Memoir of a combat helicopter pilot in vietnam ebook written by ed denny. Mar 14, 2018 combat flying skills made helicopter pilot a hero in vietnam, a dangerous criminal back home. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read hornet 33. This is the 5th book in a series of books documenting vietnam helicopter rescues as told by the men who flew these missions. This book examines the range of duties helicopter pilots carried out in vietnam, from airlift, medevac and firesupport to landing in high volume crossfires in hot lzs. Vietnam helicopter pilots describe the war from the cockpit.
Chuck hunting in the uminh from the book hits through the chin bubble. He logged more than 1,200 hours of combat flying and achieved senior aircraft commander status. A visceral vietnam helicopter pilot s story, but from a rarer perspective. Combat flying skills made helicopter pilot a hero in vietnam. I found it fascinating, but if you dont think you would, then its probably not the book for you. I always liked the subdued look of combat zone attire, as opposed to anything shiny or glittery. Yay for those that contributed a rescue mission to this latest effort, your free, signed copy should arrive in about 3 weeks.
New 2020 denver reunion is canceled the vietnam helicopter pilots association vhpa is a nonprofit war veterans organization filed under section 501c19 of the internal revenue service. Bob ford invites listeners into the huey helicopters he flew on more than 1,000 missions when he and his men dared to protect and rescue. Pilot clyde romero, 19, rests between flights at khe sanh in february 1971. In 1965, the concept of helicopterborne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in vietnam invented tactics on the spot. A vietnam helicopter pilots war story north texas military biography and memoir series book 1 by chuck gross 4. He spent his entire vietnam tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1 huey helicopters.
He is ceo of green mountain international, a global purveyor of polyurethane construction products, and lives in waynesville, north carolina. Mar 16, 2018 helicopter pilot hugh thompson speaks with reporters at the pentagon on dec. Natops original vintage flight manual rh53d navy model helicopter 1975 navair. This book tells the extraordinary tale of a warrant office pilot during the vietnam war. One of the most enduring and vivid images of vietnam is the helicopter. Based on personal experiences in vietnam, hueya novel by jay and david groenoffers a moving, actionfilled. Combat helicopter pilots in the vietnam war flew each mission facing the possibility of imminent death.
A vietnam helicopter pilot s war story north texas military biography and memoir series book 1 by chuck gross 4. Masons penetrating look at his 196566 tour as a huey pilot in the 1st cavalry division airmobile contains reconstructed dialogue, which works well in depictions of his many dangerous missions zooming in and out of hot landing zones. Based on personal experiences in vietnam, hueya novel by jay and david groenoffers a moving, actionfilled war story of unmistakable authenticity. A great book about a huey helicopter pilot during the vietnam war. Ed denny this memoir of an aircraft commander in the 116th assault helicopter companythe hornetsrelates his experience of the vietnam war from 1970. Its the story of young warriors that were called to duty by conscience or country. Helicopter pilots in vietnam were among the hardiest of the whole bunch of us. This book tells the extraordinary tale of a warrant officepilot during the vietnam war. During the battle, he flew 22 missions in an unarmed helicopter into enemy fire to evacuate more than 70 wounded and bring ammunition and supplies to us forces. The army gets credit for starting the pilot pipeline as early as it did. As the cobra pulled out, tracer ammunition came at it from a different location.
Helicopter pilot hugh thompson speaks with reporters at the pentagon on dec. Fantastic book on vietnam scout helicopter flying, absolutely full of thrilling and exciting engagements hugh mills author and others in dark horse fought. Not a slick pilot almost helplesslessy dropping soldiers in, or the more helpless dustoff crews whod liftout the wounded out of hotter areas, this book extolls the virtues of the hunter killer and straight scout teams in their dimunitive helicopters who would locate the enemy meeting their fire and direct. Details about helicopter pilot personal accounts ww2 vietnam wot book robert dorr. Vietnam helicopter pilot turns to smuggling drugs and. There is little doubt that the helicopter revolutionized warfare and how the war in vietnam 19551975 was fought. Chickenhawk is an account of his experiences as a trainee pilot, his subsequent deployment to vietnam, and his experiences flying the huey helicopter there on 1,000 missions. Is there a list of helicopter pilots who served in vietnam.
