| 2008 Sep-Oct |
MEDEVAC
15th MED\15th FSB
Mike Bodnar
13010 N Lakeforest Drive
Sun City, AZ 85351-3250
(623)972-4395
e-mail: mbodnar27@juno.com
Web site: http://15thmedassociation.org
Forum:
http://communities.msn.com/15thMEDASSOCIATION/_whats new.msnw
Clyde MOORE <msgtavn@hotmail.com> from Kingsville, TX,
comments: "HSC, 15th MED Bn., 1st Cav Div., Feb '67 to Feb
'68. Tech Inspector, Maintenance Supervisor. Great Website.
Just found it."
Webmaster/Past President 2003-2006 15th MED Association
Murray GIBBS, MEDEVAC '67-'68 <gunnermadmur@neo.rr.com>
informs, "President John CRESPI's grandbaby is in ICU.
"The 2009 Reunion has been finalized. Information on the
Reunion: April 2nd to April 5th, 2009, in Myrtle Beach, SC.
View the Reunion Website:
<http://www.15thmedassociation.com/2009Reunion.html>
"Historical Documents: During the month of May, Historians
COL William DOWNEY and Paul TROOP went to Washington, D.C.,
to retrieve what was believed to be over eight hundred
documents. The count I was told was nine hundred twenty
documents. I recently got the documents and I am in the
process of posting them on our main Website. I have done
1965; Jan. & Feb. 1966. I had to take a good look at the
documents and I thank Paul TROOP for separating them into
categories. Currently these are the categories I am using:
HHC, HSC, TOE or any necessary category to classify them;
A Co., B Co., & C Co.; S1, S3 & S4.
"I made the documents accessible only thru the Forums. I feel
as other officers feel that they should not be viewed by the
public. There may be sensitive information that is only for
viewing of those who were in the 15th MED Bn. Therefore,
anyone who wants to view the documents must be registered on
the Forums. When you register you will have the Visitor
level. I will look at whoever registers, and upon recognition
of their e-mail I will raise their permission level to 15th
MED member. Once you are re-raised to that level you will be
able to see the board called: 15th MED Members Only. All
others cannot see that board, thus those with honorary, 15th
MED member's wives, visiting veterans, and researchers,
cannot see the board. I explained the method of viewing the
documents on the Website:
<http://www.15thmedassociation.com/Historical_Docs.html>
"Please follow that method and if you have any questions feel
free to e-mail me with your concerns. If you are using an e-
mail other than the one on record please e-mail me regarding
that.
"President John CRESPI has okayed another trip for Historian
Paul TROOP to go to Washington, D.C. Paul will retrieve more
documents that are available there. This trip will not happen
for a good month, so meanwhile, I should have most of the
current documents posted on the Website. Based on what I have
I will report out to President John CRESPI and Historian Paul
TROOP so repeated documents are not retrieved again."
MEDEVAC door gunner Jim BELAIR <JBelairE6@aol.com> e-mailed
that member John ROZZELL has passed away.
Jim CALIBRO had surgery 8/27/2008. It went very well and the
doctors removed sixteen inches of his colon. He should be in
the hospital for seven more days. His wife said
that Jim is starting to be himself (acting like he usually
does). Jim & Holly thank all those who e-mailed and phoned
him. It made him really feel good that there are so many out
there caring about him. Jim CALIBRO's e-mail address:
<jimcc4@aol.com>; Phone: (209)549-8919.
Dennis E. SELF <denniseself@yahoo.com> of Muskogee, OK,
says he was, "XO, Co C, 15th MED Bn., May '69- August '69."
Robert WUESTENBERG <pcfrmr@yahoo.com> from Johnstown, CO,
signed the Guestbook: "Thanks for the lifts. MEDEVACed three
times. Last one, 26 Mar 1968. They thought I was a goner on
that one. You done good!"
Lawrence "Larry" BIRD <dcstrnga@excite.com>
of Colonial Beach, VA, reminds us he was, "A Medic who flew
with MEDEVAC most of `71, more or less at the same time as
Harry HALLIE (sp?), Chuck LAWHORN (RIP), Larry LUND, Andy
KRAMER, Rich DUBREY (sp?), and the others...
