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MEMORIES - History, "war stories"
Feel free to send in your own
Any former member of the 498th, with service in VietNam wishing to have memories entered on this page forward to the web-contoller!
Few give thought, or consideration, to the difficulties, problems, and unforseen circumstances that an individual goes through when he is given the assignment of Commander of a Unit that is new, and must prepare to enter into a Combat Theatre. Recently a former member of Dustoff in Vietnam asked Col Joe (blackhand) Madrano to reminisce and recall times past, the time of the formation and movement of the 498th Air Ambulance Company and placing it in a theatre of Combat.
The following was submitted to the former member, with a copy to the Web-Controller. He started with this statment: "Some time ago you asked me to give you some recollections about the early days, rather my early days with the 498th Air Ambulance Company. Get ready for Chapter 1; and please remember that 1965 was a long time ago and little details may be exaggerated or forgotten.
20 November 2002 CHAPTER 1
In 1965, the 498th was stationed here at Ft. Sam Houston, Tx. It was only a shell of a unit, with just a few helicopters and was primarily a holding unit of 'helicopter people' who were about to go to school, out-patients, husbands of patients at Brooke General Hospital, transients, and the like. It was by no means a 'combat ready' unit. The Commander, Major Don Miller, was assigned while awaiting his retirement orders.
When President Johnson decided to really assist the effort in 'Nam' things started to roll, and the 498th was listed as a unit to go. Almost immediately the Surgeon General's office compiled a list of officers who were to be assigned, and I was on the list as the most senior officer. No officer from the 498th was included. Remember, at that time the TO&E called for one Major, 6 Captains (I think) and 18 or 20 Lieutenants. The list included one Lt/Col, about 17 Majors, 2-3 Captains and a handful of Lieutenants.
Many of the Majors had themselves been unit commanders, and at any other time could have served as commander of the 498th. All were well-qualified, as far as flying experience was concerned, and could have well been unit commanderes at some level - detachment or platoon. I knew all the Majors personally and knew most of the others by name or reputation. One had been my student at Rucker; a number had been in my flights as students and I had served with some in flying assignments.
As soon as I received the list, I sorted all by dates of rank, to try and determine what I had and who I wanted as my leaders. Early on, I had selected the most senior Major as the XO, then 4 as Flight Commanders and 1 as Operations Officer. Almost immediatley, however, the senior Major decided to turn in his wings, as his wife's mental state of anxiety would not allow him to go to Viet Nam. And then there were calls made pertaining to personal conflicts--and so and so could not work with, for, or even in close proximty to, so and so, this Major was a SOB and worthless, and so on. Another suspected with a cancerous growth, and while he wanted to go with the 498th, I advised againist it and removed him from the list. I was aware of many of these conflicts and accusations, and while under no obligation to anyone, I started from scratch and made up another list largely ignoring dates of rank, selected my leaders based on my personal knowledge of the individuals, and placed the remainder in the various platoons, all being junior to the platoon commander.
One of my selections as a Flight Commander was a very junior Major. While he had some serious personal problems, I knew his work ethics and his worth. Futhermore, he was already at Ft. Sam Houston, and while he had a unit of his own to take care of, he assisted me in the very early preparations, made his helicopters available to me, and brought me 'up to speed' in the machine. Selecting him as a FC was not a difficult choice, but it did create a great deal of controversy among more senior Majors - and to this very day, I hear grumblings from some of those who felt slighted.
When time came to deploy, the 498th had 25 new machines and 26 Pilots, including me. I sent the 25 choppers and 25 Pilots to the port of embarkation and set out for Viet Nam in the back end of a C-130-- all the way from El Paso, Texas to Nha Trang, a perfectly mizzerable flight. As you can see, from your time with the 498th, after the choppers arrived, despite a 100% availability rate, we were only 50% 'ready for action' as policy and good judgement required two aviators per aircraft. But, more about that later-- in Chapter 2, if you are interested.
