MEDEVAC
15th Med\15th FSB
Mike Bodnar
307B N Main
Copperas Cove, TX 76522 1704
254-542-1961
e-mail: mbodnar27@juno.com
http://www.vabch.com/mssb/snore/map15th.htm
The 52nd Annual 1st Cavalry Division Reunion has come and
gone, like all things do if you wait long enough. In the
process I managed to see once again many familiar, and meet
many new, 1st Cav heroes. Among those new 1st Cav heroes whom
I met were veterans of MEDEVAC and the 15th Medical
Battalion.
The first name that I would like to mention is that of Henry
W. "Captain Hook" LAND III (Cpt. Ret.). Box 205, Tangerine,
FL 32777. Henry was a MEDEVAC pilot from August '67 to March
'68. That would put his last flight mission during Tet of
1968, when the 1st Cav Division along with the rest of the
United States military was so very busy fighting off a
widespread enemy campaign to conquer South Vietnam.
I can in no way tell Henry's story fully and accurately, but
very briefly, during that Tet offensive Henry was piloting a
MEDEVAC aircraft and while trying to evacuate wounded,
received enemy gun fire which struck his hand holding on to
the Cyclic. That was, needless to say, Henry's last flight.
He mentioned something to me about working in pharmacy after
that and his e-mail: <PHARMNURS@AOL.COM>would indicate that.
Henry now wears, in I assume as good spirits as possible, a
hook where his right hand was shot off. Thanks Henry-Sir!-SO
THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE.
Another MEDEVAC veteran whom I met for the first time was
John "ELKDOG" CRESPI, 315 Scarborough, Olathe, KS 66062 (913)
397-6318 <ELKDOG@AOL.COM>. John had a lot to say and was
worth listening to. John, as mentioned in a previous column,
flew on MEDEVAC from '67 to '68 as an E-6 flight medic. John
wrote one of these Saber 15th Med columns previously, two
years ago in the Sept\Oct '97 edition.
On July 08, 1999, I received a call from Bob HARDY of 201
Summer Street, Somerville, MA 02143 (617)623-3527. Bob was in
A Co. 15th Med from December '67 to '68. Bob told me that his
job was to set up the facilities when A Co. moved. Bob's time
frame would put him through Tet '68 which he told me about,
and then through the 1st Cav move down south to III Corps at
the end of '68. Being in A Co. 15th Med he ended up in Tay
Ninh where he told me that he had a reunion with men he knew
in the 25th Infantry Division which was HQed in Tay Ninh.
Bob also told me that he would be at the 52nd Annual 1st Cav
Reunion and so I made a point of trying to find him there. I
managed to find him, in the short intermission time at the
closing Banquet, and I was surprised that I had seen him at
many previous 1st Cav Reunions but I never had a chance to
talk with him. Bob is apparently a regular at the 1st Cav
Reunions and has a long history of STANDING BY.
Another telephone call I received, but on July 22, 1999, was
from Ralph TUTRANI of 04 Buckley Circle, Royersford, PA,
19468 telephone: (616)948-3437. Ralph was an E-5, originally
from New York City, and working as a clerk in 15th Med
starting at the beginning of 1968. Ralph told me that
MEDEVAC-as usual-was looking for crewmen so he felt that he
"could do the macho stuff too," and offered himself as a door
gunner. Ralph, after spending a short time as a clerk,
finished his tour of duty, I would say, flying through some
of the worst times in MEDEVAC history. Ralph said that his
MEDEVAC career ended when he was wounded in February of 1969.
Whatever Ralph's reasons were for doing what he did,
ultimately, it was SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE, and I think that
you can feel good about that Ralph, thanks!
Ralph told me that he called me because he recognized some of
the names of MEDEVAC crewmen printed in this column and that
he has had a bad case C.R.S. (can't remember s___). Perhaps
some of those crewmen who know Ralph will read this and get
in touch with him. Ralph told me that he now lives by
Philadelphia but is a consultant, so that puts him on the
road most of the time and away from home. I think that you
can always write to Ralph's address if you cannot reach him
by telephone; or leave a message.
I received e-mail from Bud DAVIS <MEDEVAC791@AOL.COM>801 E
152nd Street, Tacoma, WA 98445, one of the original MEDEVAC
crewmen. Bud says: "I flew with MEDEVAC in 1965-66 as did my
best friend Mel ALLEN [2165 Hughes Drive, Oxnard, CA 93033].
We are both coming to the reunion again as we have for the
past ten years or so, hope to meet you there. I'm glad to see
that someone is finally trying to find some of these guys.
It's not too hard to see what ship I flew on. I WAS VERY
PROUD OF MEDEVAC. Your article was right about DUSTOFF. They
didn't go into a hot LZ for our guys but MEDEVAC always did.