Jim BRODIE <jbr8519738@aol.com> signs, "Air Amb. Plt.
TI '65/'66. John BUBELA TI; Carl RAY Maint NCO; Larry INMAN
Maint. Officer."
Curtis FORD from Gadsden, AL, wrote, "Door gunner '69.
Wounded Dec. '69. MEDEVACed to Japan, and on to the States.
I flew with ZEPP, 'Double Duce,' and with Okie. Memory not as
good as it use to be. Great site, glad I found it."
'69-'70 C 2-7 and MEDEVAC Medic Bill WALSH
<cpd9283@comcast.net> e-mailed, "Mike, can't believe you
can't remember two of our stalwart
steeds...Super King (which I believe was BRADY & CAMPBELL)
and Cherry Buster (which I believe 'Goody' {gunner Ricky
GOODSON} and I had our last month) with Okie in Song Be."
This must have been in response to the last column mentioning
the book about helicopter nick names and the request for any
and all. As I replied to Bill, I was probably the first Medic
to crew CE Danny SMITH's new SuperKing, which he said he
suped up-thus the name. Knowing him, he probably did. It was
a reliable monster.
I did tell Bill that Cherry Buster was after I had left, I
never heard of it. Bill mentions CE Mike VINYARD in relation,
which sounds like something Mike would name one.
Mike VINYARD was a great crew chief whom I flew with quite a
bit, who had a good of humor. On one pickup we landed by a
unit in contact and took their wounded. We had to low level
for awhile out of there because it was a hot area;
obviously.
Just the way the wind was blowing through the helicopter at
that time caused the blood that the poor grunt-I was working
on-was lying in, to splatter back. Mike with his M-60 in his
hell hole, got sprayed. He got completely covered in blood,
but kept doing his job scanning the horizon.
After we returned he just laughed it off with no complaints.
We had no complaints if we arrived in better condition than
those we were bringin in.
"Crews Brave Enemy Fire to Save Soldiers" by Sgt. 1st Class
Thomas MILLS, USA Special to American Forces Press Service
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, Jan. 22, 2008 - "Medical evacuation crews
from Task Force Marne faced down enemy gunfire to deliver
five injured soldiers in Iraq to safety Jan. 18.
"A Black Hawk helicopter sits in a field as seen through the
windshield of a second Black Hawk on a Jan. 18, 2008, mission
to rescue soldiers injured in an attack. The crews from the
3rd Infantry Division's Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd
Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, were called in
when a patrol of Stryker vehicles from the 25th Infantry
Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team was attacked.
"The Black Hawk helicopters flew to the site, only to find
that the easiest place to land -- the road the Stryker
vehicles were on -- had not been cleared of possible
improvised explosive devices. The MEDEVAC crews were unable
to contact the ground forces or an Apache team from 12th
Combat Aviation Brigade in the area.
"After circling the area scouting for a place to land, the
crews landed in a field adjacent to the road, Army Capt.
Samuel FRICKS, operations officer for Company C, said.
FRICKS, from Morrow, GA, was a pilot in the second of the two
MEDEVAC aircraft.
"'After landing, my Medic, Staff Sgt. (Robert) CONGDON,
departed the aircraft and linked up with ... Staff Sgt.
(Aughe) MCQUOWN,'" FRICKS said. The two Army Medics went to
the site of the attack and soon returned to the helicopters
with three injured soldiers.
"As they returned to the Stryker for the remaining two
injured soldiers, CONGDON said, they began taking fire.
"'I just grabbed the patient and grabbed MCQUOWN, and we went
into the Stryker," said CONGDON, a native of Las Vegas.
"'Bullets struck the Stryker and around them as they went for
the cover of the armored vehicle. CONGDON reset the Stryker'
radio to the MEDEVAC frequency, then took off his flight
helmet and put on a Stryker crew member's helmet so he could
talk to the air crew.
"When the call came over the radio that his Medics were
taking fire, FRICKS said, he was not sure what to think. He
did not know where the fire was coming from, but he figured
that since the helicopters were down below the level of the
road in the field, he was not in too much danger.
"'The only thing we knew was that Staff Sergeant CONGDON
was taking fire,' FRICKS said.
