It's Just Part of Your Job
After I had been flying Scout helicopters for a while during my first tour in Vietnam, I began to notice that we had quite a few formations where the “gun pilots” and “slick (Huey transports) pilots” were being decorated for gallantry. As we stood in formation there would be a brief description read of what they had done that was so gallant. The description pretty much sounded the same with lines like “under intense hostile fire and at great risk to his life so-and-so continued to fly in support of someone on the ground”. Stuff like that impresses a person at first.
As time passed and I got a little better perspective of what was happening, and I began to notice that the gun platoon rarely had an aircraft “shot up” much less shot down. Yes they took some “hits” but when it happened everyone went out to look in wonder and amazement at it. The slicks took some hits but still had the aircraft that went to Vietnam with the unit and, were approaching three thousand hours of flight time. (The great exception in the slick platoon was in November ’68, when they had five out of their six aircraft shot down in one evening. And that happened only because of major blunders by a number people.) In the scout platoon we had only one aircraft that year that was not damaged beyond repair in country and several were totally destroyed and then frequently their replacement was destroyed or shot up too. Only one scout aircraft lasted more than three hundred hours of flight time in country. And scout pilots came and went quickly because almost all were wounded and sent home or killed. In one thirty day period we lost six of our eight scout pilots. Four were wounded and two killed.
Some of the scout pilots were getting Purple Hearts but that was about it. A Purple Heart is awarded when a person is injured “as a result of hostile action”. The risk of wanting a Purple Heart is that sometimes the shot or injury may not just be a “wound”; it might be fatal. The difference between a wound and a fatality can be a pretty narrow margin of difference when that bullet is shot at you. So I never hoped for a purple heart.
After seeing the awards being given to the gun and slick pilots and after having flown with the “guns” on some occasions, I couldn’t help but feel that we weren’t all playing with the same standards. I was awarded a medal for one of the nights I flew with the guns when there were shots fired at us. Our aircraft took no hits and even though those fifty-one caliber rounds are scary, it isn’t near as scary as seeing the guy with the AK47 at close range shooting, seeing the muzzle flash and having metal tearing around you as the bullets rip through the aircraft. Then, if there are a few of the enemy soldiers doing it at the same time, you just can’t believe that you are going to make it out of this one in one piece. I thought the fear factor and bravery required to fly scouts each day far exceeded that required by the gun pilots. None of the gun pilots wanted to change jobs!!
Then I had occasion to be flying the commander when our infantry platoon was engaged with the enemy. The platoon had at least one killed and several injured. Three of the injured were in bad shape and needed to be taken out of there quickly if they were to make it. There was no place to land a large medical evacuation helicopter and I was nearly out of fuel, so I volunteered to land with my little scout helicopter and pick them up. The platoon was still under fire but they were able to get the wounded back away from the direct fire and I went in and picked them up. The commander was with me and held on to the “sissy grip” (the handle to grab to get in and out of the aircraft) while I flew in and out. He did not fly nor make the decision to go and get the wounded. We came out with five people on board a four place aircraft and then raced them to the hospital.
Standing in formation a couple of weeks later I saw the commander awarded three silver stars for gallantry. One of them was for the day we pulled the wounded soldiers out, or rather, I pulled them out and he rode along. I was then awarded a lesser medal for my part in that mission. I wasn’t expecting any award for pulling those guys out but I did appreciate it. But the commander gets a higher award for being a passenger?
A few days following the award I was talking with the executive officer and I told him I thought the awards that were issued in the unit were a farce. He was taken back a bit and asked why I felt that way. I told him that gun pilots, slick pilots, or the commander sees bullets in the air and they get decorated for gallantry but scout pilots get shot-up all the time and all they get is another aircraft, if they can still fly, and told to go back and see who shot at you and who shot up your aircraft. The executive officer then told me that being “shot-up” was part of a scout’s job. I was not very respectful as I told him that I didn’t think the commander, the gun or slick pilots had the “manhood” to fly scouts. And I told him that the scouts had more gallantry every day than the rest of them put together and they could keep their awards.
