed AirCav and everyone else’s helicopters. All of our Commissioned Officers were pilots, all Vietnam vets. But, all of our best pilots were Warrant officers, Vietnam vets. My squad leader E-5 was a crazy Irish guy who did multiple tours in Vietnam as a crew chief and door gunner. He said he flew in OH-06’s and they would fly at window level to huts and if anything moved, they lit it up. I also met a civilian who lived on the North Shore near Velzyland, who was maybe about 28 or 29. He had been an OH-06 pilot at 19 flying the exact type of missions WO Brethen described. I did my 3 years and was honorably discharged at 20 years old. I’ll never stop being in awe of those Vietnam veterans I served with. My hangar still had bullet holes in the block walls and steel I-beams from the Pearl Harbor attack. I served in peacetime, but I was a sponge when the vets shared their stories. I heard many.

Love hearing the Vietnam stories, my father flew on the B52 during Vietnam, love the show, thank you Veterans!

It was an honor and pleasure to hear Eric’s combat experiences, I appreciate your service to our country. Thank you Ryan for interviewing Eric, you make it look easy, it’s a real joy to watch.

Eric, I was a Cav unit aero scout door gunner in a loach. Our ages and in country time are very close. If my recruiter had told me about WO flight school I would have been all over that as you were. Welcome back brother and thanks for a job well done.

I graduated flight school (ORWAC) in 1984. All my flight instructors were old retired Vietnam veterans with DFCs and BSMs and sometimes more. They were the best bunch of guys and CFIs you'd ever want to know. They all had stories similar to Eric's. Not trying to take away from Eric's, but to recognize the dangers that they all went thru. God bless all our big brothers and sisters who fought in VN.

My father Gary Lotz flew loaches in 69. He loved it as well and was shot down 2 times as well. Crazy stories my dad told me about. 1st to solo in his class. Great stories Eric. My hat is off to you.

One of the best Vietnam interviews I’ve ever heard. I served with the 1st Infantry Division in Lai Khe from March ‘68 to March ‘69. Those pilot have all of my respect. Thanks for your service, Eric!!!

I have done some interesting stuff in my 16 yrs Army - This guy NEEDS to get his story into print....... Kudo's for getting Eric to go on tape, huge respect......

I was in 341 support detachment ,guys were air traffic controllers , refull specialits and re arm spec at helicopter re arm point also took care of lighting barrels on runway when lights didnt work .got caught one nite lighting barrels 40 morter rounds came in just lucky that nite.

What a humble brave guy, 19 to 21 at the time, God bless.

What struck me the most is how the Army had this warrant officer pilot program for someone so talented, clearly gifted, with the ability to fly a helicopter. And the Army is still doing this. You don't need a degree, just ability. It reminds me of today's tech industry. So well done.

Love to watch these videos. I miss Dad he flew C130. He came home thank God. But never spoke a word about it and was never the same. RIP

Amazing stories Eric. My brother was a LRP, and did a second tour in a loach. He was shot down twice. He doesn't talk about it. He came home, worked , and went back to college. Thanks for giving me some understanding of what he went through. Thank you for your service.

Saw a lot of these guys. They enlisted under a program called "High School To Flight School". Went through basic training and then on to Flight School at Ft Rucker for 52 weeks. Graduated and were appointed as W01's. Some of the best helicopter pilots we had. Balls and nerves of steel!

Wow I love heroes with a great sense of humor. I can remember my instructor sitting back, arms folded and me asking,"don't you want to keep your hands a little closer to the controls?" He said," there's nothing you can do to the helicopter that I can't handle." I replied," you've never seen me fly." He actually cracked a smile. The angles comment cracked me up. When I got to the airlines I had numerous Captains say,"you were a helicopter pilot weren't you?" I nodded. You damn guys think you own the air, intercept the radial with a 15, 30 or 45 degree intercept. I'll use an 8 degree it's a shorter distance. They'd just shake their heads. Think outside the box a little. We had a Herc and C141 pilot washout which was surprising. I too always felt safer in rotor craft, I don't need a nice long area to put down. So many great stories from Nam pilots. My heroes for sure.