25 November 2002 CHAPTER 2
When I arrived in 'Nam' as the only officer in the advance party (as I remember, there were five or six enlisted men), I was really rushed for time. The main body was to arrive shortly, and I had to find out where we were scheduled to go, billeting, maintenance, operations--all those things necessary to set up an operational site.
I did not expect a brass band or a General Officer to greet me, so I was not disappointed when the XO of the 8th Field Hospital met me and took me in tow. I was dead tired from the long trip and spent the remainder of that day and night sleeping.
The following day, bushy tailed and bright eyed, I attempted to to get my bearings. You should know that at that time, no medical command structure existed in 'Nam'. Yes there were some hospitals, two air ambulance detachments, isolated medical teams and units, but no command element. In short, I could not find out for whom I was to work, where I was to work--nothing. I was told in no uncertain words by the airfield commander in Nha Trang that the 498th was not needed or wanted in NhaTrang and that he could give me no space on "his" airfield.
I then thumbed a ride to Saigon to see the MACV Surgeon. I must have been most naive, as I expected a short briefing on the tactical situation in country, at least some suggestions as to where the 498th was to operate and to whom I was to report. Instead I was shown a map of VietNam, told that the area was from Phan Rang on the south coast, to north of Quin Non and west to the Cambodia/Laos border--a tall order. And then, surprise of surprise, the question, "where do you want to go, Joe?" As for tactical dispositions, I was told of the pending arrival of the 1st Cav Div to a place west of Quin Non, the pending arrival of two Korean Divisions somwhere in the north, a brigade of the 101st was operating in zone and another brigade was operating in and out of the same zone. Precise locations were not available.
With that wealth of information, I returned to NhaTrang and once again "thumbed" a ride to Ban Me Thuit, Pleiku, and Quin Nhon as those were the only places that could provide the necessary support for an Air Ambulance Company. I had high hopes that the company could operate from one base, as the company had the capability to do so, but my hopes were quickly squashed. Ban Me Thuit was quickly eliminated. At Pleikiu, the airfield commander agreed to provide housing and space for nine helicopters and crews; a marine squadron commander agreed to the same at QuinNon, and after a bloody battle in NhaTrang, the airfield commander was forced, by the area commander, to provide space and billets for one platoon and company Headquarters, but at a price! I was forced to give up my cooks and bakers (a normal request), fire equipment and fire fighters, and my radar with operators. So, the 498th was a "denutted" company scattered over a wide area. How the 498th coped with those situations is well documented.
As alluded to earlier, when the main body arrived, the 498th was only 50% ready because of the number of pilots. I immediatley requested more aviators from the MACV Surgeon, and shortly officers and warrant officers began to arrive. Some of the officers were, no doubt, "expendable" and resented giving up there gunship status. Among those officers who arrived was yet another Major--just what the 498th needed! All, however, despite their initial disappointment at flying with a Med-Evac unit, performed their duties in a most outstanding manner. It is interesting to note that two of the officers later transferred to the Medical Service Corps. I have no illusions about their being enamored with my leadership, or that of the flight commanders, but do believe that the Med-Evac mission opened their eyes as something worth doing and doing well. Perhaps they learned from my mistakes, as well as what was done well.
Meanwhile, once operations began, it seemed that everyone wanted a piece of the 498th. Area Commanders in all places wanted control. When individual crews were dispatched to locations for a short or long stay, commanders wanted control. It was a constant battle on my part to travel around convincing tactical commanders that control should and would remain with me, and that I would support that unit with whatever was needed, when needed. Things got so bad that at one point, one commander threatened to report me to higher Headquarters for refusing his 'request' (NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT). Another time, the senior division commander of the two Korean Divisions literally attempted to 'bribe' me with a promise of a high Korean Medal if I would give him one platoon for his own.
