| MEDEVAC 15th Med 15th FSB |
| Mike Bodnar 307B N Main Copperas Cove, TX 76522 1704 254-542-1961 e-mail: mbodnar27@juno.com |
| Article One SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE; That is the motto of this unit; call sign: MEDEVAC. I think that is a great motto. The command unit, 15th Medical Battalion, now 15th Forward Support Battalion, uses the official motto of: STANDING BY; and adds unofficially: LEAD THE WAY. Other great mottos: THIS WE'LL DEFEND; WE CAN, WE WILL; GARRY! OWEN; HONOR AND COURAGE; SEMPER PARATUS; LOYALTY, COURAGE; and many, many more. Whatever your motto to live by and fight with...FIRST TEAM! SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE has special meaning to those of us who were privileged enough to serve on MEDEVAC and to be able to repay the sacrifices of service by our combative fellow Americans as soldiers by being there when they needed us. I know from having been on the sacrificing, needing end, in C 2\7 Cav in 1969, while we pursued the enemy, that MEDEVAC was more than special. From the impressions of my fellow platoon members and 11-Bravos whom I served with in C 2\7 Cav, I found my way to serve on MEDEVAC when my DEROS arrived in December of 1969. Things had quieted down in our A.O. because we had done the job that was requested of the 1st Cavalry Division. At least it had quieted down where I was in C 2\7, compared to very busy and bloody months in the early and middle months of 1969, and when the 1st Cavalry Division first came down to III Corps at the end of 1968. I felt that I could do more by flying on MEDEVAC, which covered the entire 1st Cavalry Division, so I had extended my Vietnam service six months to do that. The combat activity would always be somewhere, covering the entire division, even if all of the units had cleaned out their A.O.'s. Some enemy element would always be trying to find a new way to infiltrate somewhere, and somebody in the 1st Cavalry Division would find them. There has been recent, aggressive activity by veterans of MEDEVAC in the name of SNORE-a.k.a. Sherman BREEDEN-a MEDEVAC crew chief extraordinaire whom I served with, and thanks to the Internet, to locate fellow MEDEVAC veterans. I ran into SNORE when he signed the 1st Cavalry Division Association's Web site Guestbook a number of times. I found SNORE's Web site and what he has been doing to organize and locate the veterans of MEDEVAC. SNORE and the other veterans of MEDEVAC whom he and they have found-over 150 MEDEVAC veterans in all, and counting-just had their first reunion on 17-19 April 1998, in Virginia Beach, VA. As all of the 1st Cavalry Division units seem to do, the MEDEVAC veterans have formed an association. Like the first President of the United States, George WASHINGTON, Sherman BREEDEN, also a Virginian, was elected to be the first president of the MEDEVAC Association. I am sure that the MEDEVAC veterans wanted to honor SNORE, like George WASHINGTON was honored, by electing him the first president, for the organization and leadership to unite everyone. The charter members of the MEDEVAC Association and those attending the first MEDEVAC Reunion are: Dan BRADY, Barry L. BROWN, Larry ASH, Quinn H. BECKER, Sherman L. BREEDEN, Dillard CARTER, Robert "Tom" CAMPBELL, David COOPER, Wendell DAVIS, Jim FERGUSON, Mark HOLIDAY, Jim HUDSON, Ron HUETHER, Eldon H. IDEUS, Chuck LAWHORN, Jimmy A. NORRIS, Michael SMITH, Rich Jay TANNER, John G. TABOR, Tom J. WHELAN, Corky WALSH, Bob MCKINLEY, Tom TRIFIRO, Ray ZEPP, Thomas R. HUGHES, and John F. ZWALINSKI. If I got anyone's name incorrect let me know and a correction will be noted. I hate to be inaccurate, especially with another veteran's name. These above names are of course nowhere near the over 150 MEDEVAC veterans recently found. It is, though, the start of the MEDEVAC reunions. The 1999 MEDEVAC Reunion will be May 1st and 2nd, at the Jackie Coughan Plaza