I'll see you at the reunion. A FRIEND IN WAR AND PEACE----
BUD"
Unfortunately I was not able to see Bud nor Mel whom I wanted
to see at the Reunion because I had spoken to them before
at 1st Cav Reunions over the years. This is one good reason
why I would like to see the other MEDEVAC and 15th Med
veterans who have organized to come to the 1st Cav Reunions
and have a hospitality suite like other units do where it
will be easier to see everyone from the unit.
If everyone here mentioned can come from so far away, Henry
LAND all the way from Florida, and he expressed to me
interest in the upcoming MEDEVAC\15th Med Reunion in San
Antonio, TX so I know that he would dearly love to get
together with everyone from MEDEVAC and 15th Med, and if
also another MEDEVAC pilot whom I did not get a chance to
meet but came in from Alabama, James H. NICHOLS (LTC Ret.)
984 Winston Avenue, Elba, AL 36323, feels that much about the
1st Cav Reunion to come from far enough away to make it a
journey, then I think that everyone at one reunion would
bring out the many, many MEDEVAC and 15th Med veterans. I
think that is worth considering and is a good item to bring
up at the next MEDEVAC\15th Med business meeting; right men?
Gary D. Greene <KIK6HBBA@AENEAS.NET>originally from CT now
from TN writes that he served with C Co., 15th Med from '74-
'77. "I was part of the group that went to Ft. CHAFFEE, AR,
for the Vietnamese refugee relocation in '75. We also helped
to re-open what is now the Desert Warfare Training Center, at
Ft.IRWIN, CA. Does anybody know Dennis REAP, I served with
him in the Cav in '76\'77. He was wearing the Cav patch on
both sides at the time. Also 1st Sgt YTUARTE; thanks, Top,
you helped me get my head back on straight, it's been all
uphill since."
Ronald J. FINDLAY <KAWA@PORTUP.COM>from Marenisco, MI
says that he was not in MEDEVAC, but that he served with A
Co. 15th Med from Sept. '66 to May '67. He was in Phu Cat,
Phu Me, Duc Pho, and other places not remembered. He says,
"What I will always remember are the guys that I served
with, if not by name by a love only a Nam vet can have.
I need help finding someone, anyone who was with me in Nam.
Thanks R.J. FINDLAY, S.P.5."
Glenn SHEATHELM, 1530 Beardsley Ave, Muskegon, MI, 49441 3112
was an artillery recon Sgt. in D 1\8 Cav '67-'68 and wrote
once again to find medics WEST and ADKINS or ATKINS in D 1\8
at the same time. I will send to Glenn the roster of names
found which can be viewed at
http://www.vabch.com/mssb/snore/web7.htm for anyone who would
like to see it. If those medics were not on MEDEVAC nor in
15th Med then it is doubtful that we would have a record of
them.
Many people think that 15th Med had control over the medics
in the 1st Cav Division and I think that the Division Surgeon
who was the 15th Medical Battalion Commander and the chief
surgeon in the division was responsible but I think that when
the line battalions needed medics as any other M.O.S. then
they went to 15th Admin who got them from the In Country
Replacement Center and then they were assigned accordingly.
I was sent the following e-mail description of West Point's
own air assault school and I thought that I would include it
to illustrate how much is expected of soldiers today to meet
the requirements of airmobility; requirements that we as
Skytroopers met through O.J.T. and just Army training Sir!
I think that it proves just how good of a job we all did in
Vietnam:
WEST POINT'S OWN AIR ASSAULT SCHOOL...
"When I was a cadet I was disappointed when I didn't get to
go to air assault school at Fort CAMPBELL, my cadet company
was only allocated two slots. This summer, 351 cadets went to
West Point's own air assault school. That is about eleven per
company. Since the early '90's, West Point has been running
the school at Camp SMITH, a National Guard post near
Peekskill, NY. This has allowed more cadets to receive the
challenging training than ever before.
Air assault is the movement of troops and equipment by
helicopters which includes loading aircraft and jumping off
or rappelling from helicopters. West Point's school provides
the same training as other air assault schools in the Army.
This summer the school was run by a ten cadet cadre who were
responsible for the daily operations of the school and 14
certified air assault instructors who were tasked from air
assault schools in Fort CAMPBELL and Fort DRUM. The equipment
for the school is provided by West Point with the exception
of the UH60 Black Hawk helicopters which are provided by the
National Guard.
The school is eleven straight days of training. It consists
of three phases and starts with what is known as
qualification day. First, cadets are required to traverse a
series of difficult obstacles requiring strength and agility
at dangerous heights. Then they run a hilly two mile course
in eighteen minutes or less. This day weeds out the weak and
those who cannot overcome their fear of heights. Only then
does the real training begin.
About half of Phase I takes place in the classroom. Cadets
receive an aircraft orientation where they learn technical
information about aircraft and aeromedevac operations. They
also have a class called pathfinder operations which are hand
and arm signals used to move aircraft.
The course then moves outdoors for static load training which
is how to load aircraft and move into and out of aircraft
tactically. A practice combat assault is the highlight of
this phase. Cadets are loaded onto UH60 helicopters, go on a
low level orientation flight, and unload tactically on a
landing zone. At the end of every phase cadets take a written
and hands-on examination. Those who fail are retrained and
retested. Those who fail the second time are dropped from the
course.