Since I was the senior MSC Aviator in country, the MACV Surgeon frequently called me for advice. On one occasion, the commander of the 82nd was evacuated to the States for illness, and a new commander was needed. I willingly gave up one of my good majors and received, in return, a brash new 2nd Lt - a recently graduated pilot. On another occasion I was requested to fly to a unit and talk to a pilot that wanted to turn in his wings. I did so and was convinced that the pilot had "had it" and should be removed from flying status. I was able to arrange a transfer, the fellow served his time in Nam, and everyone was happy. It was old stuff to me, as I had done the same thing years earlier, in another war, when I had to counsel some "flak happy" bombardiers and pilots, when I served as a young flight commander.
I was called upon to advise the Surgeon regarding aviators arriving in country. It seemed that the Surgeon General in Washington continued to assign pilots to the 57th Med Det. Two Majors had such orders, but it appeared to me that, despite the dates of rank, the young guy who had been commander should continue to do so. Accordingly, the two majors came to the 498th (again, just what I needed). Both were most unhappy and disgruntled at doing a Lt's job instead of being a commander. Ironically, when the time came for one to go to the 57th, he didn't want to go, but did.
On yet another occasion, a very senior major had orders, again to the 57th. He wrote to me expressing his hopes of commanding the unit. I, in turn, wrote to him and explained that he would not be commander but would serve his time with the 498th until a suitable vacancy occured. With that, he suddenly developed high blood pressure, had his orders delayed and finally arrived in Viet Nam. He was then assigned to a non-flying assignment where his blood pressure was no longer a problem. It was just as well, as I didn't need another major, especially that fellow.
In time, the command structure became more clear. First, the 498th was attached to the Log Command, and later to a medical group. Still later, a medical brigade arrived and all non-divisional medical units had a home-- a medical command. The command, however, did not eliminate my constant battles with local commanders who wanted their very own med-evac unit. At that time, however, I would just say "no" and refer them to the medical group. I never lost a battle in that regard, and I was never called to explain my actions to the group commander. I, of course, kept him advised of my actions.
And so, my friends, these are my recollections on how to make friends and enemies. Of course, a good commander doesn't try to do either, things just happen once he makes decisions. And so it went.
[498TH VIETNAM]
COMMANDERS 1ST/SGT
Col. Joe Madrano-----------July-65-June 66 1stSgt Ray Heinz
L/Col. Bill Jones-------------Jun-July 66
Col. William R.Knowles----Jul-66-Feb-67
L/Col. Charles Heath-------Feb-67-Jul-67
Col. Bryon Howlett----------Jul-67-Jun-68
L/Col. Richard Scott--------Jun-68-Jul-69
L/Col. Hank Capozzi--------Jul-69--Jan 70
Maj. Frank Copeland-----Jan 70--Feb-70
Maj. William Carroll--------Feb-70-Mar-70
Maj. Hank Mayer-----------Mar-70-
DEPARTM ENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS
498th MEDICAL COMPANY (AIR AMB)
498th MEDICAL COMPANY (AIR AMB) NEWSLETTER
1. The third quarter of FY 70 has come to a close on a rapidly changing situation. The deactivation of the 43rd Medical Group on 15 Jan 70 resulted in the 498th Medical Company (Air Amb) being assigned to the 67th Medical group in Da Nang. However, on 11 Feb 70 the 61st Medical Battalion was reassigned from Cam Ranh Bay to Qui Nhon with the 498th Medical Company (Air Amb) being assigned to it. The 61st Medical Battalion became operational on 26 Feb 70 controlling all Dustoff resources in northern II Corps and all of I Corps. The 283rd Medical Detachment (HA) remained under the command and control of the 498th Medical Company (Air Amb). The 247th Medical Detachment (HA) and the 254th Medical Detachment (HA) remained in southern II Corps and was reassigned to the 45th Medical Company (AA), 68th Medical Group. On 1 Mar 70 the 44th Medical Brigade was deactivated and the US Army Medical Command, Vietnam (Prov) was activated. As a result all medical activities in Vietnam are now USARV units and are authorized to wear the USARV arm patch. Needless to say the turnover in higher headquarters has kept the Administration Officer and Motor Officer constantly busy changing the names of next higher headquarters on correspondence, SOP’s, and vehicles, to name a few.
