Choppers (Medivac & Dustoff)

Since I have been back from Nam I ofter hear people talk about Medivac or Dustoffs when talking about transporting the wounded. I don't think I ever really used that term while at the 24th. They were just referred to as choppers. About the only time I heard the term Medivac is when a chopper would come in during the early morning hours taking wounded from our hospital to the air base for transfer patients to Japan, etc.

Since my tour of duty was nights, most of my time on the helipad was when it was pitch black except for four lights bulbs with red glass covers on the helipad. Many times we'd be standing there watching the chopper with their spot light searching for the hospital and helipad. Often times I'd run over and switch those small red lights off an on hoping that it would help the pilot identify the helipad. It probably didn't help but I had to try something.

I felt many emotions when on the helipad waiting for the chopper or choppers. I was scared of getting hit or walking into the tail rotor or rotor blades. I felt such sorrow when there were dead GI's coming in on the chopper or worried that I wouldn't be able to get the GI into the hospital soon enough. And I think my biggest fear was the fear of the unknown and what to expect when that chopper landed. A chopper may have had two or three wounded on it and they were placed on litters with IV bottles running. Or they could have two, three or more GI's just piled on top of each other and maybe even dead lying among those still alive. And it was so dark, with just a dim light turned on inside of the chopper, but we did everything in our power to get those young men into the ER as quickly as possible.

We encountered many different types of choppers. We had Huey's, small Loach choppers, Jolly Greens, Pedro's, etc. bring in wounded. And of all those the two that really worried me the most was the Loach or Pedro. My worst encounter with the Loach was when it was bringing in a chopper pilot who had crashed and he was burned on the upper body. That thing was all over the place as it came in. I was on the helipad with another GI with a litter and we saw this thing coming and knew we were dead. He hit that helipad hard and was actually skidding towards. They are short and we were really at risk in getting out head hit by the rotor blades or tail rotor. I think we actually had to jump into a drainage ditch to avoid contact. And out came the pilot with his arms in the air literally screaming in pain as he ran towards us and we just ran with him into the Hospital. I think this was the only time I had a patient not going in on a litter.

The other chopper was the Pedro. The were short and had two intersecting rotors. I dreaded each time they landed. The pilot would light up the front flood light and talk to us on a speaker. He would tell us which way to move, Left or Right, etc. as he guided us into the chopper. Once we made it through those two intersecting rotor blades the Crew Chief would walk us to the back to get the wounded. One time it was a blond stewardess from a jet bringing in the new guy in-county. The plane hit turbulence and she was injured. Once we got the wounded on the gurney, the Crew Chief would then walk us out.

It may sound strange but I can detect when a chopper is near. Many times when out at a recreation area or in town I'll say here comes a chopper and my family or the people around me will just look at me like I'm crazy. But then here it comes and they will see it and say "Oh there it it is. How did you know it was coming?" But I don't respond as my memory is flooded with memories of Vietnam.

Last summer I was driving past a mall that had fire equipment, police vehicles, etc. for the public to tour. I then saw what appeared to be a Pedro and I had to turn around and go back to the mall. I got out of my care and as I got closer to it I saw that although it resembled a Pedro it only had one main rotor. I was overwhelmed with memories and tried to speak with the pilots. Something didn't click and he didn't seem to respond to a couple of my questions as I had hoped. I guess in looking back in time and he not being there but in the present probably wondered who is this guy. I left after a couple minutes with my emotions all over the map. I guess I expected too much from someone in the current day and place and me zooming back in time.

I just want to end this with a "Salute" to all those pilots, crew chiefs, door gunners, medics, etc. for their valiant service who saved so many of our brothers. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.