I was a Centaur gunship pilot Aug 67-Aug 68. Welcome home.

Wonderful story! I was born in 1963. I’m a physician and love my career, but have always regretted not being in the military and pursuing a helicopter pilot career, at least temporarily; and have always been fascinated by Vietnam helicopter pilot stories. Great interview!

Man he is such an excellent interviewer! Best host ive ever seen. Never cuts ppl off, lets them talk, redirects them perfectly, funny, etc. Great job bro

Flying in the early to late 90’s with guys who flew Hueys/Cobras/Scouts was GOLD!!! These guys were CW4s and at the platoon level. Their knowledge and skill set was tops. Only thing better we’re their stories. The stuff they did in Vietnam would not even be spoken of today in the Army. Btw, how did you not know what a Snake was? Lol Thanks for the energy and time in putting these historical interviews together.

I'll second Scott In Ohio's comment. Write a book! I'll buy it. The way Eric tells the tale reminds me of my father talking about his time on an aircraft carrier in WW2. These stories are getting lost in time. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thank you, from Australia. I missed out but my brother didn't and, he came back as someone else. Haven't seen him for years and I don't know where he lives. This gave me some insight into Viet Nam; thank you again.

One of, if not THEE best, collection of coherent and fascinating stories of army aviation I have hard/ Makes my short time as AH1G crew chief have greater appreciation for what I experienced. I was transferred from Hunter-Stewart Air base in Ga to Korea in 1969. Korea had no use for my MOS so I eventually wound up as clerk at 7th Aviation Battalion 7 miles from the DMZ. What Eric's story point out that in many ways life is like a box of chocolates....we often, or almost always, never know what we are going to get or how it is going to turn out.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN VIETNAM, AND WELCOME HOME!!!

This guys combat would make a great book and a greater movie!!!!! Thanks for his service!!!!!!!

I'm so glad you had Eric on. My old hunting buddy did two tours as a helicopter machine gunner in Vietnam, and he admitted being a bit of a cowboy back then. Unfortunately he never opened up to me even though I was a veteran, but non-combat. I need to try to get him this.

RVN as an Army SP4 draftee in 68/69. Shortly before being drafted I went to a party. There was a guy there who had been a Cobra pilot that had been badly burned during combat. He was in a wheel chair and seemed to be bandaged from head to toe. Scared the crap out of me as I knew it was about time for me to go. You sir have some crazy guts and courage. Welcome home.

Just a great interview story. Just finished a book”To the Limit” by Tom Johnson as a Air Cav Huey pilot in Vietnam. Eric’s story is just as compelling as this book. Unbelievable.👍

Great story! Being 19 & feeling invincible while piloting a cobra during that time would have been a blast. Thank you for that look into our history.

What an amazing set of stories. To do ALL THAT, and receive all those medals before turning 22 years old is just incredible! I have always wanted to fly helicopters, but unlike Eric, I did not have 20/20 vision. I do fly RC helicopters, but that’s off topic but it did give me an understanding when he talked about collective pitch and auto rotations. I was also an M-60 gunner when I was in the Army National Guard so I’m familiar with that as well. For what Eric has been through, he seems to be very well adjusted and quite willing to share his stories, which I greatly appreciate. This man is certainly a hero, much respect and gratitude sir.

I used to watch a Loch with a bulls eyes painted on the underside of the chopper when I was in Nam 1970

As a former OH-58 IP and Air Cav pilot myself, I loved the story of shearing off the tailboom on the auto. Priceless! Bell ring at the club by chance? Great stuff! Scouts Out! Garryowen (4/7 CAV). My dad was an 11B 0-3 in 5/7 CAV in RVN in 68-69 and has a few Loach stories as a passenger! One of my DACs when I was at Rucker as an IP in 1986 told me a RVN OH-6 story when he was a WO1 and gave himself a hovering auto into trees to accompany a buddy who went down nearby. Classic...