2. Major personnel changes occurred during this quarter. Of most significance was the departure of LTC Henry Capozzi to the 44th Medical brigade as aviation staff officer on 1 Feb 70. His successor proved very capable in filling the large shoes left behind, as MAJ William “Bill” Carroll took control. Having been a charter member of the 498th Medical Company (Air Amb) MAJ Bill Carroll continued the outstanding leadership of the unit. As Bill could not be induced to extend his tour in RVN , he was then succeeded by MAJ Henry “Hank” Mayer on 26 Mar 70. Our dynamic executive officer, MAJ Don Bissell, departed on 30 Jan 70. MAJ Carroll held down the XO slot thereafter until he assumed command. The operations was MAJ Hank Mayer’s bag until MAJ Frank Gilliam arrived. When MAJ Mayer took command in March, the Executive Officer slot remained untilled leaving MAJ Gilliam doubling in that position in addition to holding down Operations. MAJ Gilliam was an in-country transfer from the 237th Medical Detachment (HA) at Quang Tri. CPT Eldon Ideus replaced MAJ Loucks as Commanding Officer of the 283rd Medical Detachment (HA) at Pleiku RVN. CW2 Gerald Koermer has become the Maintenance Platoon Leader. If nothing else, these changes kept everyone in the unit wondering who their boss was. The present Flight Platoon Leaders are CPT Charles Gilford, CPT Jimmy Alexander, and LT Roy Laird.
3. With the deactivation of the 43rd Medical group came a change in our area of operations. We now have responsibility for II Corps North with the southern boundary following the river at Tuy Hoa to the Pleiku Province and further west along the provincial border. this change affected our field sites in that the two-ship stand-by at Phu Hiep was given to the 254th Medical Detachment. The two-ship stand-by held by the 283rd Medical Detachment (HA) was also transferred to the 254th Medical Detachment. The 283rd now has the luxury of having all six aircraft assigned to their home base.
A bunch of us EMs were in a local bar in Nha Trang one night, crowded around a small table. Some US Marines went by, and one of them tripped over one of our feet. Ely (can't remember his first name, sorry) stood up to apologize, but the Jarhead decked him. When Ely fell back, the guy saw our unit patch on his shirt, stood at attention saying "I just punched out an angel!" - and demanded that Ely punch him back. Ely said "Nah, that's all right", but the Marine insisted. Seems he'd been recently evacuated by Dustoff, and was ashamed that he'd attacked one of us. None of us wanted to punch the guy, so one of his Marine buddies obliged him - knocked him on his ass! And a good time was had by all...
Jim Van Doren
I was 'in country' for all of 16 months, but only saw maybe 90 seconds of combat (that flight with Tom Burroughs and Roger Hula). One of the guys asked me near the end of the tour what I was going to tell my kids about my time over there. I said I'd just shake my head and say "I don't want to talk about it!" I have lots of anecdotes, but no real "war stories". But I will tell you this: Covering a major operation, we'd often make what we called "milk runs", picking up woulded brought to us by the ground medic. And sure enough, on about the 5th or 6th run, I'd be loading the medic who had earlier been bringing me his wounded! And I thanked all the gods I could name that I wasn't an infantry medic!
James Van Doren
You'll remember gunship pilots who would purposely hover over an enemy position, in order to draw their fire and thereby pin-point their gun emplacement. Then his weapons officer/copilot would unload everything he had onto that position. [I remember one episode where the enemy was aiming a mortar using what we'd call "Kentucky windage", trying to aim at the gunship. The co-pilot put one sweet rocket right down the morar tube!]