Phase II is sling load operations. Cadets are taught how to
sling various pieces of military equipment such as a HUMMV,
fuel blivets, cargo nets, and water buffalos so that a
helicopter can transport them. For the hands-on test,
instructors set up four loads and rig each with four
deficiencies. Cadets are required to find at least three
deficiencies in each load. At the end of the test, cadets
attach the slings to UH60s for a test flight.
Cadets learn how to rappel in Phase III. First they learn how
to tie a rappel seat and belay procedures. Then they get to
do the fun stuff. They start on a slanted wall and then work
up to rappelling off a 40-foot tower. They learn three
different rappels: Hollywood (no equipment), Hollywood
Lock-In (a variation of the Hollywood rappel), and full
equipment. Cadets must demonstrate proficiency in all three
rappel styles to pass this part of the course. This phase
culminates with each cadet rappelling twice out of a
helicopter.
The last day at air assault school may be one of the
toughest. It consists of a formidable twelve mile road march
carrying about twenty-eight pounds of equipment. The march
must be completed in three hours or less. Captain Brian
BISACRE, the committee chief for air assault school, called
it the most difficult roadmarch course at any air assault
school due to the hilly terrain. This summer, Cadet First
Class Ryan NENABER, distinguished honor graduate and highest
academic scorer for his class, finished the road march in an
impressive one hour and fifty-four minutes. Those cadets who
pass all three phases and the road march graduate and have
the honor of having those coveted air assault wings pinned on
their chests." Karen (HADDOCK) FRALEN U.S.M.A. '87
<KFRALEN@NETSCAPE.NET>
I called a good buddy of mine, Howard ANDERSON C 2\7 Cav '69,
of Oakland, CA, to wish him a happy birthday on August 26.
Howard used his age and wisdom in Vietnam to keep me and many
others from doing anything stupid, thus getting through hell
in one piece while we still got the job expected done and he
also inadvertently inspired me to extend six months to fly on
MEDEVAC.
I would like to mention that it was Howard who was most vocal
about the impression that MEDEVAC made when they came in and
used the only available landing zone, the side of a fallen
giant tree amid B-52 bomb craters in War Zone C, Tay Ninh
Province, on June 20, 1969, after one of our machine gunners,
whom Howard was in the gun team with in 1st Platoon C 2\7
Cav, was struck in the face by point blank tracer fire from a
thirty caliber Chicom machine gun right in front of me. As it
turned out, it was a good thing that I was there, and that
MEDEVAC was there. I do not think that wounded machine gunner
would have survived in any previous war, including Korea
where they did use medical evacuation helicopters, as even
there he would have been strapped to a skid with no medic nor
Ringer's I.V. for the short but critical flight back to a
surgical hospital. Again, Happy Birthday and GARRYOWEN Howie!
Bringing up the rear, ironically, is James F. BRODIE
<JBR8519738@AOL.COM>from Bend, OR. James writes that he was
one of the first members of 11th Air Assualt MEDEVAC at
Fort BENNING. He writes that, "I went to Nam as a TI from
'65'-66. Back in country '68-'69, with the 227th 1st Cav. I
have some pics and I changed some of my movies to video. I
have the Flying Crane with the operating medical pod
taking off from our pad in An Khe. I went through the whole
list on the register and did not see one name I recognized,
nor any entries from the first bunch of us in '65. Please,
don't tell me I am the only one left. Maybe, we are just too
old to use a computer; I know I just got mine. HHC 15th Med
BN EVAC '65\'66 See ya, Jim."
As a footnote: Doctor Joseph W. "DOC" MCNANEY M.D. (Col.
Ret.), who entertained us as the host of the Vietnam
Veteran's Luncheon at the 52nd Annual 1st Cav Reunion and had
everyone rolling in the aisles with laughter putting his
commanding boisterousness which he is famous for-especially
to those of us who served under him and kept us in line with-
to good use, requested of me to put out a query for any
photos of MEDEVAC that anyone would like to submit to go on
display in the 1st Cav Museum at Fort HOOD, TX.
"DOC" MCNANEY told me that he was in the 1st Cav Museum and
that he saw no record of MEDEVAC so he registered a formal
complaint with the curator who said, by all means, send
photos in to display. I would suggest sending "action" photos
if anyone has any. I was always too busy to take photos
during combat action but I know there are some out there.
The best way to send them is to first scan them so that you
do not have to jeopardize losing them and then you can send
them as a 400x300 pixel or so-not too big, not too small-.JPG
file to me at: <MBODNAR@MAILCITY.COM>because my Juno e-mail
will not accept graphic files. You can then notify me at my
Juno e-mail address above that you sent photos to me so that
I will look in my Mailcity e-mail which I do not do
regularly. Roger? I will submit all photos that I receive and
but to the grace of the powers that be they will be
immortalized in the 1st Cav archives.
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