When we look at a uniform that is decorated it may not tell the true story. After Vietnam, there were few of the combat pilots that I knew that ever wore their decorations unless ordered to. For most it wasn’t about awards or decorations and looking like a hero to someone else. Besides, too many got awarded because they got someone else to “write them up” as a hero when they had done little or nothing. I know that was true of one of my commanders. Sometimes those with the most ribbons saw the least amount of action.
In my first unit in Vietnam we had a pilot “given” a Purple Heart because he was “injured due to hostile action”. He fell down on his way to the bunker during a rocket attack and had some scrapes and bruises! That discredits the award that should be greatly respected because many have received it after receiving severe wounds.
While in the National Guard I knew a Colonel who had more ribbons on his uniform than about anyone I had ever seen. I think he had six or seven rows of ribbons!! The major awards on Army uniforms I can recognize but I didn’t know what the awards he wore were. After learning more about the Colonel I found out that he had never served in combat, only had “training days” on active duty and all the rest were “weekend” awards. His mommy must have awarded him a ribbon for taking out the trash for an entire month! To the uninformed he looked great in his little uniform with colorful ribbons. In the eyes of people who had served in combat he was a discredit to the uniform.
There are those who wear uniforms decorated with colorful ribbons that mean little or nothing. There are those who wear uniforms decorated with ribbons that were awarded because they got someone to write them up as a hero. But there are those that were awarded decorations that they greatly deserve! And there are those that strut around in “fancy threads” and think they are special. But thank goodness there are those that do their jobs even though the spotlight of fame and adoration does not shine on them! You can’t tell by looking at them who is who. Rows and rows of pretty ribbons may not tell the true story! A fancy suit or other “high speed” clothes may not tell the story!
There are heroes all around us that never get awards or decorations. Most of the time they don’t even get a “thanks”. There are workers in every field that rise up every day and do their best even though the world never appreciates them. There are mothers who give beyond measure, caregivers who care for those who are in need, janitors or custodians who pick up after thoughtless people and thousands of others. We may not give them medals to wear on their chests but at least let’s be descent enough to say, “Thank You” to them every now and then. People do things for us all the time and they deserve our thanks!
As time passed and I got a little better perspective of what was happening, and I began to notice that the gun platoon rarely had an aircraft “shot up” much less shot down. Yes they took some “hits” but when it happened everyone went out to look in wonder and amazement at it. The slicks took some hits but still had the aircraft that went to Vietnam with the unit and, were approaching three thousand hours of flight time. (The great exception in the slick platoon was in November ’68, when they had five out of their six aircraft shot down in one evening. And that happened only because of major blunders by a number people.) In the scout platoon we had only one aircraft that year that was not damaged beyond repair in country and several were totally destroyed and then frequently their replacement was destroyed or shot up too. Only one scout aircraft lasted more than three hundred hours of flight time in country. And scout pilots came and went quickly because almost all were wounded and sent home or killed. In one thirty day period we lost six of our eight scout pilots. Four were wounded and two killed.
Some of the scout pilots were getting Purple Hearts but that was about it. A Purple Heart is awarded when a person is injured “as a result of hostile action”. The risk of wanting a Purple Heart is that sometimes the shot or injury may not just be a “wound”; it might be fatal. The difference between a wound and a fatality can be a pretty narrow margin of difference when that bullet is shot at you. So I never hoped for a purple heart.
After seeing the awards being given to the gun and slick pilots and after having flown with the “guns” on some occasions, I couldn’t help but feel that we weren’t all playing with the same standards. I was awarded a medal for one of the nights I flew with the guns when there were shots fired at us. Our aircraft took no hits and even though those fifty-one caliber rounds are scary, it isn’t near as scary as seeing the guy with the AK47 at close range shooting, seeing the muzzle flash and having metal tearing around you as the bullets rip through the aircraft. Then, if there are a few of the enemy soldiers doing it at the same time, you just can’t believe that you are going to make it out of this one in one piece. I thought the fear factor and bravery required to fly scouts each day far exceeded that required by the gun pilots. None of the gun pilots wanted to change jobs!!