We thought the gunshop crews were nuts! But I once met one of their crewman, and described our mission. He said "You mean you guys land? You get out of your ship?!?
I also remember hearing or reading the phrase "Those Dustoff pilots are the gamest bastards in-country! They'll go in anywhere, anytime, with or without gunship support."
Jim Van Doren
There's lots more where that came from, but not all are 'eye-witness' accounts.
1. I heard a story similar to the one about Ely, but it involved a 'Red Beret' vs a ROK Marine:
The Red Berets (the South Vietnamese Army's poor imitation of our Special Forces) used to like pushing their own people around in the small cities, knocking people off sidewalks, etc. It was said they were nothing to fear when alone, but in a group they could be mean - and one Red Beret accompanied by an M1 carbine and a bandolier of grenades made a pretty mean group (or so they believed).
Anyway, it's told that one of these Redhats came into a bar that was populated mostly by ROK Marines and a few of our guys. In a situation similar to the story I just told, the Redhat pretended to trip over the foot of one of the ROK Marines, just to start a fight. When he turned around to accost the ROK Marine, the Marine didn't even get to his feet. He just shot out his stiffened fingers into the Redhat's throat, and the punk was dead before he hit the floor! These guys don't play!
2. I can't remember (who can?) if this was at Nha Trang or Qui Nhon, but there was an episode that happened right after our Marines were reassigned to Chu Lai. Prior to that, they had been responsible for perimeter security around the airfield. The night after they left, a battalion of VC tried to mount an attack on the base. But what they couldn't know was that the Korean Marines had a base camp outside our perimeter, somewhere on the lee side of a hill. 2000 VC stumbled into the 400-man Korean camp, and it was instant hand-to-hand combat (probably not as we learned it). There were no survivors among the VC! - Like I said...these guys don't play!
3. This one I witnessed: Right after our Marines left, I pulled my first-ever guard duty. I was detailed to an Officers' billet (a former French villa, actually) that was also being guarded by some Korean Army regulars. I watched as the Koreans stood for what we'd call "guard-mount". They all stood at attention, while the Sergeant inspected each of them - soundlessly. The Sergeant would position himself before each soldier, look him up and down, maybe snatch his rifle and inspect it, throw it back at him, and do a right-face / left-face to the next soldier. All this without a word. At one point, the Sergeant looked at the soldier in front of him, reared back, threw a haymaker and decked him! Maybe the poor guy's brass wasn't shiny enough - or maybe it was too shiny - but again without a word, the soldier got back up to "Present Arms", and the Sergeant did another right-face/left-face, all down the line. Weird. But effective...
4. Did you know we could count the Turks among our allies in that war? I'm told they were even more ruthless than the Korean Marines! Ever hear of a Turkish head-splitter? I saw one once, and shuddered. It looked like a composite of a machette, a scimitar, and a wood-splitting maul. Very efficient, I'd imagine.
Jim Van Doren
This is a story of how I came to be a helicopter medic with the 498th.
I originally enlisted (only to avoid becoming an infantryman) right after I got my "Greetings" from Uncle Sam.
I signed up for "Neuro-Psychiatric Procedures Specialist", and began my enlistment in May of 1964. I was not a model student during basic training, and wound up on many a "shit detail" as a result. In fact, one of them would be more accurately described as a "piss detail". It was my job to collect huge plastic bags of urine from various company latrines, to be used to produce those hated anti-malarial "cloraquine primaquine" pills. (Not sure of the correct spelling, but who is?). A side benefit of this detail was that we missed the 40-mile march out to the rifle range.
At the end of basic training, I witnessed the awards ceremony, where some schmuck got something called the 'outstanding trainee' medal - a guy I'd beat in the PSPT and at the rifle range and any number of criteria. But he was never on the piss detail!