"As they waited for the two Medics to come back with the
remaining patients, a third Medic, Sgt. Donald DEDMON, from
Foreman, AR, in training as a flight Medic, ran back and
forth between the two aircraft to treat the injured soldiers
already onboard.
"DEDMON was midway through his training to be certified to
operate as a lone Medic on a MEDEVAC mission when he found
himself suddenly responsible for patients on two different
aircraft.
"'I was keying on the patients,' DEDMON said. 'Afterward, it
kind of came into perspective.'
"FRICKS had been linked up via radio to the circling Apaches,
and he relayed CONGDON's directions to bring in 30 mm machine
cannon fire to suppress the enemy shooter. Back at the
Stryker, CONGDON and MCQUOWN were attempting to get back to
the aircraft with their patients.
"'We lowered the ramp (of the Stryker) to get out and be able
to get to the aircraft, and (the sniper) started shooting,'
CONGDON said.
"MCQUOWN, a native of Florida, picked up one patient while
CONGDON and an infantry soldier helped the other patient, and
they broke for it.
"'They ran out of litters, and the guy was shooting at us,'
CONGDON said. 'The longer we wait on the ground, the worse it
is on the patient, so at some point we had to just leave and
get the patients to the hospital.'
"The Medics loaded the remaining two patients on the MEDEVAC
birds. After a quick count of heads to make sure no one was
left behind, they departed while the Apaches continued to lay
down suppressing fire.
"'The five patients we hauled all survived,' FRICKS said.
"He said watching the two Medics struggling to bring their
patients to safety was almost like something you'd see in a
Hollywood production. 'I just thought it was awesome,' he
said.
"Company C is part of Multinational Division Center and is
based out of Baghdad International Airport, with aircraft at
several locations in and around the Iraqi capital."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas MILLS serves in public affairs
with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Combat Aviation
Brigade.)
Always remembering our 1st Cav troops on duty around the
world; over and out.
FIRST TEAM!
Garryowen,
Mike Bodnar C 2\7 Cav 1969
MEDEVAC 1-7\1970
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE
15th MED\15th FSB
Mike Bodnar
13010 N Lakeforest Drive
Sun City, AZ 85351-3250
(623)972-4395
e-mail: mbodnar27@juno.com
Web site: http://15thmedassociation.org
Forum:
http://communities.msn.com/15thMEDASSOCIATION/_whats new.msnw
Clyde MOORE <msgtavn@hotmail.com> from Kingsville, TX,
comments: "HSC, 15th MED Bn., 1st Cav Div., Feb '67 to Feb
'68. Tech Inspector, Maintenance Supervisor. Great Website.
Just found it."
Webmaster/Past President 2003-2006 15th MED Association
Murray GIBBS, MEDEVAC '67-'68 <gunnermadmur@neo.rr.com>
informs, "President John CRESPI's grandbaby is in ICU.
"The 2009 Reunion has been finalized. Information on the
Reunion: April 2nd to April 5th, 2009, in Myrtle Beach, SC.
View the Reunion Website:
<http://www.15thmedassociation.com/2009Reunion.html>
"Historical Documents: During the month of May, Historians
COL William DOWNEY and Paul TROOP went to Washington, D.C.,
to retrieve what was believed to be over eight hundred
documents. The count I was told was nine hundred twenty
documents. I recently got the documents and I am in the
process of posting them on our main Website. I have done
1965; Jan. & Feb. 1966. I had to take a good look at the
documents and I thank Paul TROOP for separating them into
categories. Currently these are the categories I am using:
HHC, HSC, TOE or any necessary category to classify them;
A Co., B Co., & C Co.; S1, S3 & S4.
"I made the documents accessible only thru the Forums. I feel
as other officers feel that they should not be viewed by the
public. There may be sensitive information that is only for
viewing of those who were in the 15th MED Bn. Therefore,
anyone who wants to view the documents must be registered on
the Forums. When you register you will have the Visitor
level. I will look at whoever registers, and upon recognition
of their e-mail I will raise their permission level to 15th
MED member. Once you are re-raised to that level you will be
able to see the board called: 15th MED Members Only. All
others cannot see that board, thus those with honorary, 15th
MED member's wives, visiting veterans, and researchers,
cannot see the board. I explained the method of viewing the
documents on the Website:
<http://www.15thmedassociation.com/Historical_Docs.html>
"Please follow that method and if you have any questions feel
free to e-mail me with your concerns. If you are using an e-
mail other than the one on record please e-mail me regarding
that.
