Honorable Mention
I am reading a book on the history of “Dust Off,” or the helicopter medevac. Its been an interesting read so far in that it walks the reader through the entire history, major changes, etc that have occurred in Medevac up till Vietnam. It covers stories of the brave pilots who flew during those times as well. Personally that is the part has irked me a little bit.
Not to say those pilots didn’t deserve their Congressional Medals of Honor, as the certainly did, its just that they were not the only people involved in their heroic acts. There was a crew chief, a medic, and usually another pilot that were all involved in these missions that earned them their Silver Stars or CMH’s. While reading it suddenly occurred to me that while the other pilot was usually mentioned, everyone else was referred to as Crew, corpsman, crew chief, or some other “honorable mention” kind of way. Those men were just as brave, and in some respects probably braver because they volunteered to be there, but had little control over their fates. Without the crew doing what they did, those missions would not have been successful and would not have been the exemplary examples they were. In one case, while the pilot was flying low, the crew was hanging out of the UH-1H by litter straps picking the wounded ARVN up out of a field as the Huey skidded by under fire. I personally believe that was as courageous, if not more so (hanging out of a helicopter holding onto a strap while it flies through and picking up wounded with your free hand) than the pilot who was flying. The pilot got a CMH, the crew? I don’t know, it wasn’t mentioned. In that particular case, their names were mentioned but it felt sort of as an afterthought. I googled their names and never found out anything more than a few lines that they were on that flight.
It seems to me that we as a collective remember the heroic acts and the people who get the awards, but forget the other people that were involved. Yes, the pilot was in Command, but the rest of his crew enabled him to accomplish his mission and were just as deserving of the award as the pilot was, but i doubt they received little if any recognition. If so, it has been lost to history.
I do understand the book is about what those men did to establish the doctrine, methods, and attitude that have persisted in Medevac to this day, but lets not forget the other men who were just as important because they were enlisted, etc. I know I am in the same hail of bullets and rockets as my pilots, and if needed I would leave the helicopter and run to the wounded under that same hail. In fact, it is possible that I could be dropped off and the bird leave and ascend out of the range of fire until needed leaving me behind with the ground troops. Its happened before (not to me).
But that’s just the opinion of this “backseater.”
i’ve some problem with system and...
Hello. I was a crew chief and flew with the 237th Med Det (DMZ Dustoff) 70/71. The only rewards that mattered to us was to save a life. Absolutely nothing and I mean nothing would keep one of our birds from flying a mission. Zero visibility, hot LZ’s, nothing. Check out the history of the DMZ Dustoff, very interesting.
Tim
Your point is right on! As an aircraft commander of a Dustoff helicopter in Vietnam, the entire crew was necessary to perform the mission we did. Awards for us were far and few between given what was done. Tim Boyd’s post was right on as well—we didn’t fly for the medals—we flew to save people. But for those missions where we were submitted for awards, it was my premise that what the Aircraft Commander received, all of the other crewmembers received as well—otherwise the award was not accepted. Several times I submitted awards for crewchiefs and medics that performed heroically on their own singular merit. Paperwork I submitted on their behalf was generally disapproved by our command group.
Keep hammering on your point though—maybe today’s commander’s will eventually catch on.
Cordially,
Steve Vermillion
Dustoff 40 1969
Thanks guys. The point was that the backseaters seem to have been forgotten to history whereas the pilots were not.
I really respect you guys for the way you handled missions then. We will still fly when no other aircraft will and in much less the ideal conditions, but I doubt it even comes close to the risks you took to save a life. Instrumentation, equipment, and airframes alone have had over 30 years worth of improvement.
I did some research on the crewmembers mention related to the incident in the article above, and I was never able to find any other references to them, awards or otherwise, other than as a sideline note mentioning their names.
BTW, I love practical history so I will be sure to research some more based on the comments you left.
(I also edited the article to link to the book I was referring to.)
There is a poem online by Michael Ryerson, a Marine, called “The Man in the Doorway”. Google it and listen to it.