On my 'second 8' I went through all the basic medic training, never intending to ever be a basic medic - I was destined to be a "Neuro-Psychiatric Procedures Specialist", after all. I also weighed 125# soaking wet, so naturally I was 'volunteered' to be the patient whenever the training involved bandaging, splinting, carrying, lifting, maneuvering through zig-zag trenches, loading onto helicopters, etc. What did I need to know about those skills? I was destined for NP-Tech school!
Along about this time, I was re-united with a pre-college buddy, who was a new Leutenanat at the same base. He encouraged me to apply to OCS (big mistake, as I learned too late). I was also by this time actually working in a Psychiatric ward, and was excelling in the performance of my duties, and likeing it as well. The net-net was that even though I introduced myself to my new training commander as his next "Outstanding Trainee" - and that my name was spelled V A N D O R E N - and even though the first prize for winning that designation was supposed to be my choice of duty assignment - because I was accepted for OCS and was waiting for the next enrollment - I was denied my choice of Presidio - because I "belonged to the 4th Army". The result was that I was assigned to the 24th Evac Hospital in San Antonio!
Meamwhile, I watched my commitment to the Army being extended every month that I was waiting for my OCS appointment. And I ended up being assigned instead to a field hospital in San Antonio. But while I was being introduced to the various squads, platoons, and company at my new duty stations, at each interview - whether it was with the senior medic, the ward-master, the chief nurse, the 1st Sergeant, or the company commander - at the end was always "do you have any questions?". And my answer was always the same question: "How do I get out of this chicken-shit outfit?" I didn't withdraw my OCS appointment, and successfully strive to be first in my NP class, just to polish tent pegs in a warehouse in Texas! I said I was going to put a request for a PCS (Permanent Change of Station) to an outfit where I could use my skills. The CO said he couldn't prevent my applying for a PCS, but that if I left he'd have to wait another whole year for the next graduating class of NP techs. He said they put up their tents and went through drills for two weeks, once a year. He asked if it would help if he could get me some hands-on training twice a year. I said no. Then he took me into the attached hospital headquarters and introduced me to the E-9 there. There, I was offered a job as 'regulations clerk' - a job usually held by the best ass-kisser in the company. It was a cushy job: go through and post daily updates/revisions of every personnel reg in the book. Sometimes it meant just substituting a single line or paragraph, sometimes it meant removing a whole section of the manual and inserting its replacement. I had replaced a former short-timer, so it took me 2 weeks to even find the top of my desk. But after a while, I was able to complete the day's tasks by 10 am. The Sergeant Major would often ask me if I had nothing to do. I'd always say "nothing, unless you want me to go over to the mailroom to see if any new regs had come in". He'd aways say "no, get out of here"! More to the endearment of my 'comrades in arms' down at the warehoue. At the same time, I was ostracized by the other enlisted men (and the various senior medics and non-coms) because I had not 'paid my dues' by working in the warehouse - and rocketing into the cherry post as reg clerk. Never mind that this had side-lined my career as an NP tech.
Then news of the war started building. I had voted in my first election in 1964. Johnson had stolen his election to the Texas senate, and somehow had parlayed that into a US Senate slot. Goldwater wanted to put troops into S Vietnam, invade Laos and Cambodia, and bomb the North. In regards to Vietnam, Johnson said "Our boys shouldna be fightin where their boys oughta be fightin". I knew Johnson was a crook, but Goldwater was CRAZY! So I voted for Johnson; the next thing I knew we were sending ground troops to Vietnam, invading Laos and Cambodia, and bombing North Vietnam! Who knew that Goldwater was a 3-Star General in the Air Force, who specialized in strategic planning? So he knew of what he spoke!
