Posted on Mar 21, 2018
Dedication ceremony set for monument honoring Vietnam helicopter pilots, crews
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Honor
Vietnam War
Honor Vietnam War
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Some of the bravest of the brave. And some more daring than others.
Took my first helicopter ride in an OH-13. Pilot was giving me a lesson on flying it and I was just learning the basics, keeping the horizon level, when he turned off the engine at 1300 feet and told me to to put it into autogyroration. Told him I would if I knew what that was since I had never heard the term.
We dropped to 200 feet and he turned the engine back on.
Took my first helicopter ride in an OH-13. Pilot was giving me a lesson on flying it and I was just learning the basics, keeping the horizon level, when he turned off the engine at 1300 feet and told me to to put it into autogyroration. Told him I would if I knew what that was since I had never heard the term.
We dropped to 200 feet and he turned the engine back on.
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During my time in Vietnam when called the “ choppers “ always came,weather,darkness,tiny machete chopped out LZs,the “little people “ shooting at them,they came,my only disparaging remark was the crew chiefs and gunners seem to take great pleasure in screaming” unass my bird” at the hover watching us ,jumping out with a rucksack into the paddies and tall elephant grass was not my favorite memory but they seem to enjoy it!
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SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D
With a chest full of Air Medals for bravery and heroism during aerial flight in combat, I can respond to you honestly and with an enormous amount of combat hours and WITH TOTAL RESPECT FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU WHO MADE IT OUT OF MY CHOPPER ALIVE. Actually, and I think I can speak honestly for all Chiefs and Gunners, we did NOT take any pleasure at all when telling you to get out quickly. On the contrary, we were only trying to save your life since you were a sitting target for Charlie in an open doorway or standing on a skid while we tried to kill as many as we could firing our M-60s with one hand , trying to help you out with the other and making sure you left nothing behind while you were getting out. Actually, we were a bigger target than you and it was a honor for them to kill one of us with the fire power we were putting out protecting you. This is why 2704 Crewmen were killed and we lost 47% of our Choppers and I can't tell you the number of times I heard Infantryman say, " I wouldn't want your job for anything because you're a sitting duck with no cover". I say this in all fairness for all of us Chiefs and Gunners because we wanted to bring you home, but not in a body bag. We love you guys and wouldn't have it any other way. God Bless you, welcome
home my Brother, and I hope you can now see us a little differently.
home my Brother, and I hope you can now see us a little differently.
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