Then I had occasion to be flying the commander when our infantry platoon was engaged with the enemy. The platoon had at least one killed and several injured. Three of the injured were in bad shape and needed to be taken out of there quickly if they were to make it. There was no place to land a large medical evacuation helicopter and I was nearly out of fuel, so I volunteered to land with my little scout helicopter and pick them up. The platoon was still under fire but they were able to get the wounded back away from the direct fire and I went in and picked them up. The commander was with me and held on to the “sissy grip” (the handle to grab to get in and out of the aircraft) while I flew in and out. He did not fly nor make the decision to go and get the wounded. We came out with five people on board a four place aircraft and then raced them to the hospital.
Standing in formation a couple of weeks later I saw the commander awarded three silver stars for gallantry. One of them was for the day we pulled the wounded soldiers out, or rather, I pulled them out and he rode along. I was then awarded a lesser medal for my part in that mission. I wasn’t expecting any award for pulling those guys out but I did appreciate it. But the commander gets a higher award for being a passenger?
A few days following the award I was talking with the executive officer and I told him I thought the awards that were issued in the unit were a farce. He was taken back a bit and asked why I felt that way. I told him that gun pilots, slick pilots, or the commander sees bullets in the air and they get decorated for gallantry but scout pilots get shot-up all the time and all they get is another aircraft, if they can still fly, and told to go back and see who shot at you and who shot up your aircraft. The executive officer then told me that being “shot-up” was part of a scout’s job. I was not very respectful as I told him that I didn’t think the commander, the gun or slick pilots had the “manhood” to fly scouts. And I told him that the scouts had more gallantry every day than the rest of them put together and they could keep their awards.
When we look at a uniform that is decorated it may not tell the true story. After Vietnam, there were few of the combat pilots that I knew that ever wore their decorations unless ordered to. For most it wasn’t about awards or decorations and looking like a hero to someone else. Besides, too many got awarded because they got someone else to “write them up” as a hero when they had done little or nothing. I know that was true of one of my commanders. Sometimes those with the most ribbons saw the least amount of action.
In my first unit in Vietnam we had a pilot “given” a Purple Heart because he was “injured due to hostile action”. He fell down on his way to the bunker during a rocket attack and had some scrapes and bruises! That discredits the award that should be greatly respected because many have received it after receiving severe wounds.
While in the National Guard I knew a Colonel who had more ribbons on his uniform than about anyone I had ever seen. I think he had six or seven rows of ribbons!! The major awards on Army uniforms I can recognize but I didn’t know what the awards he wore were. After learning more about the Colonel I found out that he had never served in combat, only had “training days” on active duty and all the rest were “weekend” awards. His mommy must have awarded him a ribbon for taking out the trash for an entire month! To the uninformed he looked great in his little uniform with colorful ribbons. In the eyes of people who had served in combat he was a discredit to the uniform.
There are those who wear uniforms decorated with colorful ribbons that mean little or nothing. There are those who wear uniforms decorated with ribbons that were awarded because they got someone to write them up as a hero. But there are those that were awarded decorations that they greatly deserve! And there are those that strut around in “fancy threads” and think they are special. But thank goodness there are those that do their jobs even though the spotlight of fame and adoration does not shine on them! You can’t tell by looking at them who is who. Rows and rows of pretty ribbons may not tell the true story! A fancy suit or other “high speed” clothes may not tell the story!
There are heroes all around us that never get awards or decorations. Most of the time they don’t even get a “thanks”. There are workers in every field that rise up every day and do their best even though the world never appreciates them. There are mothers who give beyond measure, caregivers who care for those who are in need, janitors or custodians who pick up after thoughtless people and thousands of others. We may not give them medals to wear on their chests but at least let’s be descent enough to say, “Thank You” to them every now and then. People do things for us all the time and they deserve our thanks!
posted by Bruce | 5:09 PM
1 Comments:
That Scout is a tiny chopper. How did you ever get five people in that? You should have been given an award for shoehorn improvisation!! The real "award" for a job well done comes not from the plaudits of men, but from Him who sees all. Unfortunately some men only care about being "seen" by men because it leads to promotion and the admiration of the world, whether deserved or not.
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