in Las Vegas, NV. The room rates will be $50 + Tax as of this writing. I recently spoke to our 1st Cavalry Division Association Executive Director Art Junot (BG Ret.), and he mentioned to me that he has to remind the various units that submit columns, that the Saber is not for their newsletters. I am not intending for this column, if it can grace the pages of the Saber, to be a MEDEVAC or 15th Med\FSB newsletter. I just wanted to introduce the Saber readers to the belated organization of MEDEVAC veterans happening recently, so that the many veterans of MEDEVAC as well the 15th Med and 15th FSB who read the Saber know where to regroup with those whom they served with in those units. I suggest going to SNORE's Web site, if you use the Internet, to read his newsletter and all of the other extensive information that he has posted. I recommend going first to his Web site map-like all astute soldiers do to locate themselves. The Web site map is at: http://www.vabch.com/mssb/SNORE/MAP15th.HTM It was my idea that I expressed to SNORE to be active with the 1st Cav Association which I have been a member of since I found out about it and I have been going to the 1st Cav Association reunions since 1985. He suggested that I start the writing of this column instead of him or someone else-as long as I thought that he should do one in the Saber for the MEDEVAC veterans of the 1st Cav. I was surprised that SNORE and so many other MEDEVAC veterans have not recently been members of their 1st Cavalry Division Association. I think the reason that I, myself, did not know about the 1st Cavalry Division Association when I was in the 1st Cav in Vietnam was because I do not think that anyone responsible thought that we would live very long, so they did not bother telling us. I seriously believe that; but that is history; let us make up for lost time. The fact that life membership is only $10 should make it as easy as anything on this earth to do to join when you are a veteran of the 1st Cavalry Division. Being a veteran of the 1st Cavalry Division can only mean more than anything else on this earth if you are an American and a veteran of the United States Army. I impressed on SNORE the many important reasons to join his 1st Cav Association and he finally just did. SNORE put out the word in his e-mailings to all of us MEDEVAC and 15th Med\FSB veterans, the important reasons for everyone to join their 1st Cavalry Division Association. Welcome home Sherman; and I do not say that lightly. We are waiting for our other MEDEVAC and 15th Med\FSB veterans who have not yet joined, to come home. At this point I want to say that I dislike-and I have always disliked-the phrase bestowed upon Vietnam veterans, "Welcome home!" Personally, I never left! In 1986, while I was living in Los Angeles, there was a rock concert put on at the famous Los Angeles Forum, for Vietnam veterans. I was then a member of the Southern California Chapter of the 1st Cavalry Division Association. Herb EDWARDS, A 2\8 Cav, and his then wife Kathy, got tickets for all of us to that Vietnam veteran dedicated concert at the Los Angeles Forum. I wanted to go because there were a lot of rock musicians whom I always wanted to see. One of the performers was a controversial 60's activist and musician whose music I knew well; that musician being Country Joe McDonald. Country Joe did his first, acoustic song at the concert and I happened to be not in my seat but down in front of the stage. Country Joe, after finishing his first song, said into the microphone to the Vietnam veteran audience, "Welcome home!" That irked me as that phrase always does, directed to Vietnam veterans, and I just sounded off back at Joe so that he could hear me, "SAME TO YOU!" I knew that Country Joe was a pre-Vietnam War veteran of the United States Navy. Country Joe apparently did hear me and he was affected as I had intended because he then