Wo2 john galkiewicz the kid the only difference between wars is the time and the toys author unknown these are the stories, as i remember them, of my time in vietnam while serving as a helicopter pilot with both the. This book tells his most extreme stories in a way to keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat. Chickenhawk is robert mason s narrative of his experiences as a huey uh1 iroquois helicopter pilot during the vietnam war. Jun 30, 2006 to the limit is a true story about a helicopter pilot in the vietnam war. A pilots tale flying helicopters in vietnam by william. During vietnam the army used thousands of uh1 helicopters, for medevac, transport, and as gun ships. He was the last air force pilot to complete 100 missions over north. Settles was interviewed during the annual atlanta war birds weekend backed by the commemorative air force dixie wing at the kpdk dekalb. He experiences screaming descents into hot landing zones to place military assault. The featured vietnam veteran in this episode is former f4 pilot brian settles. It is not a war book but contains stories of flight training and squadron flying at mcas cherry point as well as memories of flying 250 missions in rvn. Mar 14, 2014 huey is one of those remarkable war books that tells you far more about what is going on than you could ever read in the news. Morley b228th ashb may 1968 to may 1969 1st cav, c228th.
Mills got out of the way and the cobra attack helicopter moved in to fire rockets at the bunker. An accidental helicopter pilot in vietnam and beyond. 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. He spent his entire vietnam tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1 huey. All takeoffs were with jato bottles lots of things went wrong with these especially at night and all landings were arrested. Napa county airport day september 7, 2019 september 7, 2019. City of walnut creek special recreation museum tour october 26, 2019 october 26, 2019.
Like the soldiers who fought in world war ii, most of the men and women who served in the u. Army helicopter pilot, ronald paye, shares his story about his time in vietnam, and how he and his colleagues work to preserve th. The story of an assault helicopter pilot in vietnam. As a uh1 helicopter pilot flying in the jungle highlands of south vietnam. John vanvordenthe flying dutchmanis a vietnam pilot and one of the rugged few who know the danger and thrill of combat while piloting the u. 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. Hunterkiller squadron, edited by michael brennan pocket books. He returned from overseas to an assignment as a military assistant to the resident rngineer at kaw dam and reservoir near ponca city, oklahoma, where he met the woman he would marry there.
Wo2 john galkiewicz the kid the only difference between wars is the time and the toys author unknown these are the stories, as i remember them, of my time in vietnam while serving as. Scout pilot one of my assignments was as a scout pilot, one of our units mission was to provide 2 scout teams on a daily basis to our brigades infantry companies. Usaf pilot vietnam war experiences heritage flightgear. The author recounts stories about becoming a helicopter pilot and flying two tours of duty in vietnam during this period. Taking fire is the story of ron miniman alexander, one of the most decorated helicopter pilots of the vietnam war. He was the subject of an article in the henry herald titled. It was a rare breed of man who became a scout pilot. Vietnam war at amazon vietnam war on dvd at amazon vietnam war kindle books. He immediately spotted enemy positions and movement along trails.
This is pigpen, i was a combat helicopter pilot in the. Smitty and the colonel by mike sheuerman panther 15. He spent his entire vietnam tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1 huey helicopters. I was a combat helicopter pilot in the vietnam war in 1969. One south vietnamese helicopter pilot entered history for how he did so by nearly destroying an american ship.
To the limit is a true story about a helicopter pilot in the vietnam war. The vietnam helicopter pilots association vhpa is a nonprofit war veterans organization filed under section 501c19 of the internal revenue service. Wolters trained pilots for all branches of the armed services and for allied countries, in particular the south vietnamese armya total of 41,000 in 17 years of operation. This is a pkzip file and requires that you save it to your computer before opening it. In addition to serving with the 101st airborne, he also served with the 4th infantry division at an khe in 197071. It is a book about people, and it contains the personal stories of 100 vietnam. I recently wrote a book about my experience and it is now a best seller on amazon. Smoke for breakfast in a phantom that was submitted by pete mecca also a vietnam veteran.
