The Vietnam Era

Seejay · **Posted:** Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:59 pm

Sadly Dick, there are many battles fought by our blokes in Vietnam that should be a matter for public adulation but have been relegated by people with agendas - not least of which being the media.

Coral, Balmoral, Nui Le, and so many others..........

Wayne · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2011 2:23 am

The Real Rambo - Colonel Robert Howard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKmr2fMmmp0

Seejay · **Posted:** Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:09 pm

There can be little doubt that this is, by far, the definitive Australian song associated with Vietnam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXaczfR_lo0

and this is how it all came about:

- I WAS ONLY 19 â€“ THE JOHN SCHUMANN STORY

1968. I was in Year 10 at Blackfriars Prior School in South Australia, grappling with Latin and the Periodic Table. The war in Vietnam was escalating and more and more young Australian men were being shipped off to Asia. Jumpy, black and white television reports of the war were broadcast nightly to an increasingly agitated nation and Mum took to looking at me anxiously when she thought I wasnâ€™t watching.

In truth, I hadnâ€™t really thought too much about being sent to Vietnam but, as a naÃ¯ve 15 year old with a penchant for camping and bushwalking, the idea was not entirely unattractive. And, besides, there was a history of war service in my family. Grand-dad had been a marksman on minesweepers in World War One. Dad was in the RAAF stationed in the Northern Territory during World War Two and most of his mates had seen active service in one theatre or another.

My mother, on the other hand, was far from comfortable with the idea of her boy going to Vietnam. I was asthmatic from the time I was about nine years old but after 1965 she insisted on taking me to the doctor after every attack. It wasnâ€™t till much later that my mother told me she was laying a paper trail in the event my â€œmarble came upâ€

Uncleron · **Posted:** Sun May 15, 2011 1:55 pm

Thanks for that Chris.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Thu May 19, 2011 12:00 pm

I received this from BC this morning...

Hi Rick,

I sent this out to some mates that I know who served on Sydney. It may also be useful to post this info on SH so that others may also be interested.

I have attached this Merchandise Brochure that I recently recieved from my Naval Assoc.

:type:

In particular, it had a DVD slide show for sale on Sydney & Escorts.

I have now received a copy and it is worth the $10 for a look down memory lane.

It was produced by Brian Yeo and Tiny Loeckenhoff.

Enjoy,

Cheers

BC

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:50 pm

This story could have gone into the Birdies' topic, but it seems a lot more appropriate here. If there is one single thing synonymous with Vietnam, it is the Huey.

Retiring the Last Huey

This is the speech given at Ft Rucker when they retired the last Huey:
CW4 Lawrence Castagneto, 17 May 2011

"Thank you Sir"

As a Vietnam Veteran Army Aviator, I would like to thank everyone for coming to this special occasion, on this to be honestâ€¦ very sad day, the end of an era. An era that has spanned over 50 years. The retirement of this grand old lady "OUR MOTHER" â€¦ the Huey.

I would like to thank MG Crutchfield for allowing me to speak at this event and try to convey in my own inadequate, meager way, what this aircraft means to me and so many other Vietnam veterans.

First a few facts:

It was 48 yrs ago this month that the first Huey arrived in Vietnam with units that were to become part of the 145th and the 13th Combat Aviation Battalions; both units assigned here at Ft Rucker today. While in Vietnam, the Huey flew approximately 7,457,000 combat assault sorties; 3,952,000 attack or gunship sorties and 3,548,000 cargo supply sorties. That comes to over 15 million sorties flown over the paddies and jungles of Nam, not to include the millions of sorties flown all over the world and other combat zones since thenâ€¦ what an amazing journeyâ€¦ I am honored and humbled to have been a small part of that journey.

To those in the crowd that have had the honor to fly, crew, or ride this magnificent machine in combat, we are the chosen few, the lucky ones. They understand what this aircraft means, and how hard it is for me to describe my feelings about her as a Vietnam combat pilotâ€¦ for she is aliveâ€¦ has a life of her own, and has been a life long friend.

How do I break down in a few minutes a 42-year love affair, she is as much a part of me, and to so many othersâ€¦ as the blood that flows through our veins. Try to imagine all those touched over the yearsâ€¦ by the shadow of her blades.

Other aircraft can fly overhead and some will look up and some may not; or even recognize what they see but, when a Huey flies over everyone looks up and everyone knows who she isâ€¦ young or old all over the world she connects with all.

To those that rode her into combatâ€¦ the sound of those blades causes our heart beat to riseâ€¦ and breaths to quickenâ€¦ in anticipation of seeing that beautiful machine fly overhead and the feeling of comfort she brings. No other aircraft in the history of aviation evokes the emotional response the Huey doesâ€¦ combat veteran's or notâ€¦ she is recognized all around the world by young and old, she is the ICON of the Vietnam war, U.S. Army Aviation and the U.S. Army.

Over five decades of service she carried Army Aviation on her back, from bird dogs and piston powered helicopters with a secondary support mission, to the force multiplier combat arm that Army Aviation is today.

Even the young aviators of today, that are mainly Apache pilot's, Blackhawk pilot's, etc., that have had a chance to fly her will tell you there is no greater feeling, honor, or thrill then to be blessed with the opportunity to ride her thru the skyâ€¦ they may love there Apaches and Blackhawks, but they will say there is no aircraft like flying the Huey - "It is special."

There are two kinds of helicopter pilots: those that have flown the Huey and those that wish they could have.

The intense feelings generated for this aircraft are not just from the flight crews but, also from those who rode in backâ€¦ into and out of the "devils caldron." As paraphrased here from "Gods own lunatics," Joe Galloway's tribute to the Huey and her flight crews and other Infantry veterans comments:

Is there anyone here today who does not thrill to the sound of those Huey blades?? That familiar whop-whop-whop is the soundtrack of our warâ€¦ the lullaby of our younger days it is burned in to our brains and our hearts.

To those who spent their time in Nam as a grunt, know that noise was always a great comfortâ€¦ Even today when I hear it, I stopâ€¦ catch my breathâ€¦ and search the sky for a glimpse of the mighty eagle.

To the pilots and crews of that wonderful machineâ€¦ we loved you, we loved that machine.

No matter how bad things wereâ€¦ if we calledâ€¦ you cameâ€¦ down through the hail of green tracers and other visible signs of a real bad day off to a bad start. I can still hear the sound of those blades churning the fiery skyâ€¦ To us you seemed beyond brave and fearlessâ€¦ Down you would come to us in the middle of battle in those flimsy thin-skin chariotsâ€¦ into the storm of fire and hellâ€¦â€¦ we feared for you, we were awed by you. We thought of you and that beautiful bird as " God's own lunatics" â€¦ and wonderedâ€¦ who are these men and this machine and where do they come fromâ€¦ Have to be "Gods Angels."

So with that I say to her, that beautiful lady sitting out there, from me and all my lucky brothers, that were given the honor to serve their country, and the privilege of flying this great lady in skies of Vietnam - Thank you for the memoriesâ€¦ Thank you for always being thereâ€¦ Thank you for always bringing us home regardless of how beat up and shot up you wereâ€¦ Thank You!!!!

You will never be forgotten, we loved you thenâ€¦ we love you nowâ€¦ and will love you till our last breathâ€¦

And as the sun sets today, if you listen quietly and closely you will hear that faint whop-whop-whop of our mother speaking to all her children past and present who rode her into history in a blaze of gloryâ€¦ she will be saying to them: I am hereâ€¦ I will always be here with you.

I am at peace and so should you beâ€¦ and so should you be.