As the Unit Historian of the 237th, DMZ Dustoff, Vietnam, I have accumulated just under 2000 photographs taken by the pilots, crewchiefs and medics of the our Detachment from 1968 to 1973. I put some of those photos to Ryerson’s poetry and came up with a “quite interesting” tribute to the guys in the back. With Ryerson’s permission, I hope to have it posted on our website soon, http://www.dmzdustoff.org
There is no doubt it was the effort of the WHOLE crew to complete the missions under hostile circumstances. I could not be more proud to be associated with guys I flew with, both those in the front seats and those in the back. Any of us could have quit at any time, but 99% of us stuck around. The job was dangerous, demanding, nerve-wracking and one other thing…incredibly rewarding. Nothing I have ever done since comes even close.
from one GIB to another GIB we all know your sentiments well… having lived thru it. like steve above though there were exceptions to the ME ME ME mentality. another pisser is the crew who literally get shot up and couldn’t receive CMB’s….post flying i spent a year on the ground with the grunts and was awarded a CMB….i proudly wear it today, not as that ground pounder…..but as a DUSTOFF MEDIC.
just my 2 cents.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING
mac
DUSTOFF (combat) medic
I do remember awards ceremonies where it seemed that Trickle Down Awards was practiced. I have no idea how many awards were turned down because one person was singled out, I did hear of a few. I was in the 57th and 159th and for the most part our crews were just that, a crew. I can remember being asked if we were ready but like Tim mentioned nothing ever seemed to interfere with doing our job, I never heard of anyone saying no. I have never worked with such dedicated men and it is an honor to have known them. No one flew for the recognition and certainly not the pay, that is still a joke, we flew because we felt the need to be there and to help if possible. I once knew a crew chief named Pastercheck, I think, who took a round in the front of his flight helmet. He returned to flying until he was again hit, this time in the back of his helmet. Both rounds traveled around the curve of the helmet so he was only slightly wounded. He still wanted to fly but the powers that be kept him grounded. Others were hit and returned to flying as soon as possible. It was a passion that you have to have been there to understand.
Just for the record regarding today’s Dustoff/Medivac crews. I work in Naval helicopter flight training with many flight instructors (Navy, Marine and Army) that have just returned form the desert and mountains. I see the same thousand mile stare I once saw in many of us but when I talk to someone that has flown Medivac missions there is another bit of pride that will never go away. “So That Others May Live” is still what it is all about.
For me my medals have been brief moments when someone at the VA Clinic, VFW or at the Wall sees my DustOff ball cap and tearfully thanks me for what we did for them. There is nothing that can be pinned on my uniform that can come close to those words. When I hear those thanks I do not think of any one person but of all of us form the PFC cleaning the crapper to the OINC we all contributed and none of the good could could have happened without all.
Jesse Willcox
57th and 159th, 1967-1968
It is amazing how the “GIB” is never mentioned. As a Dustoff Medic, we performed many heroic acts to save our Soldiers, Air Force Pilots, Navy and Marines. A Dustoff mission cannot be performed with out the help of all four crewmembers. It is a team effort to save those who just got wounded. The “GIB” flew on skids in bad weather to guide the pilot through the thick “Soup”, or drop a hoist while being shot at. The Medic is exposed, hanging out the Huey with no armor. Unlike the Pilots who sit in armored seats (it wasn’t much but it was more than the crewchief and Medic had. Pilots are true heros in my eyes but it was a team. We all put our “BALLS” on the line. When My crew rescued two F-4 Pilots in Laos, the Airforce gave us “BRASS BALL” to hang on our zippers a bottle each of Champagne…not just the Pilots but “GIB’s” who was also part of the rescue. The Medals don’t make the man but the deeds he performs. The smile on the wounded soldiers face was all we wanted. That was the best Medal Dustoff Crews ever wanted. This is why we risked our lives everyday …..SO OTHERS MAY LIVE, to see their loved ones again. Unfortunately not all could be saved and we live with that horror the rest of our lives, at least we tried. We were know as the Angels in the sky to those on the ground. They knew we weren’t going to leave them there. Unfortuneately some of the Angels never made it home. For those are the TRUE HEROS.
“We all gave some but some gave all”
Wow, I have to say I am enjoying the response to this article. One thing I have noticed that pervades anyone in the “life saving” field is the “So Others May Live” attitude. Whether its a civilian EMT or a MEDEVAC crew chief, we all have that as a common bond.
We used to have a saying when I was a Paramedic on the streets “We don’t do this for the money.” You do this job because you are “called” in one way or another to help your fellow man.
For that I deeply respect anyone who does this, pilot, driver, chief, or medic. You are right, it is not about the awards, but the “rewards.” Knowing that you have made the difference to one human being.
On a sidenote, I could be convinced to re-open the forums here if enough people desired a place to chat/reflect, etc.
I was intrigued by the comments of various bloggers and want those who question to know that there are great book about dustoff that keep the reader totally engrossed until the last page. STEVE VERMILLION’S BOOK is quite real and personal about the guys in the back – So is a book called TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, written by myself two years ago. Both books are available at amazon.com.
The guys in the back today have it no better than we regardless of the technology. One bullet in the right location can destroy everyone’s day because they are always addressed “To Whom It May Concern.