Grunts of the sky So your day time job in 1971 was to fly around and get shot at

[Duncanpup]

A friend of mine who is now full time VA care a conversation we had years ago. Just got text sitting here having coffee from his daughter.
Hope I’m not waking you yet I know you usually work nights I just opened my email and my Covid results are+.
I was to take mom to spend the weekend with dad Saturday and Sunday we have hotel reservations Friday to Sunday as this will be their 54 th wedding anniversary was wondering if you could take mom over so she can spend time with dad.

I text her absolutely I’ll check her into hotel tomorrow pick her up Sunday evening the hotel has transportation to and from Veterans hospital. I remember having couple beers with Andy he was union driver and we became really tight over the years.

Yet my point in this ramble is Andy once described to me what as Loach pilots he did in Vietnam they flew as scouts some times bait and once they were engaged they would engage usually the door gunner / crew chief with a M-60 and call in cobras that were hovering off station.

Then cobra gunships come in and get the killing on with the NVA. Man that gave me chills listening to him tell me that. I said dam you were the Grunts of the sky he told me in one year tour he was shot down five times in one day he rode two little birds him and his crew chief we rode two little bids into the trees on that operation two birds in one day lose a bird get picked up by Huey fly back strap on another little bird just a day at the office .

Andy continued telling me of that day in 71,they the NVA had 51 caliber heavy machine guns in that fucking valley but we flew we had our people on the ground engaging them his words that to me is STUD dedication.
I was five years old in 71 a bad day for me was the romper room lady never once called out my name Long night going bed sleep off night shift. Have great day Du community especially those that lived like my friend Andy.

[2naSalit]

1. K&R

[niyad]

3. KNR

[ggma]

2. The military is a complete mindset.

You're told what you need to do, and you do it. I bet he spoke about his experiences very matter-of-factly. "It's what we did, man; let me finish my story" kind of vibe.

Much respect to both of you.

gg

[musclecar6]

4. Yes

That was one dangerous fucking job all right. Whether you were in the infantry on the ground in Vietnam, or flying those helicopters in and out bringing the troops into the fight or extracting them or operating a gun ship or one of those scouts close to the ground, it was all dangerous.

In 1966 I ran into an eastern airlines pilot who had been a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. I mentioned that I was thinking of enlisting in the army to become a helicopter pilot and he said, and I remember his exact words he said “ shit those fucking things aren’t safe even if you’re not getting shot at”. So somewhere in my 19-year-old brain, I figured maybe I’d be better off enlisting in the Air Force to get my military obligation out of the way, that all of us with a sense of patriotism had at that time, which I did .

Never, however did I ever consider coming up with some bullshit like bone spurs or some other draft dodging stuff. To me if you were of sound mind and body, although I’m not so sure about that in my case, you had an obligation to defend your country. You didn’t like the idea and I was just as scared as anybody else if I was thrust into combat or a combat zone, but tough shit you had to do the right thing, so everybody I know did. So some went to Vietnam ( I was stationed in in California and didn’t get sent) and made it back okay and unfortunately some didn’t.

My hat’s off to all those who served in the military in Vietnam and other wars. They are all heroes who did the right thing for all of us.

[AndyS]

5. My SIL was a Marine in the '80s and said the helicopter drops came in two

types: young pilots who took off vertically, flew straight and landed vertically. No excitement, easy ride.

Then there were the old pilots who flew between the trees, hit the ground at an angle and were off the ground before the last Jar Head was completely off the aircraft.

He said the young guys were a lot nicer. I said yeah 'less somebody's shooting' at 'cha.

[DashOneBravo]

6. My buddy retired as a warrant officer in the 10th MTN

He flew them in Mog and Iraq 2.

They are unsung heroes for sure.