started to mumble into the microphone to the Vietnam veteran audience about himself having been in the Navy in the early 60's, blah, blah; with great humility, as a fellow veteran. My mission was accomplished. But to SNORE and all of the veterans joining their 1st Cavalry Division Association, you are coming home. You have been away from your 1st Cavalry Division that you helped to set into history with your dedicated service. You have always carried the 1st Cav with you as veterans; just as American veterans we serve our country and bring the country with us, fighting under our flag. How can we be welcomed home when we never leave in essence? But we do leave the division, and by joining our 1st Cavalry Division Association we are, coming home. I am looking forward to seeing the MEDEVAC and 15th Med\FSB veterans' reunions being held at the big 1st Cavalry Division Association reunions, like the other 1st Cav unit associations have theirs. Then I will know that we are all home! I am suspicious that someone started that "Welcome home!" phrase uttered to Vietnam veterans to belittle us. And then of course it was adapted by the culture, and used in a sincere context by the innocent and well intentioned. I think that "Welcome home!" phrase had its origins from the same people who like to say that we lost the Vietnam War. I recently read former President Richard Nixon's book: No More Vietnams. He says that we in fact won the "second" Vietnam War, and he presents Presidential evidence along with a detailed history of Vietnam as only he could at the level of government service that he achieved in his long career. I have the instinct to believe him and his strong evidence over those who do nothing but criticize. I know firsthand the hard work that the American military produced to carry out his, as American, policies. I think of the 1st Cavalry Division then and now doing as ordered to defend peace and democracy. Notwithstanding, I find in reading the autobiography of Hamilton H. Howze, whom some of you may know of, that he takes experienced issue with the concept that those that fight and sometimes die in military service do so "in the defense of freedom." He says that maybe that is why they enlisted but he thinks that after little training, soldiers do not fight and sometimes die primarily for country, or freedom, or other lofty purpose-but they fight for their buddies, their squad, then their platoon, their company, and maybe their battalion, and upward in descending order of importance. That was in extreme combat that he experienced. So too it was with us flying on MEDEVAC. We had the immediate concern; and that was to extract the wounded and dying from combat. I think back and I feel like Pluto's dog, guarding the gate to the dead, not allowing anyone to enter. In the September\October edition of the Saber the 1\9 Cav column had a graphic account of combat in Tay Ninh Province in 1970. (I was beginning to think that everyone in 1\9 Cav had retired from the Association) I am presently reading Kregg JORGENSON's excellent book: Acceptable Loss, which is as engrossing and well written as his Saber column story was about "men of steel." I would not let anyone sit on my buddy either-none of them-not even the ones that I do not know! Thanks to Kregg P.J. JORGENSON and Matt BRENNAN for their books, and David BRAY for his articles telling us about their and the other 1\9 Cav scouts so that we know what they did, can be done. Thanks to all of them who have written about their experiences which were above and beyond the call of duty. Although, I know of one veteran of the United States Army who would reduce that to just, duty: Roy P. Benavidez; R.I.P. The reason that I mention all of this in this column is because Kregg JORGENSON mentioned in his Saber story that MEDEVAC came out when they needed to extract their wounded. I was flying on MEDEVAC then and in Tay Ninh