Fantastic interview, Amazing soldier

I was over there in 1970, unfortunately not as a pilot. Welcome home, Brother Eric.

Was at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells the other day (Now an industrial park) Left an American flag displayed near the location of the old flight line, just as a beautiful Texas sunset peaked behind it. Love our Vietnam vets..

Thank you for your service. So happy you made it home alive to share your story with Us. Without men like you, there is no America.

I worked at a small airport ran by the late Frankie Williams. He was a gunner on a LOH in VN. Not shy to talk about his adventures and loved to pull out a shoebox stuffed with Polaroids of dead gooks they had dispatched. Would hover over and he would lean out to take them. He was a jack of all aviation trades flying ag, CFI, A&P IA, ATP etc. On occasions a VN buddy would fly a company jet ranger in after dropping off the boss and Frankie would run out, hop in, and get some stick time. Evidently one of the warrant officers that gave him unofficial lessons over there. He was a local legend with numerous hair raising and hilarious adventure stories. RIP Frankie.

I would love to sit down with a beer and just listen to these guys.

I flew mostly at night on “Firefly” Missions. I extended on my first tour and logged a measly 1,500 hours of Combat Time, of which 1,100 was Night Combat Time. I flew about 130-140 hours of Night Combat Time a month. But for 3 months of the 19 months I was there, our unit took part in a Top Secret Mission in NKP, Thailand from Thanksgiving 1967 - February 1968. Prior to doing anything all crew members were sent to the Philippines for a week of Jungle Survival School. We actually flew 8-12 brand new, fresh off the boat, UH-1C’s with a large internal fuel tank, rocket pods were stored in side and the mini’s only carried 1,000 rounds of 7.62mm. We left Bien Hoa with half of the group and they flew up the coast to somewhere that I forget now. They waited overnight for the flight I was in that left the following day and we rendezvoused that second day and the whole flight flew into Khe Sanh to hot refuel. Initially the Marines wouldn’t turn their fuel pumps on for us unless our CO agreed to hit (many) targets around their perimeter. Our CO was given a ride on a Marine Mule to their TOC. The Marine Commander was put in contact with this 5 Star General at Long Binh (LBJ) who ordered the Marines to give each UH-1C a case of C-Rations and for them to personally refuel each aircraft. Ass holes and Elbows everywhere! There was just two pilots in each Charlie Model. Our Crewchief and Gunner and maintenance personnel flew to NKP in a C-130 and arrived a day or two before us. The flight was pretty well planned. Just prior to departing Bien Hoa each aircraft was given a map that ended at the rendezvous airfield. The CO collected the maps. Just prior to taking off the next morning we were handed a map that took us to Khe Sanh. While being refueled by these nice young Marines and while indulging in C-Rations, our CO collected the previous maps and gave all aircraft a map across Laos at 10,000+ feet to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. We, the pilots, for this Top Secret Mission we’re all hand-picked for this mission. Reason being was we could expect 80+% casualties so the first on the list were single P, CP, CC & G. When all of us were courteously selected they picked married without kids and last were volunteers for this unknown mission. As we approached our destination, NKP, we tightened up our formation and broke out like the P-51’s did in WW II. When we landed we had everyone there approaching our Charlie Models and questions galore spewed out. We were the first Army Gunship Helicopters ever to set a skid on that Royal Thai Air Force Base. Our mission was so Top Secret, Hanoi Hanna said on the English speaking radio, “Hanoi Hanna would like to welcome the 334th Armed Helicopter Company to NKP, Thailand and she was going to be eating Christmas Day 1967 with us”. Holy Shit! More C-Rations were on the way🥴! If you saw the Lee Marvin movie, “The Dirty Dozen”, well that is what it felt like to me. Someone built a group of buildings in a clearing and placed Red 55 gallon barrels in so called strategic locations. We worked with Air Force Jolly Green Giant H-53s on these simulation runs. We still had these large internal fuel tanks. To start off the H-53 led the way followed by our group of 8-12 Charlie Models loaded with 7.62mm for the two mini’s. The H-53 began to climb followed by these lame Charlie Models and we stopped at about 10,000 ‘. We approached the simulation area and then we all went into autorotation and recovered on the treetops and made our way to just outside the fake buildings that kinda resembled a POW Camp (but I didn’t say that…it’s a Top Secret Mission), just ask Hanoi Hannah. The H-53 set down and we would come screaming in hitting as many Red 55 gallon barrels as possible and we set up two race track patterns. Sometimes the Major flying the Jolly Green would scream that the make believe enemy was just outside the tip of his rotating blades and he had us rip a few mini-gun rounds well away from his main rotor blades. This Major kept telling me, the copilot to move my mini’s in more. I finally made one giant leap for all mankind, and the unmarked U.S. Air Force Jolly Green helicopter died right there when my mini’s shot a tad bit too close. I had only heard encircled grunts scream like that Major. I knew ole Hannah was laughing her ass off with that Gun run. I forgot but there was no insignias on my aircraft or me. No name or rank either. All part of that 80+% thing I guess. I was 19 and loving it thoroughly. Well we would eventually start a climbout to, you guessed it, 10,000’. All of this was run under a stopwatch. We did this about 3-4 times a week but we never went anywhere. Just practiced. And we were working with a group of unidentified American Special Forces in our practices. But when TET ‘68 broke out our mission was abruptly stopped and we returned to Bien Hoa like nothing really happened. And nothing really happened, Honest Injun! If I hadn’t taken those three months off from flying Firefly I would have earned some serious night combat time. Well that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. My first tour would have made a great book and maybe a movie too. My second tour from ‘72 - ‘73 was even crazier than this tour!🥱