George nolly served as a pilot in the united states air force, flying 315 combat missions on two successive tours of duty in vietnam, flying o2a and f4 aircraft. The story of an assault helicopter pilot in vietnam 97809955204. I, too, served in vietnam as a helicopter pilot, a warrant officer with the 101st airborne division. United airlines family day flyin october, 2019 october, 2019. Cobras and loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. Army helicopter pilot, ronald paye, shares his story about his time in vietnam, and how he and his colleagues work to preserve the history of the war. The book chronicles his enlistment, flight training, deployment to and experiences in vietnam, and his experiences after returning from the war. Bruce franklin the first college anthology of american literature about the vietnam war brings together 16 stories, 5 songs, and 63 poems in an affordable text for literature and history courses. Chickenhawk is robert masons narrative of his experiences as a huey uh1 iroquois helicopter pilot during the vietnam war.
The vietnamese who fought on both sides of the war wanted the same thing for the country that they love, peace. Grant regularly went into hot landing zones in vietnam in 1968. May 31, 2011 but this selfdescribed really bad pilot, along with pilots tom baca and jack swickard, and engineer al croteau, went on to save more than 100 south vietnamese troops ambushed by the north vietnamese armyusing an unarmed vip huey. 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. During his fouryear tour of duty, he served as helicopter pilot with the 129th assault helicopter company in ii corps, vietnam, in 1971. Although americas official involvement in vietnam ended in 1973 with the signing of the paris peace accords, it took its time pulling out. After graduating from high school he decided to go to junior college in riverside.
I recently wrote a book about my experience and it. War stories on dvd as told at the 2007 vhpa reunion. Each helicopter was armed with 2 m60 machine guns, on the pilot controlled and the observer had one also. My book recollections of a marine attack pilot is on amazon. In a fight to reunify their divided country under communist rule, the north vietnamese rebelled against the anticommunist southwhich included their longtime enemies, the french. The book tells the tale of robert masons time in vietnam as a pilot of a huey. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. I arrived as a fng in tay ninh attached to the 196th lt inf that was at a well established base. 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. Over 12,000 helicopters were used in the vietnam war, which is why it became known as the helicopter war. Bill kilgore robert duvall commander of the fictional 1st battalion, 9th air cavalry regiment, famously remarks in francis ford coppolas 1979 film apocalypse now, and that visually stunning scene has become for most americans the iconic image of vietnam war helicopter combat. Vietnam war story helicopter pilot remembers youtube. It is dedicated to the fulfillment of the following purposes.
War stories on dvd as told at the 2006 vhpa reunion. His unit was flying in support of south vietnamese troops fighting in laos. Rattler oneseven will appeal to those interested in the vietnam war and to. May 16, 2009 i flew two tours at chu lai, the first in 1966.
Its a picture that one never sees in the portrayal of the vietnam war in the west. The true story of a vietnam helicopter pilot and his crew. Virginia rose ii cobra transferred to vietnam helicopters museum august 14, 2019 august 14, 2019. The other two flight crew members, bruce dallas and don west at rear door, with weapons, received silver stars. At the age of twenty, chuck gross spent his 197071 tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1. In vietnam, these helicopter scouts saw combat up close. As a member of the kingmen, the 17th assault helicopter company, chopper pilot w. 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. Some great marine fighterpilot war stories from vietnam 1966. This is his story of rescue in the bloody jungles, flying mcguire rig extractions under enemy fire, inserts into combat zones exploding with mortar shells, and night operations in enemyinfested a. Pilot clyde romero, 19, rests between flights at khe sanh in february 1971. But this selfdescribed really bad pilot, along with pilots tom baca and jack swickard, and engineer al croteau, went on to save more than 100 south vietnamese troops ambushed by the north vietnamese armyusing an unarmed vip huey.
As the cobra pulled out, tracer ammunition came at it from a different location. This memoir tells the story of a draftee who volunteered for a helicopter training and went straight to vietnam as a warrant officer. Daily life of a vietnam war helicopter pilot today. Best vietnam helicopter book general helicopter forum. It was the pilots mission to fly as low and as slow as he could allowing the observer and the door gunner to watch for signs of the enemy or to allow the enemy to fire at them.