at times-the 1st Cav's 1st Brigade A.O. I do not remember ever picking up for 1\9 Cav but it is good to know that we did and that we could help them like we did the other units that did not have their own helicopters like 1\9 Cav did. Because I do not remember making any pickups for 1\9 Cav does not mean that I never did, nor that MEDEVAC did only rarely. As one of my squad leaders in C 2\7 Cav, Roy STERN, would tell me at the reunions, "Vietnam is just a blur." That could be the case more than I would like to admit. Of course in MEDEVAC there was also a lot of competition among crew members to fly. It was supply and demand. A close to full roster in the air ambulance platoon was maintained, and only three active crews were assigned to cover each of the three 1st Cav brigades. Until the s hit the fan, everyone not immediately assigned, was on call. When the Cambodian Incursion happened from May 1st through June until July of 1970, everyone in MEDEVAC was assigned as a crew and we were all flying, extracting wounded for every U.S. Army and A.R.V.N. unit in the III Corps sector of Cambodia. We were very busy, with over a thousand sorties which is documented in the U.S. Government Printing Office book: Army Aero-medical Evacuation in Vietnam. With that kind of activity, I know that there has to be at least some stories-I have found a few already that I will work on getting into print-from that period anyway, for the Saber, that all of you MEDEVAC crewmen-to include our great pilots-can test your writing ability with. Send them to me, or even better, to SNORE to also put on his Web site. I can get them from him. If you are not online that is what the Saber is for; for the last fifty years. To all MEDEVAC veterans, 15th Med, and the present 15th FSB, I encourage you-if you got through the Army I do not need to give you courage, write a short story about your service, your unit, your 1st Cavalry Division, that shows the importance to serve your country and your fellow Americans, when so many Americans never put on the uniform of their nation's military. Let us know that you are proud to do that mature, responsible job, that is inspirational. I will hold you in suspense until the next issue of the Saber about the list of names of the over one hundred and fifty MEDEVAC veterans that have been found; everyone else, let us know that you are alive, write! Always remembering our 1st Cav troops on duty around the world; over and out. FIRST TEAM! Garryowen, Mike Bodnar C 2\7 '69 MEDEVAC 1-7\70 SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE |
| Article Two |
| 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 "We look out for our own," is the old saying. With that in mind I would like to remind you about the 1st Cav Trooper Support Program for the 1st Cav in Bosnia. 1st Cav troops are still in Bosnia, now on the SECOND deployment-no light at the end of the tunnel. That means that the 1st Cav on duty needs your continued support. We stand together, or we fall together; it is that simple and it is real. You can go to page 15 in this Saber edition to view the battle plans to make commo and send resupply to the forward 1st Cav elements. On February 2nd, just before noon, I received a call from Clifford DAVIS. Clifford told me that he had read my first column over and over again. I can understand why because Clifford also told me that he had flown on MEDEVAC in 1966 and that he was shot down on November 5th, 1966. He told me that he suffered a broken back and neck with six broken vertebrae. Clifford said that he recovered somehow and he then returned to Vietnam and did more service with the Special Forces. That is commendable. Although Clifford recovered from his wounds and he then did even more vital combat duty he told me that he is presently bound to a wheelchair because the years have deteriorated his body from those wounds; what else could they have