"President John CRESPI has okayed another trip for Historian
Paul TROOP to go to Washington, D.C. Paul will retrieve more
documents that are available there. This trip will not happen
for a good month, so meanwhile, I should have most of the
current documents posted on the Website. Based on what I have
I will report out to President John CRESPI and Historian Paul
TROOP so repeated documents are not retrieved again."
MEDEVAC door gunner Jim BELAIR <JBelairE6@aol.com> e-mailed
that member John ROZZELL has passed away.
Jim CALIBRO had surgery 8/27/2008. It went very well and the
doctors removed sixteen inches of his colon. He should be in
the hospital for seven more days. His wife said
that Jim is starting to be himself (acting like he usually
does). Jim & Holly thank all those who e-mailed and phoned
him. It made him really feel good that there are so many out
there caring about him. Jim CALIBRO's e-mail address:
<jimcc4@aol.com>; Phone: (209)549-8919.
Dennis E. SELF <denniseself@yahoo.com> of Muskogee, OK,
says he was, "XO, Co C, 15th MED Bn., May '69- August '69."
Robert WUESTENBERG <pcfrmr@yahoo.com> from Johnstown, CO,
signed the Guestbook: "Thanks for the lifts. MEDEVACed three
times. Last one, 26 Mar 1968. They thought I was a goner on
that one. You done good!"
Lawrence "Larry" BIRD <dcstrnga@excite.com>
of Colonial Beach, VA, reminds us he was, "A Medic who flew
with MEDEVAC most of `71, more or less at the same time as
Harry HALLIE (sp?), Chuck LAWHORN (RIP), Larry LUND, Andy
KRAMER, Rich DUBREY (sp?), and the others...
Jim BRODIE <jbr8519738@aol.com> signs, "Air Amb. Plt.
TI '65/'66. John BUBELA TI; Carl RAY Maint NCO; Larry INMAN
Maint. Officer."
Curtis FORD from Gadsden, AL, wrote, "Door gunner '69.
Wounded Dec. '69. MEDEVACed to Japan, and on to the States.
I flew with ZEPP, 'Double Duce,' and with Okie. Memory not as
good as it use to be. Great site, glad I found it."
'69-'70 C 2-7 and MEDEVAC Medic Bill WALSH
<cpd9283@comcast.net> e-mailed, "Mike, can't believe you
can't remember two of our stalwart
steeds...Super King (which I believe was BRADY & CAMPBELL)
and Cherry Buster (which I believe 'Goody' {gunner Ricky
GOODSON} and I had our last month) with Okie in Song Be."
This must have been in response to the last column mentioning
the book about helicopter nick names and the request for any
and all. As I replied to Bill, I was probably the first Medic
to crew CE Danny SMITH's new SuperKing, which he said he
suped up-thus the name. Knowing him, he probably did. It was
a reliable monster.
I did tell Bill that Cherry Buster was after I had left, I
never heard of it. Bill mentions CE Mike VINYARD in relation,
which sounds like something Mike would name one.
Mike VINYARD was a great crew chief whom I flew with quite a
bit, who had a good of humor. On one pickup we landed by a
unit in contact and took their wounded. We had to low level
for awhile out of there because it was a hot area;
obviously.
Just the way the wind was blowing through the helicopter at
that time caused the blood that the poor grunt-I was working
on-was lying in, to splatter back. Mike with his M-60 in his
hell hole, got sprayed. He got completely covered in blood,
but kept doing his job scanning the horizon.
After we returned he just laughed it off with no complaints.
We had no complaints if we arrived in better condition than
those we were bringin in.
"Crews Brave Enemy Fire to Save Soldiers" by Sgt. 1st Class
Thomas MILLS, USA Special to American Forces Press Service
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, Jan. 22, 2008 - "Medical evacuation crews
from Task Force Marne faced down enemy gunfire to deliver
five injured soldiers in Iraq to safety Jan. 18.