I flew 28 years as a ag pilot owner/ operator. I really enjoyed his perspective on life, because when I started flying ag at 23 I had the same mindset, nothing bad could ever happen to me. Anyway thanks.

Usually the in viewer should stay in the background, but this man was respectful and brought out some ideas because he knew what he was talking about. I think he enriched the stories because of his own sense of humour so I felt there were three of us having a good time because we laughed together. I'll bet it would have been drier without the sheer joy that the interviewer expressed.

I was a crew chief on a c7a )67-68 Phu cat went on to get commercial helicopter pilot , thank you for your service, lot of good time.

45 th Surg. Hosp. At Tay Ninh. Worked in the operating room. Been to the top of Nui Ba Den. Been inside Cao Dai Temple, it’s beautiful. Work was not fun, but did my duty. Thanks to all that were there. Army strong!

2 things. I'd love to know if he knew Alexander Cameron Brown. He was a Cobra pilot with the Centaurs, kia 11/23/69. From my hometown. I got there in 71, 196th LIB. My first patrol we got ambushed, went to hand to hand and my Sgt. blew him away and I wore that guys brains and blood for the next 3 days. Lz Center, remember a Cobra landing really cool as the bird was smoking when he brought it in. Great pilots, we were all kids

Eric has the most amazing stories of any of the chopper pilots I've listen to. Definitely a man I would want flying support for troops on the ground. Amazing man for sure. I've listen to this broadcast several times

I had the privilege of knowing Eric. He was a concrete salesman in Tampa when I met him. He was my salesman. He was the first person I took flying with me after getting my pilots license in 1999. Lost touch years ago.

Your channel is the best. I admire the service and the soldiers that protect my country and allow the USA to remain a free country and a safe place to live with so many benefits that folks who want to complain often overlook. I thank Eric for sharing his story and for his service to the country!

I was just a boy of 5 when this brave gentleman was serving but I do remember how they were treated... My neighbor had 2 sons, 1 went into serve and the other to Canada. He was so ashamed of his son who left!! Crazy times to be sure, but I'm glad that there was someone willing to fight & die for me AND those who didn't serve. Thank you!!!

What a fantastic adventure you had. Loved every second of your story and am glad that you chose to tell it.

Great interview . Thank you both for your time and service .

Amazing stories, great interview, thanks for sharing. Your service is truly appreciated.