Dec 15, 2017 a vietnam war pilot has told how he ejected from his stricken jet over the jungle but returned to base to continue flying in a new book detailing the experiences of airmen during the conflict. Ford recently wrote a book about his wartime experiences behind the stick of a huey called black cat 21. Slick drivers had a mission that was very different from a loach pilots, which was different from a gun driver and that varies with snake or uh1 bcm airframes or a dustoff or hook guys incountry life. Lee ermey answers a question from don of gresham, oregon who wants to know the difference between a slick, a dustoff, and a gunship. One of the most enduring and vivid images of vietnam is the. Where huey pilots trained and heroes were made history.
When chuck gross left for vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteenyearold army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. Black cat 21 the true story of a vietnam helicopter pilot. Protected by little more than an armoured seat, operating in terrible conditions and flying long hours these brave men led hard, dangerous lives, and casualties were high. Retired army helicopter pilot to moderate film at oklahoma.
A visceral vietnam helicopter pilots story, but from a rarer perspective. The vietnam helicopter pilots association vhpa is a nonprofit war veterans organization filed under section 501c19 of the internal revenue service. Vietnam saga is also a story about the meaning of life. After the war he became a commercial pilot and recently retired from american airlines as a 767757 captain. Slick drivers had a mission that was very different from a loach pilot s, which was different from a gun driver and that varies with snake or uh1 bcm airframes or a dustoff or hook guys incountry life. How did us helicopter pilots in vietnam become so amazing. John dean, an aircraft commander flying slicks with the 121st assault helicopter company, recalls a day in late 1967 when he made 15 trips to haul out 36 wounded from the 199th light infantry brigade who had been in a firefight near long binh. Thats all services, but only counts the united states.
Combat flying skills made helicopter pilot a hero in vietnam, a dangerous criminal back home. There are some very good ones that illustrate one guys experience in different facets. Mills got out of the way and the cobra attack helicopter moved in to fire rockets at the bunker. June 24, 1967 by spider door gunner dick cherry boy detra. On 18 august he was copilot on a 9 squadron iroquois huey helicopter that flew over the enemy to resupply desperate. They took a lot of casualties but they always seemed to be there. As such, i served as an attack helicopter commander in both air cavalry and attack helicopter units during, and post, the vietnamera, and having served. Rattler oneseven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran. This book is written from the logbook he kept while working in nui dat and is a fascinating look at life during war the dangers, the challenges and the mundaneness. Chuck gross was an army helicopter pilot in the vietnam war from may 1970 through may 1971. In vietnam, these helicopter scouts saw combat up close. He spent his entire vietnam tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1.
It is dedicated to the fulfillment of the following purposes. Combat flying skills made helicopter pilot a hero in. In 1965, with vietnam demanding more helicopter pilots, the fort added two big heliports and 21 stagefields. Oklahoma city retired army helicopter pilot and northwest oklahoman bob ford flew more than 1,000 missions in vietnam, and now in partnership with oklahoma history center, he will help. The theme for the 2020 membership directory history section will be the 361st aerial weapons company in vietnam. Rattler oneseven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran when chuck gross left for vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteenyearold army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. Army began to use bell oh sioux and hiller oh23 raven helicopters, once artillery spotters, to scout ahead of uh1d huey formations in the moments before air assaults to gather information. It is a truelife story of soldiers who fought for freedom and often for their very lives.
