159th In Iraq
159th Vietnam Pilot Deployed To Iraq
Awards
Day
At The
Wall
02 May 2005
159th Through The Years-Photo History-New
Reunion I-1999 San Antonio
Reunion II-2002 Washington D.C.
Reunion III-2004 New Orleans
Reunion IV-2006 Denver
Of Interest New
Bob Hope New
Tributes New
DISCUSSION PAGE New
Your COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS Please
Special People-Then & Now- OUR FAVORITE LINKS
45th Surgical Hospital Association
VHPA Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
VHFCN
Vietnam Helicopter Flight Crew Network
VHFCN Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
The
Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
1st
Infantry Div.
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"DUSTOFF was only a word until it was brought to life by the blood of those who served in its name" John DeArmin 159th/Long Binh Dustoff, RVN
Welcome to our Web Site. It was created in 1999 in an effort to reunite our members via the World Wide Web. Since that time, we have located approximately 60 former crewmates from the units' deployment to South Viet Nam in 1967 to its withdrawal in 1972. Although we were lost to each other for a very long time, we're making up for it now. We have held three reunions, and keep up with each other regularly via the telephone and E-Mail. With the passage of time we have experienced receding hairlines, expanded waist lines, raised our children, and now enjoy our grandchildren. Through it all we have remained BROTHERS. We share many recollections-some bring smiles, others bring tears-but above all, we recall the many young men we had the privilege of serving. Our satisfaction is in knowing many of them are able to enjoy their grandchildren too.
Probably the best place to begin our introduction is with the question...What is DUSTOFF? DUSTOFF was both a mission and a radio call sign. It was given to helicopters that were sent to evacuate wounded troops in the field. A DUSTOFF helicopter was a Huey marked with a distinctive red cross on a white background on the nose, top, bottom, and sides. It identified our mission, and distinguished the ship from helicopters with different missions. It also provided Charlie with a more-than-adequate aiming point!
With the exception of small arms carried for self protection by the crews when they were brought down by enemy fire, DUSTOFF ships were unarmed. A MEDEVAC ship was an element of an infantry unit, and was armed with two M-60 machine guns. They performed the same mission of medical rescue, but served their specific units like the 101st Airborne and 1st Cavalry Divisions. DUSTOFF was assigned an area of operation, and responded to all medical calls for evacuation within that area, be it U.S. forces, allied forces, civilian or enemy.
Perhaps the mission of DUSTOFF and MEDEVAC is best said by author John L. Cook in his book Rescue Under Fire©:
"From 1962 to 1973, a total of 496,000 DUSTOFF missions were flown. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted from battlefields, rice paddies, destroyed villages, and triple-canopy jungles, at all hours of the night or day, under all weather conditions, in the face of intense enemy fire. While the primary objective of DUSTOFF was the evacuation of wounded American soldiers, everyone in the combat zone benefited from this extraordinary service, even the enemy. Over the course of the Vietnam War, thousands of wounded Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers were saved by DUSTOFF. The average time-lapse between wounding and hospitalization was less than one hour. As a result, fewer than one percent of all Americans wounded, who were able to survive the first 24 hours, died. These are unbelievably good numbers, yet somewhere along the way they have been lost by a nation completely self absorbed by the losses in Vietnam.
The surgeons at the evacuation hospitals often performed medical miracles on seriously wounded soldiers, and a great deal of the credit for the low mortality rate must go to them. However, before the wounded could be saved they had to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. It was this sense of urgency that drove the DUSTOFF crews, and they paid a high price for their dedication. Over their eleven year span, more than 200 crewmen were killed, and many, many more were wounded. No record lists all of the DUSTOFF pilots, crew chiefs, and medics who were wounded, and few document the bravery of those who died. At the peak of the war, only 140 helicopters out of a total fleet of more than 5,000 flew DUSTOFF missions. Yet, these 140 helicopters made a critical difference. Flying DUSTOFF was three times more dangerous than all other forms of helicopter missions in the combat zone. This figure is borne out by the high rate of DUSTOFF losses to enemy fire. During the course of the war, over 200 DUSTOFF's were shot down by the enemy.
There is no question that these were truly exceptional men, performing on an exceptional level throughout the war. Yet, for the most part, they were quite ordinary before becoming a part of DUSTOFF. In many respects, this is to be expected. They simply rose to the level required of them, which has always been a distinctive characteristic of Americans in combat. With DUSTOFF, however, it was much more than this. There were other intangibles that went into building the DUSTOFF legacy, creating an environment that drove these men to a level of performance far above what could reasonably be expected. Part of this can be explained by the realization that they were part of an elite organization that included such icons as Charles Kelly, and that they had extremely high standards to maintain.
While many of their peers back in the states were dodging the draft, burning the flag, and protesting the war, the DUSTOFF crews simply kept flying missions, aware that their efforts were being jeered by an uninformed and ungrateful public at home. In spite of all this, they kept doing what had to be done. Perhaps this is the ultimate expression of courage, honor and dedication which defined the men of DUSTOFF. In the end, however, nothing can fully explain these truly magnificent me.
By any measurement, flying half a million missions is a staggering accomplishment. Yet, all of this was accomplished by DUSTOFF crews whose average age was barely twenty years old. In many states today, men that young can't even buy a beer, qualify for a credit card, or buy a car without a co-signer. For most, flying DUSTOFF missions was the first real job they had ever held. They came in all shapes and sizes, from every state in the union, and represented every ethnic, social and religious group in the country. The crews included draftees, enlistees, and West Point graduates. Men from the coalfields of West Virginia blended easily with men from the wheat fields of Kansas and the oil fields of Texas. They all had hopes, dreams, and plans for the future, just like everyone else. Some had girlfriends waiting for them when they returned, and others had wives and families. And when they crawled into their DUSTOFF ships to fly the mission, none of this mattered. The only thing that mattered was the mission. And, because they were able to set aside every consideration, they flew a half a million of them",. You can understand why we are all so very proud of our service! If you served with us, please contact us ASAP. We've been looking for you BROTHERS!