Eric you are awesome Sir ! Reading in the Ft Worth newspaper about you guys made me volunteer prior to the end of the War. God Bless ! 🇺🇸✝️🚁

Great interview, thanks!

I loved your autorotation story so much, it reminded me of a couple of stories. Here is one. In 1971, I was a fixed wing instructor on a T-38, with a lot of experience, and my best student in my career, doing a single engine heavyweight landing, put me into the underrun of the runway. Once the pilot pulls the power on the good engine, (even at 170 kts), the aircraft stops flying. You can go right into full afterburner on both engines, and you are still going to touch down (if you are smart). Trying to hold the aircraft off the runway, is potentially very dangerous. I was guarding the throttle, but he pulled back to idle with so much force, that it slipped right out of my hands. The good thing was, that the underrun was paved, so the only thing hurt, was my pride. He learned his lesson, and went on to graduate number 1 in the class, with his choice of aircraft assignment.

Thank you, Sir, and welcome home! Fantastic interview and amazing stories. I was an Air Force medic at Tan Son Nhut from 68-69 and Hotel 3 was directly across from our barracks. Usual take-offs was over the top of the barracks and I watched the skids just clearing the roofs. Ryan, you were a superb host and I could tell Eric's "adventures" resonated with your background. Cheers, CMSgt Bob (Ret) from NE of Syracuse, NY!

That was one of the best interviews I have listened to. What a very skilled pilot. Thank you for your service. Thank you for the accounts you shared

Awesome story. Thanks for your service 🇺🇸

Thank you so much for your bravery. Godspeed

Fantastic video, top notch interview n narration. Many thanks

Fantastic tales of bravery, I’d listen to this guy for days. Thanks!

Thank you both for your service

What an amazing (overlooked) generation. Flying combat at 19 in a helicopter. So amazing. I'm 36 and couldn't imagine a kid in a helicopter. That will never happen again. Thank you for all you vets have done. Things you learned there we still use today. True pioneers

It’s great that you got these interviews, before memories are lost! 🇺🇸

Thanks man, Thanks Eric, that was amazing. The guts those guys had without even knowing it is simply fantastic.

This is my first time viewing your channel and I have to say that I am very glad that it popped up in my recommended channel page, I have watched similar channels and have enjoyed them, but only because of the people telling of their experiences, but in your case the engagement you had with Mr Brethen is on another level, maybe because you are both veterans and have a shared brotherhood albeit a few years apart, and there was an instant karma and easiness between you that made the questions and answers seem like old friends revisiting shared experience’s. Thanks so much for sharing this brilliant mans, for want of a better word, adventures and I look forward to the next interview and many more besides, you have got yourself another subscriber, thanks again Ryan, from one veteran to another, it’s been a pleasure. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

What a fascinating interview. I could listen to the two of you talk helicopters for hours.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. You’re a great American Sir.

One of the most entertaining hour and 30 minutes I have ever spent!

Excellent interview guys. Thanks for your service. We appreciate patriots like you. God Bless

Great interview!! Thank you sir for your service. My dad Marshall Smith Arlington TX was 1/9th Air Cav 69-71. His MOS was aviation mechanic mainly on Cobra gunships. but also did door gunner as well as observer/gunner in the Loach. He flew 25+ Hunter/killer missions and awarded Airman’s Medal. His father my grandfather worked at Bell helicopters in TX building Hueys while my dad was in combat. The company actually put a little flyer in every employee’s paycheck once showing my dad and grandfather so there was a personal connection to building the aircraft. RIP Pop the world misses you. 🙏❤️

I get it, I regret getting out too. 21 years old and done with the military. 4 years active behind me and no idea what to do. Putz around. I remember all that. Young and dumb.

thousands... of these interviews i have seen , this is the best one

Awesome interview!

This is a fantastic interview. Huge thank you for putting this together, and especially to Eric for his service to this country and for sharing some of his stories with us. I have immense respect for the Loach crews who went out looking for a fight at low level. It’s telling that the LRRPs riding along working an M60 were in more danger, through no fault of the pilots, doing this than during the rest of their tours.

Really enjoyed listening to this guy! Great interview!