Begun as a series of attempted letters to the department of veterans affairs, this compelling memoir of an aircraft commander in the 116th assault helicopter companythe hornetsrelates his experience of the war in frank detail. Army officer who received the medal of honor for his actions as a pilot during the battle of ia drang on november 14, 1965, in south vietnam. Vietnam helicopter pilot turns to smuggling drugs and prison. Whether your helicopter comes apart in flight due to equipment failure, or another aircraft runs into you in midair, or an enemy gunner lands his rounds in exactly the right spot to take you out of the sky. Dustoff 73 tells the true story of four unlikely heroes in the rugged mountains of afghanistan, where medics are forced to descend on wires to reach the wounded and helicopter pilots must fight wind, weather, and enemy fire to pluck casualties from some of the worlds most difficult combat arenas. The book concludes with his return to the usa after his tour of duty, and his difficulties in coming to terms with the impact of his experiences on himself and his family. Best vietnam helicopter book general helicopter forum. Black cat 21 the true story of a vietnam helicopter. This is the definitive memoir about the helicopter war in vietnam. An accidental helicopter pilot in vietnam and beyond. In the vietnam war, 2,197 helicopter pilots and 2,717 crew members were killed.
A forgotten hero stopped the my lai massacre 50 years ago. Vietnam pilot reveals how he was shot down and ejected. Helicopters lifted troops, supplies, material, equipment, and vehicles. This book examines the range of duties helicopter pilots carried out in vietnam, from airlift, medevac and fire. Huey pilot recounts deadly combat missions in vietnam. Author phil marshall, a huey pilot in vietnam, presents his next book which continues the legacies of. Flying the h34 helicopter in vietnam for the united states marine corps. The total of nonpilot crewmembers killed was 2,704, according to records of the vietnam helicopter pilots association. In his 1983 memoir, chickenhawk, robert mason described his life as a u. A vietnam war pilot has told how he ejected from his stricken jet over the jungle but returned to base to continue flying in a new book detailing the. On the eve of the dedication of a new memorial to vietnam helicopter pilots and crew members, three former pilots talk about their experiences in the war. Its the true story of helicopter pilots and their crews during the vietnam war. Black cat 21 is the story of one pilot who made it home and the valiant men he served with who risked their lives for the troops on the ground.
When the program started, no war was under way, nobody had worked out the cavalrylike tactics, and the gasolinepowered helicopters then in use were barely. Jun 10, 2017 in his 1983 memoir, chickenhawk, robert mason described his life as a u. Army helicopter pilot in vietnam and has written numerous articles for newspapers such as the durango herald and the chicago tribune. From flying with the screaming eagles in vietnam to serving with the marines and the royal navy, this memoir recounts the life of a career military pilot. They conducted visual reconnaissance, command and control. Bruce perry crandall born february 17, 1933 is a retired u.
In vietnam, these helicopter scouts saw combat up close cobras and loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. During the battle, he flew 22 missions in an unarmed helicopter into enemy fire to evacuate more than 70 wounded and bring ammunition and. This book examines the range of duties helicopter pilots carried out in vietnam, from airlift, medevac and firesupport to landing in high volume crossfires in. Volume 11 of helicopter rescues vietnam is now available on amazon or through me. Soon after the war he wrote down his adventures, while his memory was still fresh with the events. Air america s black helicopter, the secret aircraft that helped the cia tap phones in north vietnam by james r. The book chronicles his enlistment, flight training, deployment to and experiences in vietnam, and his experiences after returning from the war. May 10, 2012 there is no best vietnam helicopter book. On a hunterkiller mission in south vietnam, scout helicopter pilot hugh mills spotted an enemy bunker and reported it to the accompanying helicopter gunship. Chickenhawk is robert mason s narrative of his experiences as a huey uh1 iroquois helicopter pilot during the vietnam war. Vietnam saga is a very personal story of stan corvins often perilous times in the us army as a twotour combat helicopter pilot in vietnam. The marine aviation museum was founded in 2002 by houston, tx aviator rick sharpe and is dedicated to educating the public about the service and sacrifice to the united states by the veterans of the vietnam war.
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