My first day as a helicopter pilot in vietnam, probably january 10, 1969. The helicopter war and its effect on crews who fought it. Daily life of a vietnam war helicopter pilot today in 1970 during the vietnam war in the republic of vietnam, lieutenant porter, a pilot with air cavalry troop, 11th armored cavalry regiment, was summoned to inspect an area of suspected enemy activity. I flew hundreds of missions during some of the heaviest fighting of the war. The vietnam war in american stories, songs, and poems by h. Those who volunteered to man the primary aircraft of the war, the helicopter, put their lives at a risk every day they were on tour. Their heroic story is the subject of the smithsonian channel film helicopter missions. Each team consisted of 2 h helicopters and each had a pilot and observergunner onboard. Apr 30, 2015 the vietnamese who fought on both sides of the war wanted the same thing for the country that they love, peace. This is pigpen, i was a combat helicopter pilot in the vietnam war. Just another day by don douglas warlord 15, 117th assault helicopter company. However, before the conflict was over he was in the thick of it flying 1st infantry division troops into battle in a huey helicopter. May 11, 2015 here we have a war story thats much more about one mans internal struggle than the conflict raging without. The story of a marine grunt in the first battle of khe sanh april 1967 duration.
Nov 10, 2016 captain brian settles flew 199 combat missions during the vietnam war. The author, a huey pilot in vietnam describes the remarkable tactics necessary to get the relatively fragile huey helicopters into landing zones. A member of the vietnam helicopter pilots association, thomas a. Maverick by dennis marvicsin is excellent, slick pilot turned cobra pilot. Ups and downs is a great read for any military veteran.
One of my assignments was as a scout pilot, one of our units mission was to provide 2 scout teams on a daily basis to our brigades infantry companies. The night stalkers and in the company of heroes both by michael durant i would highly recommend if. When chuck gross left for vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteenyearold army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. Vietnam moments tm a true internet only book for all to enjoy. Verified there were a lot of questions about the audio footage from when my gunship was nearly shot down in vietnam 46 years ago. At the age of twenty, chuck gross spent his 197071 tour with the 71st assault helicopter company flying uh1 huey helicopters.
A war was raging in southeast asia and across the country on college campuses,protests against the war were shutting down classes. The june 18, 1968, medal of honor mission was flown by uh2a seasprite bureau no. A scout team consisted of a pilot, a door gunner and an observer. As an army helicopter pilot, tom marshall was awarded 22 air medals for more than 1,000 combat flying hours, logged while he was serving in vietnam.
Leroy cook right, with m16 rifle received the navy cross. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of enlightening works, we pick ten of the best texts offering illuminating perspectives on the war, its context and the effects it had on vietnam. Huey is one of those remarkable war books that tells you far more about what is going on than you could ever read in the news. At the time, there was only the expeditionary field of 4,000 feet of shifting metal. The vietnam army helicopter pilot charlie troop 1st.
Of the many books i ve read about helicopter flying in vietnam, this is the first one worthy of. Where huey pilots trained and heroes were made history. Before the sympathizer won the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, many readers didnt know any authors or books written from the vietnamese perspective. Mar 07, 2011 some great marine fighter pilot war stories from vietnam 1966. Chinook crash at fsb keene 21 november 1968 written by gary b. 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. Flying the h34 helicopter in vietnam for the united states marine corps. The book is a forthright, detailed story of the authors experiences as an army helicopter pilot serving in. Its a shame, because although there are many excellent books written by american authors about the conflict, they dont give you an idea of how a vietnamese person saw the war.
On a hunterkiller mission in south vietnam, scout helicopter pilot hugh mills spotted an enemy bunker and reported it to the accompanying helicopter gunship. He describes in detail many many stories and sights that people will find. The book starts with ron joining the army, going for the airborne 82d division and getting deployed to the dominican republic for a very short tour the engagement was basically over by the time the author arrived. Other good ones outside of vietnam are a mild form of insanity. I was assigned as peter pilot to one of the most experienced aircraft commanders. In the course of the day, he opened himself to the children. Those of us who were there, however, know that the movie. Man, i really like helicopters books with a helicopter on the front cover. Learn about vietnam war protests, the tet offensive, the my lai massacre, the pentagon papers and more. Usaf pilot vietnam war experiences heritage flightgear displays. Aug 30, 2006 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. Little green bugs, it reminded me of the first time i experienced those same little green bugs.