Along about this time, the 498th was being re-activated. I was loaned to the company to help them set up their TOE. 1st Sgt Heins was a veteran of two wars as a senior medic, but this was his first command. I became his "Radar", company clerk, and took over all requisitions for everything from forms, personnel, jeeps, helicopters, etc., and got the quartermaster to agree to not fill any orders unless it had my initials on it. You'd think the various Platoon Leaders had the idea we were being shipped off-planet, with no hope for resupply! While I was at it, I noticed that their TOE included several slots for flight medics. My current slot as NP Tech at the 24th was an E-4 slot, while the flight medic slot was for an E-5, plus flight pay! I contemplated my situation: pounding a typewriter while there was a war going on that - at the time - I believed in. So I called a buddy in personnel and had my MOS changed back to basic medic, and had orders cut assigning me to the 498th permanently.
Jim Van Doren
Earlier I have described how I went from a Neuro-Psychiatric Procedures Specialist with the 24th Evac Hospital to a flight medic with the 498th. Let me expand some more on my "career" as an NP Tech. I had enlisted for this MOS, primarily because I didn't want to be a ground medic. (Who knew, back 1964, that Dustoff medics would die at a rate 3 times that of ground medics in Vietnam?)
But I did get to use my NP Tech instincts/skills on one flight. We were asked to evacuate a soldier from Cam Rhan Bay who had gone beserk. At first, the Flight Leader declined the mission; after all, there's no cabin door on a helicopter, and he didn't want someone running amok on board. Then someone told him I was an NP Tech, so we took the mission. On the intercom, I heard the AC tell the folks in Cam Rhan Bay "OK, we'll come get him, but I want him knocked out and tied down!"
When we landed, we saw this huge GI running towards the helicopter, with 4 white-coated medics trying to restrain him but mostly just flapping in the wind. He reminded me of Jim Brown (of the Cleveland Browns) crossing the goal-line with several would-be tacklers attached. The AC tried to wave him off and started to lift off, but I told him "I can handle him!" So we set back down and they loaded him onto a litter clicked into the brackets at the floor. As we took off again, I started trying to strap him into the litter. But as soon as I managed to buckle the strap across his chest and move down to do the same across his thighs, he'd unbuckle the first strap. Did I mention he didn't speak English? He was a Greek national, but he was in our Army. Meanwhile, we were arcing over the bay to head back up North, so I thumped him in the chest to get his attention and jerked my thumb upwards over his face towards the open door. He tilted his head back, and all he saw was the sky and the South China Sea - and then he proceeded to help me tighten the straps.
True story! Jim Van Doren
Many units claim members from every state. 498th had one pilot, 1/lt. Hansen MSC who was a Swedish citizen. He was serving with us in 1967. We had an Officers mascot, named "IKE", a monkey (I think it was a Capuchin) it used to get drunk at the officers club. I still have some pictures of it. Have some other pictures and will dig them out and pass them on. My room was the first room on the right (the outside of the hill overlooking the valley) of the middle BOQ. I helped to get the 498th officers flush toilets and hot showers. I was in charge of getting the septic tank installed. Mostly I just bossed and paid the locals hired to do the digging etc. Dug a big hole and dropped two conex containers in it, one for a solids tank and one with lots of holes torched in it and full of big (softball to basketball sized) rocks for a leach field. With the unit consolidated at Lane AAF and lots of pilots for a much smaller area of operations (old second platoon area and some support to detachments at Chu Lai, Pleiku and Nha Trang) the pilots had lots more time to get into trouble/work on personal research projects. One collected live specimens of poisonous snakes and another would land in rice paddies and along streams etc to collect water samples which he spent hours peering at through his microscope.
If I think of any more tidbits will pass them on. Paul Frank
Biographical Sketch of the 254th Medical Detachment (HA) Dust-Off
Unit history of 254th Dust-Off, Nha Trang, and the 8th Field Hospital are intertwined as with most all of the Dust-Off units in Vietnam. The 57th, 82nd, 283rd, and 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) operated out of Nha Trang at one time in their service and history in Vietnam.
The 8th Field Hospital opened for business in April 1962, assuming responsibility of all US military, allied forces, U.S. civilians and their dependents living in South Vietnam, as well as ARVN and Vietnamese civilians. Until April 1965, 8th Field was the only U.S. Army hospital in Vietnam with a 100 bed capacity.