"A Black Hawk helicopter sits in a field as seen through the
windshield of a second Black Hawk on a Jan. 18, 2008, mission
to rescue soldiers injured in an attack. The crews from the
3rd Infantry Division's Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd
Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, were called in
when a patrol of Stryker vehicles from the 25th Infantry
Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team was attacked.
"The Black Hawk helicopters flew to the site, only to find
that the easiest place to land -- the road the Stryker
vehicles were on -- had not been cleared of possible
improvised explosive devices. The MEDEVAC crews were unable
to contact the ground forces or an Apache team from 12th
Combat Aviation Brigade in the area.
"After circling the area scouting for a place to land, the
crews landed in a field adjacent to the road, Army Capt.
Samuel FRICKS, operations officer for Company C, said.
FRICKS, from Morrow, GA, was a pilot in the second of the two
MEDEVAC aircraft.
"'After landing, my Medic, Staff Sgt. (Robert) CONGDON,
departed the aircraft and linked up with ... Staff Sgt.
(Aughe) MCQUOWN,'" FRICKS said. The two Army Medics went to
the site of the attack and soon returned to the helicopters
with three injured soldiers.
"As they returned to the Stryker for the remaining two
injured soldiers, CONGDON said, they began taking fire.
"'I just grabbed the patient and grabbed MCQUOWN, and we went
into the Stryker," said CONGDON, a native of Las Vegas.
"'Bullets struck the Stryker and around them as they went for
the cover of the armored vehicle. CONGDON reset the Stryker'
radio to the MEDEVAC frequency, then took off his flight
helmet and put on a Stryker crew member's helmet so he could
talk to the air crew.
"When the call came over the radio that his Medics were
taking fire, FRICKS said, he was not sure what to think. He
did not know where the fire was coming from, but he figured
that since the helicopters were down below the level of the
road in the field, he was not in too much danger.
"'The only thing we knew was that Staff Sergeant CONGDON
was taking fire,' FRICKS said.
"As they waited for the two Medics to come back with the
remaining patients, a third Medic, Sgt. Donald DEDMON, from
Foreman, AR, in training as a flight Medic, ran back and
forth between the two aircraft to treat the injured soldiers
already onboard.
"DEDMON was midway through his training to be certified to
operate as a lone Medic on a MEDEVAC mission when he found
himself suddenly responsible for patients on two different
aircraft.
"'I was keying on the patients,' DEDMON said. 'Afterward, it
kind of came into perspective.'
"FRICKS had been linked up via radio to the circling Apaches,
and he relayed CONGDON's directions to bring in 30 mm machine
cannon fire to suppress the enemy shooter. Back at the
Stryker, CONGDON and MCQUOWN were attempting to get back to
the aircraft with their patients.
"'We lowered the ramp (of the Stryker) to get out and be able
to get to the aircraft, and (the sniper) started shooting,'
CONGDON said.
"MCQUOWN, a native of Florida, picked up one patient while
CONGDON and an infantry soldier helped the other patient, and
they broke for it.
"'They ran out of litters, and the guy was shooting at us,'
CONGDON said. 'The longer we wait on the ground, the worse it
is on the patient, so at some point we had to just leave and
get the patients to the hospital.'
"The Medics loaded the remaining two patients on the MEDEVAC
birds. After a quick count of heads to make sure no one was
left behind, they departed while the Apaches continued to lay
down suppressing fire.
"'The five patients we hauled all survived,' FRICKS said.
"He said watching the two Medics struggling to bring their
patients to safety was almost like something you'd see in a
Hollywood production. 'I just thought it was awesome,' he
said.
"Company C is part of Multinational Division Center and is
based out of Baghdad International Airport, with aircraft at
several locations in and around the Iraqi capital."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas MILLS serves in public affairs
with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Combat Aviation
Brigade.)
Always remembering our 1st Cav troops on duty around the
world; over and out.
FIRST TEAM!
Garryowen,
Mike Bodnar C 2\7 Cav 1969
MEDEVAC 1-7\1970
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE