From it's inception in the Korean War in 1952, flying solitary missions in primative helicopters, these pioneer aviators performed, unaided, all ambulance duties---Pilot, Co-Pilot, Medic, and Crew Chief. Solopilots routinely flew hazardous missions in underpowered helicopters lacking navigational aids and limited to external litter carrying capabilities.
From the lessons learned on the frozen battlefields of Korea, the Solopilots' skill and dedicatiion brought theory into practice and verified the tactical importance of the helicopter as the vital link in battlefield emergency MEDICAL care. The same link, over the next fifty years, would save thousands of American lives in places like Lebannon, Vietnam, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, each owing it's success to a cadre of brave and resourceful Army Aviators---the SOLOPILOTS !
Director: Administrator: Treasurer:
H.P. Capozzi A. Robb V. Mielke
(219) 497-5604 (619)549-0389 (210) 654-6394
hpcapozzi@sbcglobal.net arislander@yahoo.com virgil.mielke@sbcglobal.net
EXECUTIVE BOARD;
G. Beltran gibbeltran@msn.com
W.A. Campbell. wcampbell1509@cox.net
H. A. Huntsman mhuntman@satx.rr.com
T. Jackson tjackson15@satx.rr.com
V. Mielke virgil.mielke@sbcglobal.net
R. H. Scott dcscott88@hotmail.com
R.E. Smith. realks@prodigy.net
______________________________________________________________________________________
P.S. Please send the name and address of any widow whose husband you think qualified for membership. If both are deceased, the eldest surviving child qualifies for the medallion and the certificate. The cost of the medallion and certificate is waived for recipients qualifying under this last paragraph.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Toast to deceased Solopilots:
Invitation to join the SOLOPILOT SOCIETY
You qualify if you:
- Were assigned to a AMEDD Helicopter Ambulance Unit,
- Served as a “Pilot/Medic” who flew alone while transporting seriously ill, injured or wounded patients in a Helicopter Ambulance with Red Cross markings and configured with external litter racks/pods,
- Agree to wear the “SOLOPILOT” medallion with ribbon to appropriate social functions and occasions,
- Pay a one-time fee for the cost of the medallion with ribbon, mailing expense, history and membership roster/register.
- Please provide the following information:
The unit to which you were assigned during the qualification period, ___________________________
The year(s) you actually evacuated patients using helicopters configured with external litters. ___________________________
Total cost: $30
Make checks payable to: SOLOPILOT Society
Mail check and application to: Virgil Mielke
4223 Modena
San Antonio, TX 78218
Please provide your email address if you have one: _________________________________
These are general guidelines about what might be said, but the protocol for the time should be followed:
REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU MAY BE:
THREE (3) DAYS AFTER YOU BECOME AWARE OF THE LOSS OF "ONE OF US", YOU WILL SET ASIDE A TIME (ALWAYS 1700 LOCAL) TO OFFER YOUR FINAL FAREWELL TOAST, WITH THE BEVERAGE OF YOUR CHOICE, TO THE SOLOPILOT WHO HAS FLOWN HIS LAST FLIGHT. THIS MAY BE DONE IN PRIVATE, OR IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, SILENTLY.