On February 1st, 1966 the 254th Helicopter Medical Detachment became operational at Long Binh, adjacent to the 93rd Evacuation Hospital, northeast of Saigon with the primary mission to support the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The 44th Medical Brigade, arrived in Vietnam in 1966. The 43rd Medical Group II Corp, already commanded the 498th Dust-Off.
The creation of the Provisional Company on December 1st, 1965 was created from the old 57th and 82nd detachments was expected to improve the coordination of the dust-off units. Medical groups controlled the movement of patients from tactical areas to hospitals within their own groups. Arrival of the 45th Medical Company Air Ambulance in July 1967. The 436th Medical Detachment Company Headquarters Air Ambulance was attached to the 68th Medical Group, became operational on March 1st. This name lasted until May 1967 when the 436th was renamed the 658th Medical Company. The 658th was deactivated, the 57th and 82nd Dust-Off were attached to the 45th. The 283rd moved to Pleiku, the 498th to Qui Nhon, and the 254th to Nha Trang.
The 254th Helicopter Air Ambulance Detachment on July 1967 was assigned to the 44th Medical Brigade, 43rd Medical Group located approximately 200 meters adjacent to the 8th Field Hospital in Nha Trang. The 254th Dust-Off in Nha Trang supported the 5th Special Forces, the Republic of Korea (ROK) Capital Tiger Division in Ninh Thuan and Binh Dinh provinces, and the Korean 9th White Horse Division in Ninh Hoa province.
At Phan Thiet LZ-Betty the 568th Medical Clearing Company the 254th supported the 2nd/7th Cavalry 1st Air Cavalry Division and Task Force 3-506th (Currahee’s) 101st Airborne Division.
The 173rd Seperate Airborne Brigade was supported by the 254th at Bao Loc and Bam Me Thuot. At Bam Me Thuot at the 568th Medical Clearing Company the 254th also, supported the 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, as well as Task Force 3-506th.
UNIT ROSTER
Commanding Officer Major Milke (1967) Excutive Officer Major Hawn (1967)
Warren Applegate Herbert Halstead Joseph Redman
Ron Blagg Dale Hansen Tom Roberts
Grant Bobbitt Marion J. Horde Jerry Schneider
Bob Bower Burris Ron Hannon Ronald J. Scroggins
Jimmy Bynum Dale Lacher Ron Sweeney
Gordan Caldwell Philip Lee Lawrence Turk
Floyd Coddington Terry Litts Robert Valdez
John Colvin Jim Miller Clifford Watson
Ron Darr Jorge Ortiz-Santiago Charlie Webb
James Fisher Richard Palmer William White
Barry Fitzgerald Robert Phillips Jimmy Williamson
Ray Greiner James Pleasant Thomas Vaughn
Barry G. Grubbs
THOSE WHO PERISHED
Major Kent E. Gandy, August 13, 1966
Major Harry Phillips, August 13, 1966
1st LT Lawrence Gallego, October 4, 1967
1st LT David B. Wainwright, October 4, 1967
Spec. 5th Class Willie F. Green, October 4, 1967
Spec. 5th Class Roland H. Nielsen, October 4, 1967
Spec. 4th Class Ronald A. Marin, October 4, 1967
WO Douglas Stover, March 26, 1969
WO Guy Johnson, March 26, 1969
Spec. 5th Class Carlos W. Rucker, March 26, 1969
Spec. 4th Class Gregory L. Habets, March 26, 1969
Spec. 4th Class John P. Thrasher, November 4, 1969
Spec. 5th Class Theodore W. High IV, May 10, 1970
Spec. 4th Class Jackson L. Wolfe, June 27, 1970
WO Gary W. Englehardt, October 17, 1970
WO John R. Bregler, October 17, 1970
Spec. 4th Class Guy L. Mears, October 17, 1970
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