been but serious. Clifford says that it does not bother him except when it rains-and I am sure that he does not sit outside in the wet to feel that way. We are with you Clifford! Clifford told me that the way that MEDEVAC was working where he was in Bong Son was that they had three helicopters covering each 1st Cav brigade. He said that they were flying up to twenty hours a day. If you have any doubts about those numbers I am sure that he would love to hear from you. Clifford is at 7925 Saint Ives Road, N Charleston, SC 29406 (843)572-8043. This is a temporary address while he is having a house built. He does not have a computer presently so you cannot contact him by e-mail. Clifford mentioned one particulary bad incident which he covered on MEDEVAC when a company of 2\5 Cav was decimated. His job after the incident was the task of identifying for the 15th Med the cause of casualty. I am sure that gruesome and emotional task was only greatly surpassed by the fight with the enemy experienced by those 5th Cav infantrymen. Clifford is still looking for James A. Lotta, a medic who became a cook whom he knew in B Company 15th Med. I am sure that Clifford would like to see in person any fellow Palmetto 1st Cav veterans. Perhaps we can get him to the reunion in Fayetteville, NC in 2000 for his first time. A couple of days after the call from Clifford I received a call from John CRESPI, an E-6 in MEDEVAC from '67-'68. John had done a 15th Med column in the Sept\Oct 1997 Saber; only one issue though and he had to give up because he said that he got absolutely no response. I was just on the verge of responding to him or to his predecessor, Wm. Addison HURST, whose 15th Med column ran from September 1995 until October 1996. I wanted to respond to the inaccurate names in those columns of MEDEVAC veterans whom I knew, but those columns disappeared. After reading about the first reunion and organization of, in my first column, John was very surprised that many MEDEVAC veterans could get together. I put John in touch with SNORE and I see John's name on the MEDEVAC Guestbook. John can be reached at 315 Scarborough, Olathe, KS 66062, (913)397-6318; or e-mail: elkdog@aol.com. John has a lot of valuable historical information from many years in the Army. I see in the Nov\Dec 1994 Saber that John informed Steve BANKO in the 7th Cav column about the 7th Cav kilt and bagpipes that they used where John was in Germany in a squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regment in the 3rd Inf. Div. That may have been the GARRYOWEN tartan, ask John about that. John mentioned being shot down on MEDEVAC and that his crew chief Trog was killed with just thirty days to go before he was to leave Vietnam. The archives show that to be Ronald Gale TROGDON, whose date of casualty was June 19, 1967. Another obvious response to the last issue's column was Mark "Duck" DRAKE, claiming possibly having been the biggest "quack" in the Army. Duck says that he wondered when 15th Med was going to hit the "bigtime." My perspective, Duck, is that any time you are helping to keep someone alive-and free, is the "bigtime," and you did plenty of that. Duck was an X-ray technician in A Co. 15th Med in Tay Ninh from March '69 to May '70. Duck says that he distinctly remembers Mr. LEONARD-Richard "Rich" LEONARD, one of our great MEDEVAC pilots-and the day that Mr. LEONARD had three helicopters shot out from under him. I flew with Mr. LEONARD myself but not during the incidents that made him VERY famous, only to me. Duck says that his worst memories are of the worst casualty days. He remembers FSB JAY and ILLINGSWORTH. Duck says that he actually threw the brigade commander out of X-ray once. Contact Duck about that one by e-mail: markadrake@prodigy.net. Duck gives only a location of Longmont Co., CA. David A. KOCHER of Birdsboro, PA, and E 2\8 Cav writes to thank the "courageous" crews of MEDEVAC