Thank you to Crew who saved....

Juli, I do hope you will be able to find the Crew of the Bird that saved your Fiance. As in my Flight record it has the date, mission number, and coordinates the mission was to, and from. A lot of the Flight Crews do not have their records. I really wish they did, as it would help in their VA claims. I was fortunate to have gotten mine. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Do you know what type aircraft: UH-1, UH-34, CH-46? That would help because there are records of what squadrons were in country, and what area they were flying in at that time. Any chance that it might have been an Army helicopter? The call sign does not sound like one a Marine squadron would use, but I could see some 19 year old WO1 fresh out of flight school calling himself "Chicken Man Yellow One."

I wish I did know, he doesn't remember what type, he thinks it was a 46 but just not positive. He was on morphine and bleeding out...he is guessing the helicopter came from the USS Valley Forge but isn't positive.

Ace - thank you! I wish they did too, for the claims as well! I am disgusted at how long they are taking to pass this latest group of presumptives - the paperwork SHOWS people were there - pass it already and take care of our Vets!

Thank you to Crew who saved....

jjpcdr, I agree for sure. I believe it comes from the top, the presumptives will cost, and they want to spend the money on the people that walk across the border, instead of we Vets. There will be so many Vets that won't be around by the time they decide to grant them, I'm sure they will save a bunch of money. Haven't been able to be on for way to long, I thought I'd best try to answer your post. Even after all that happened to me during my short 4 year tour of Duty, it took 19 years to make them adjudicate me the 100% P&T. I just dis-like them doing the same to so many Vets that need it NOW, as they could not get work even if there was jobs available. I do believe the top dogs day will catch up with him before long. There should be some way for the adjudicators to be held accountable for turning down so many that really need it. I hope that day comes as well. I do hope that some one can help with the ID of the Crew you are looking for. It does sound like an Army Bird that did the Med-e-vac from the call sign. I never heard a Marine call sign like that the whole time I was Flying. I believe they are out there, and may help some way soon. The Best to You, and All. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

To Juli, CREW WHO FLEW YOUR FIANCE OUT, Maybe

The squadron assigned to SLT 2/26 in August 1969 was HMM-164. Command Chronologies for August 1969 list 1/Lt Oconner and 1/Lt Berry as flying med-evacs from map cord. BT 650920 on 8/2/1969, they flew out 4 evacs, but there was 2 helicopters, one piloted by Berry and one by Oconner Can't find the after action reports themselves, but there is a Berry and Oconner listed in the Popasmoke database for Popasmoke listed as being in HMM-164. Don't know if they are the right ones but it is a starting point. Anyone who wants to thank someone after all these years deserves to meet men with gonads of steel.

The following link will take you to the PDF that documents the above. Hope these are the guys.
http://www.virtual.vietnam.ttu.edu/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?bkB5ernuMqAjCE@k6Bh0C6xboGNPq1fD.TeGOm2VTF3GcSUVU64hZEIXMp3C2XAoaEx4GaCHN2eQUaJ@Upt6R36X3cbiAIsVJ44dov@TqDg/1201082056.pdf

The membership database shows that Tim Berry and Tom O'Conner were in HMM-164 68/69, don't know if they were pilots or
not.

CHICKEN MAN YELLOW ONE may have been morphine talking!

Good Luck
Ron Stewart HMH-463 (along time ago)

Thank you to the Crew who......

jjpcdr, I am glad you have been able to find the information you needed. I knew they were out there, and am just again Glad you have the info now. Hope by some chance he is still around. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.

Ron & Ace - THANK YOU! I will try to contact these people...it would be a miracle in itself!

I still can't imagine what any of you went through, and to say Thank you still doesn't feel strong enough but it's a start.

I sincerely appreciate the post full of information! (Yeah, I could see where it might be the morphine:) He deserves good things in life as do all of you!

Juli

Thank you to the Crew who......

Juli, I can see how your Fiance could have been medicated a bunch. From the time of injuries, until the Bird showed up, could have been a half hour plus, and no telling how many vials of the morphine he had to have to numb the pain. I would believe on some of the cases that was in chance of bleed out, the Corsman could have hooked up one to several men in his unit for blood until the Bird got there. I would think that happened a number of times, but would depend on the expertise of the Corpsman. It would be very tricky for sure. I would do it if I had been a Corpsman, to save a Brothers Life. I know I flew for the men on the ground, as most all of us did. Many would Fly for some time, then you didn't see them anymore Flying. We didn't question why someone would stop Flying, as we could understand. It just takes that one BAD mission for one to feel he has had enough. The closer it was time to go home, as well was a reason to stay on the ground. I knew many that Flew up until the day they went home. I was going to extend again just one month before I was e-vaced. As many were, I was given no chance whatever to live, but God's will let me live, as yours was. It angers me when Kids can't even Pray in schools, or even having God on our money. Enough is enough, and I believe a change of congress will help that a lot. Hope so. Thank you for your kind words. Semper Fi, and READY-APP.