Very interesting and entertaining interview.

It fascinates me! How I thought I had done some serious stuff as a teen, I was never in the service, I thought I was bullet proof etc etc. I listen to these stories, and I would pucker so quickly you couldn’t get me out of a chair. I see our kids today, and very very few IMO would even make it past basement door! Amazing how brave, strong, and patriotic these generations where. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

I can't believe how your story paralled mine

The Loach drew fire for the Cobra, waiting above to strike

Thank you for your service Mr. Brethen.

Absolutely loved it!!

Among the mighty! Thank you sir!

Ryan, again, thank you for interviewing another Vietnam Vet. Eric, welcome home ! Thank you for sharing. Respect…..

Ryan you are an excellent interviewer. I really appreciate the way you went back over the details but still let him tell is amazing story. Thank you.

That was a great combat story, I really enjoyed his story. If you could do another one with him it would be great. Thanks for sharing.

Brought back old memories of my time with USAF 728th DASS in 68-69 supporting 1st Air Cav 1, 2 3 Brigades (Ta Ning, Song Bea, etc) with OV-10. 0-1 & O-2s and some Loch help. Go Rash Birds! Last Loch flight was back to Ben Hoa with AP reporter, Gunner and Pilot who tried a loop .To much weight.

OH man, autos are a gas! Love doing them. Falling with style.

Incredible interview and story. Thank you both for your service..

If your looking for a good read blackcat 2-1 by Bob Ford is a great book and his story is awesome, flew hueys in Vietnam and have the honor of knowing him very personally awesome dude. If you ever drive thru Okeene, Oklahoma and see some old guy in awesome shape picking up trash and cleaning main street it's him. Love your podcast btw

Amazing man in amazing times. God Bless those who did there best or gave all for there fellow soldier.

Thank You for your service sir

Thank you for your service! Bad ass pilot!!!

With perseverance and patience anything can be accomplished or overcome. Amen.

I remember trying to get a door gunner slot at basic training in the USAF. Didn’t happen though. I like to hear a pilot talk about his crew chief. I served 10 yrs as a crew chief and even the Air Crews that I went to Air Shows and special events would never be able to pick me out of a crowd. I worked hard to keep my aircraft flight worthy, the only time they cared was when they needed a flight but the jet wasn’t ready. I did go off on a couple crew members but even those guys didn’t know who I was. When they separated the air crews and the ground crews into their own squadrons they destroyed that bond crews would develop. For us it wasn’t about the aircraft being used for deadly force, it was about making sure those 4 people came home safely. I just wish those 4 people understood the toll it took on the guys on the ground. 12-14 hour shifts, 24/7 at home station. The amount of guys I worked with that’ve had a spine surgery of some kind is pretty nuts. I’ll never forget a pilot who Over G’ed 3 aircraft in a week, the last being the worst and on a Friday afternoon. His punishment for purposely doing that was he was supposed to help depanel the aircraft for inspection. It took us 2.5 days just to get a.l the panels off and inspections complete. He was there that Saturday for maybe an hour… in 3/4 of that was him talking on the phone. When the older pilots did something that broke the aircraft, they would at least by the crew chief a case of beer or maybe bring in a few pizzas. I witnessed a crew break an aircraft because they didn’t want to fly that day. They actually made sure we didn’t have a spare for them before they did it. I had a lot going for me before I had to have my surgeries. I had the aircrews Squadron commander put me in for a Presidential award and even saved an aircraft from being lost when a fuel valve got stuck open and was spilling fuel on a hot APU and catching fire. I even was approved to retrain into another carrier. After the surgery though things started to go down hill. When I left work the last day of my career I didn’t leave with a farewell or a going away party.. I didn’t feel I deserved it because I felt like I failed my guys. It felt like the Air Force fired me. My goal before the first surgery was to get better and stay healthy enough to make it to 20 years to retire. The military was one of the few things I’ve ever been good at. Even though they decided to medically retire me, it still feels like I failed at my goal. My last duty day was on my 10 year anniversary of enlistment.