1. HERE IS A FINAL TOAST IN RECOGNITION OF THE HONORABLE SERVICE TO YOUR COUNTRY. WE WILL MISS YOU.
2. TO THOSE REMAINING...GOOD HEALTH.
SOLOPILOTS DATABASE
Daniel J. Acosta 231 Samantha Dr. Schertz TX 78154
Gilbert Beltran P.O. Box 44 Carlsbad CA 92018
Kent Bennetts 1923 Seneca Leavenworth KS 66048
James Bizer 1204 Catskill Circle Huntsville AL 35802
Carl J. Bobay 3844 Likini Honolulu HI 96818
Ray Bosworth P.O. Box 39072 San Antonio TX 78218
rpbosworth@yahoo.com
William D. Brooks 1131 Red Cliff Circle Enterprise AL 36330
C. A. Burris 5359 Ravensworth Rd. Springfield VA 22151
Donald C. Bush 2387 North Hwy 99 Emporia KS 66801
William A. Bush 1450 Lookout Dr. Wichita KS 67207
William A. Campbell
Raymond R. Carlson 1600 Red Crow Rd. Victor MT 59875
Henry P. Capozzi 19527 Crystal Oak San Antonio TX 78258-3001
Robert A. Carr P.O. Box 385 Crumpton MD 21628
Vince Cedola 2739 W. Sunset Dr. New River AZ 85087
vince506@msn.com
Thomas Christie 5 Welsh Ct. Petaluma CA 94954
Bill N. Colbert 302 Wellington Ct Madison TN 37115
Richard S. Demory 3308 Velle Lane Carlsbad CA 92008
Willard W. Dillonaire 105 Lakewood Dr. Enterprise AL 36330
Willie M. Dixson 3620 Du Barry Dr. San Antonio TX 78219
Charles V. Elia 9427 Gloxinia Dr. Garden Ridge TX 78266
(Honorary member)
Ernie French 45860 North Ave. Macomb MI 48042
Curtis O. Greer 1724 Carl St. Ft. Worth TX 76103-1912
Cecil H Grimes 420 Parkside Dr. Paris KY 40361-2700
Robert M. Hall 200 Transylvania Ave Raleigh, NC 27609-6318
(Honorary Member-former Surgeon-support Air-Amb)
John W. Hammett 5 Clermont Ct. San Antonio TX 78218-1741
Edward A. Haswell 11 Briglington Ct. San Antonio TX 78218
Charles V. Heath 15464 West FM 471, Suite 9 San Antonio TX 78253-4606
Densmore Henschel 9306 Wire Ave. Silver Spring MD 20901
Warren (Punchy) Hoen 1404 Barrington Circle St Augustine FL 32092
Byron P. Howlett 10 Chester Downs San Antonio TX 78257-1254
Donald R. Hull 427 Tomahawk Trail Anniston AL 36206
Howard A. Huntsman The Legends 1813 San Antonio TX 78232-1011
Raymond A. Jackson 4525 58th Ave. Vero Beach FL 32967
Thomas C. Jackson 731 Lari Dawn San Antonio TX 78258
William R. Knowles 3479 Don Lorenzo Dr. Carlsbad CA 92010
Owen A. Koch 423 Warren Circle Clarksville TN 37040
okoch@bellsouth.net
Huey Lang 4006 North Hills St. Meridian MS 39305-2405
Bert G. Leach 6710 Vernon Ave. SO #318 Edina MN 55436
Fred Long 16 Warwick Lane Missouri City TX 77459
Robert MacLennan 917 Barnegat Lane Annapolis MD 21401
Joseph P. Madrano 5842 Winterhaven San Antonio TX 78239
Joe Martin 104 Mina St. Enterprise AL 36330
Bob McCreary 2601 Caladium Atlanta GA 30345-1325
Robert D. McWilliam 6007 Winter Haven Dr. San Antonio TX 78239
Virgil Mielke 4223 Modena San Antonio TX 78218
Freddie Mills 656 Chesterfield Lawrenceville GA 30224
Louis L. Mizell 3431 Yorkshire Dr. SE Olympia WA 98513-4265
George Moglia 2602 E. Locust Laredo TX 78043
Don Murphy 3238 Summer Chase Circle Augusta GA 30909-4151
Avery M. Rogers 719 Prospect Avenue Hot Springs AR 71901
Larry Rusiewicz 6448 Gemstone Way Colorado Springs CO 80918
William R. Schmidt 1795 Bishop Chehalis WA 98532
Richard H. Scott 437 Mount Joy New Braunfels TX 78130
Raymond E. Smith 7630 Lake Adlon Dr. San Diego CA 92119
James Walker 10376 W. Burnett Peoria AZ 85382
Charles L. Webb 301 Holly Hill Road Enterprise AL 36330-1220
William M. Willcox 9827 Gemini Dr. San Antonio TX 78217
arislander@yahoo.com
____________________________________________________________________________________________
(†) DECEASED MEMBERS AND HONORARY WIDOWS
Kenneth W. Armstrong † (Jean) 437 Country Grace New Braunfels TX 78130
William R. Bentley † (Joanie) 15135 Manorhill Dr. Houston TX 77062
Donald F. Bissell † (Joyce) 31 Riceville Road Belt MT 59412
Frank Copeland † (Nancy) 1789 Millhouse Run Marietta GA 30066
John Cross † (Lee) 613 Moorside Dr. San Antonio, TX 78239
David Danhouser † (Yvonne) 321 Chestnut St. Mineral Point WI 53565
James B. Fisher † (Marlene) 6413 S 1680 E Salt Lake City UT 84121-2571
Kenyon L. Forrest † (Joan) 8930 Westcreek Converse TX 78109
Jimmy Hatfield † (Virginia) 1416 Bunker Hill Rd. Brentwood TN 37027
Ralph McBride †
Spurgeon Neel M. Gen. † (Alice) 4106 Tarlac Dr. San Antonio TX 78239
James H. Nichols † (Ann) 984 Winston Ave. Elba AL 36323-1427
Gerald M. Okarski †
(daughter Karen) 102 Woodview Dr. Laurens SC 29360-2254
Arlie D. Price †
Thomas C. Smith † (Barbara) 2912 Stone Edge Rd. El Paso TX 79904
Robert A. Stephens † (Roses) 263 Squirrel Dr. Ozark AL 36360-1591
John Temperelli (Nancy) 3007 Manilla Dr. San Antonio TX 78217-3921
Williams, Glenn M. †
POTENTIAL MEMBERS TO BE VERIFIED:
Belcher, Lillard Borth, Alford G. Brown, Joseph
3406 John Glenn PMB2478 124 Rainbow Dr 9117 Bonnybrook Dr
San Antonio, TX 78217 Livingston, Tx 77399-1024 San Antonio, TX 78239
Cloke, Robert Garrett, McLain Jones, Glen
8703 Skomish Way N. E. 25611 Velvet Rose 2602 HilleyDr
Olympia, WA 98516 San Antonio, TX 78260 Mineral Wells, TX 76067-6708
Leach, Walter Lowe, John Lusk, Don
12 Smokehouse Lane 1105 W. College 230 Westwood Rd.
Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Enterprise, AL 36330 Annapolis, MD 21401
Parkinson, Ralph Perkins, Eldon R. Phillips, Harry V.
614 Ironwood 707 East 10th Av. 2418 Montclair Av.
Hot Springs, AR 71913 Bowling Green, KY 42101-2368 Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Pittman, Roy
P.O. Box 16393
San Antonio, TX 78216
POTENTIAL MEMBERS (LAST KNOWN ADDRESS)
Avery, Waddel † Bowler, Joseph † Gardner, Lloyd G † (Norma)
3003 Wessynton Way 259 Orchard Way P.O. Box 5061
Alexandria, VA 22309 North Ft. Meyers, FL 33903 Salem, OR 97034-0061
Kutchera, Earl † Naylor, Don † Roler, Warren E. †
630 Richfield Dr. 120 Princeton Lane 300 Virginia Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78239 Valdosta, GA 31602 Longwood, Fl 32750
Salmon, Ray W. † (Lois) Spencer, Lloyd E. † Vaughn, Henry † (Zita)
482 West San Ramon #102 301 Percifield Trail 102 Raspberry Lane
Fresno, CA 93704 Alvarado, TX 76009 Dothan, AL 36305-5838
Strawn, Willis † Wall, Donald T.M. † (Marian) Wik, David L.W. †
(Unknown address) 4016 Bentway 6526 Brockhampton
Stuart, FL. 33494 San Antonio, TX 78217-1705 Corpus Christie, TX 78414
NO KNOWN ADDRESS:
Matthew Kayson
Malcom Schryer
malcolm.schryer@bcc.cuny.edu
DECEASED (ADDRESS UNKNOWN):
Benson, Albert G. † Bloomquist, Paul † Burroughs, Harlan †
Calhoun, Allison† Coddington, Floyd J. † (Petie) Cote, George †
Hahn, Jerry D. † Healey, Richard W. † (Carmen) Hook, Bruce E.†
Kelly, Charles L † Kemp, Paul † Killo, William S. †
MacDonald, George A. † Medcalf, Rex M. † Miller, Donald L. †
Moyers, George † Mateer, Charles A. † Pfeiffer, Larry†
Rothwell, J. C. † Scharf, Stanley † Curtis Stechbauer †
Tom, Harry, K. S. †
Westermark, Robert T. †
OTHER:
Beebe, Hugh G. Conselman, Charles B.
Davenport, James D. Deliere, Harry
Garfield, Warren Grimes, Cecil H.
Hawkins, William H. Harker, Fred
Insley, William Isch, Ira L.
Loy, Vance A. McDonald, Robert H.
Medford, William D. Mileham, Richard
Murray, Billie J. McKenny, William R.
McGarvey, Herschel G. Peachey, William (INF)
Perry, Grady Peterson, Charles
Pannel, R. F. Ritchie, Ralph D.
Seitz, Leonard F. James W. Starkey
Stowe, Charles L. Vosel, Donald
Whitehouse, Richard K. Wolf, Phillip G.
Due to requests from several members, The Solopilot Society is taking orders for the Solopilot Medallion,as a gift to loved ones, either as a memento or to be worn, if desired, as jewelry on a chain. The cost of the medallion is $30 each, so it makes a very affordable and nice gift for a family member for any occasion.
Please make checks payable to:
Solopilot Society and mail to: Virgil Mielke
4223 Modena
San Antonio TX78218
The Solopilot Society recognizes those original US Army Helicopter Ambulance Pilots who were first to fly helicopters totally dedicated to battlefield medical services. The Society was formed to honor the courage, commitment and innovation of an elite group of military aviators who brought rotary wing ambulances into battlefield enviroment.