which he says that he saw in action in 1970 at LZ ILLINGSWORTH. David says that he has not had a chance to thank MEDEVAC since then. FSB JAY and ILLINGSWORTH were hell holes-where in the 1st Cav A.O.s were not, keep the motor running visitors-and sat not only astride major infiltration routes, but also right on the Cambodian border where the NVA could run back across for easy, safe sanctuary until the Incursion. I remember flying out to FSB HANNAS not far from where FSB JAY had been. FSB HANNAS was named after the 2\7 Cav battalion commander, LTC Robert HANNAS, who had been severly wounded at JAY on March 29, 1970. FSB ILLINGSWORTH got hit badly on April 1, 1970, with the Congressional Medal of Honor going to Peter C. LEMON who helped make the difference there. I noticed the dirt berm that they used there in contrast to not having anything like that at LZ JAMIE which I had helped build in April '69 when I was in C 2\7 Cav. The dirt berms, I read in J.D. COLEMAN's book: Incursion, not only cut down incoming fire but also kicked up blinding dust which critically impared defensive vision. If it is not one thing it is something else! Also WITH HONOR AND COURAGE, Pat CAMPBELL, a medic with B 2\8 Cav '70-'71 sent a note to give thanks for MEDEVAC hoisting out his friends under fire and to appologize for losing a jungle penetrator. At ease Pat, that j.p. was on Uncle Sam; thank you for being out there, I pounded that ground myself. Pat is from Houston, TX, e-mail: campbel1@swbell.net Chuck DONAHOO-cdonawho@aol.com-of Chattanooga, TN, a LRRP\RANGER of H Co. 75th Inf. Airborne sends a "thank you" to the MEDEVAC team who flew into Cambodia on May 27, 1970, putting their lives on the line-I could have been with them- and saved his life. Chuck says that if it was not for that MEDEVAC crew whose names he will never know he would have died at age twenty-one, but instead he has made it to fifty years of age, has two wonderful kids, a great wife, and he says, "Again, thank you for giving me a life." We hear from Nathan STANFIELD who writes to thank those who he says pulled him out from under his crashed bird on April 22, 1971, and then again MEDEVACed him from FSB FOUNTAINE to the 93rd Evac in Bien Hoa, saving his life. He wants to get names of medics of HHC and D 2\8 Cav who were on FSB FOUNTAINE at that time. Nathan is from Amarillo, TX e-mail: nstanfel@arn.net. Perhaps Larry BIRD was there for Nathan because Larry writes that he flew as a medic during those later Bien Hoa days and he remembers: Papa-san JACKSON, Goldie (famous for backward take-offs at LZ MACE, med-pad), Larry LUND, Lt. NORRIS, and anyone Larry may have flown with-Rich DUBRAY, gunner; Chuck LAWHORN, gunner; Dec 70-71, Phouc Vinh, LZ MACE, Tay Ninh, Song Be. Larry's e-mail: birdhouse@erols.com. The last minute up-date has Larry in touch with Chuck, but that he is still looking for Andy KRAMER. Albert H. CLAY of Sequim, WA, SSG B Co. 15th Med Sep66- Sep67-e-mail: mrc@olypen.com-wrote in as a 1st Cav Association life member who has not: "Seen a Saber since I returned the last time in 1969 on a stretcher myself. So yeh I guess, 'welcome home.'" I received a letter dated 04 Feb 99 from Paul Patton WINKEL Jr. (Col. ret.) who flew for 229th AHB during the Ia Drang campaign. He says that he would like to find whomever he can talk to concerning operations at the medical facilities at Camp Holloway (Pleiku) when they brought WIA to that facility during 14-18 Nov 1965. Paul can be reached at: 46467 Saffron Court, Sterling, VA 20165 (703)406-4646. Another request came in via e-mail from Lou "Rocket" ROCHAT specifying: WANTED: Any information or contacts concerning the 1st WOC Rock at Wolters. Am working on a Ft Rucker project concerning restoration and history of the Rock...Lou "Rocket" can be contacted at 181 High Oak Universal City, Tx 78148 (210) 658-1651 Home (210) 652-6357 Work DSN 487-6357 Work e-mail: Lou.Rochat@AFPC.Randolph.AF.Mil As promised, all present or accounted for MEDEVAC\15th Med veterans are as follows: Updated 01/24/99 Found to Date: Mike SMITH, David PARKS, Monty HALCOMB, Bob HUGHES, Norvell E. GODSIE, Jimmie SANDERS, Ricky GOODSON, Tim KERWIN, Ron (Crash) KASH, Sherman (SNORE) BREEDEN, Joe MCNANEY, Charles ROBINSON, Larry ASH, Henry LAND II, Dan BRADY, Albert H. CLAY, Danny (Diamond) SMITH, Jerry MCKINNEY, Bill WALSH, Charles (Chuck) LAWHORN, Larry BIRD, T.J. WHELAN, Clifford DAVIS, John CRESPI, Greg (Simp Pilot) SIMPSON, Ron (Huey Pilot) HUETHER, Ralph ALLISON, Ken FLOWERS, Quinn H. BECKER, Robert T. (Tom) CAMPBELL, Richard (Rich) LEONARD, John PORTER Dentist, Harry Reedy HOLTON, Ronald J. THOMPSON, Vincent WARREN, Mike PARSONS, Bobby COGGINS, Jim Fergy FERGUSON, Joel (Med. 26) MORRIS, John A. CHISHOLM, Richard Dickie GAMESTER, Tom READ, John Plasma 9 LONON, Dr. Frank J. TYCAST, John (Goldie) GOLDSMITH, Jim HALL, Harry WISDOM, Richard TANNER, Craig HOLLENBECK, Howard ELLIOTT III, Mike BODNAR, Bill STOVALL, Barry BROWN, Bill KELLER, (Little Oakie) Henry O. TUELL, Dave COOPER, Fred ALBRIGHT, Chris BURGESS, Randy BURKHART, Wendell DAVIS, Dillard CARTER, Frank M. DOYLE, Gilbert S. GETTO, Wm. Addison HURST, Mark HOLIDAY, Jim HUDSON, Jon LUNDQUIST M.D., Arnold MULKEY, Jack POWELL, Jim VICTOR, Jonnie S. RICHARDS, Honorary Stu ROBERTS, David SHEETS, Lee CAUBARREAUX, Jack REID, Leslie PALMER, Lee TRIFIRO, Benny GARCIA, Edward MIRANDA, Bobby POOLE, Gene WHEELER, John UEBELACKER, Ed MATHEWS, Jack WEST, Bill VINCENT, Roger HARWOOD, Chris WICKLAND, David LANE, Jack RODEN, Doug SMITH, Raymond W. HENDERSON, William M. DOUGLAS, Jimmy NORRIS, Rufus GREEN, Bill MCCLAIN, John TABOR, Bob MCKINLEY, Sam MADLIN, Tim JACKMAN, Corky WALSH George TRIPLETT, Randy KOINZAN, John ZWALINSKI, Honorary Tom MALONEY, Eldon IDEUS, William STEWART, Ray ZEPP, Dale T. MCGUFF, Jim NICHOLS, Jesse Sam GRIFFITH, Bob HATTELS, James MCDONALD, Richard A. MILLS, John D. ROZZELL, Culous HAYES, Teddy R. NELSON, Kenneth COLBY, Dave HOLT, Dennis GUTHREY, Joe DODSON, Mel ALLEN, Bud DAVIS, Ralph TUTRANI, Dean V. SCHWARTZ, Dan WILKERSON, Tom SCOFIELD, Tom SONNEBERGER, Claude NEWBY, Eric BERLA, Patrick MARTIN, Lawrence MOSS, Sandy MCDONALD, Jim CALIBRO, Charles LOCKIE, Dennis WARD, David KELLY, Larry SMITH, Roger HARWOOD, Charles WILLIAMS, Vern SWANSON. Deceased Brothers Died in the Republic of South Vietnam: John S. ALLING, Jr. November 26,1968; Rodney K. ARNOLD April 25,1970; Richard D. BARTHOLOMEW, Jr. February 12, 1969; Stephen Carl BEALS November 26, 1968; Gary Lee BOWDLER September 07, 1969; Clifford Sheran BRATCHER July 20, 1966; James Harrison BROOKS, Jr. April 25, 1970; Ralph Silvio CINOTTI October 28, 1969; James Thaddeus CONWAY April 25, 1970; Billy Wayne DENLY October 28, 1969; Louis S. DIBARI September 05, 1969; James Donald DORAN November 26, 1968; Gary Lynn DUBACH February 14, 1969; Dennis Boyd EASLEY July 20, 1966; J. Richard FORTENBERRY September 24, 1970; Francis E. GLAZEBROOK September 08, 1967; Dalton Truro GOFF September 08, 1967; Johnny Glen GREGG November 26, 1968; George K. HAMILTON February 12, 1969; Bobby Ferman HODGES October 28, 1969; Rudolph JACKMACK May 04, 1966; Robert Earnest JONES November 26, 1968; Charles F. KANE, Jr. October 12, 1965; Kurt Loyd KUHNS September 08, 1967; Douglas Mason KYSER July 20, 1966; Larry Gay LANCE September 08, 1967; James Wood MEGEEHEE September 07, 1969; Thomas Ronald PURSELL May 19, 1968; George Warren RICE December 18, 1965; Charles Samuel RIDOUT July 20, 1966; Roger Clark ROSE September 08, 1967; Stephan Lawrence SHUMACHER February 12, 1969; Gary Lynn TAYLOR May 24, 1970; Ronald Gale TROGDON June 19, 1967; Jonathan R. VARS July 17, 1969; Donald Coles WOODRUFF July 20, 1966; Kirk Allen WOOLLEY February 11, 1969. Deceased since returning from South Viet Nam: Michael L. HAGERTY, Warren JACKSON, Steve MODICA, William J. SALLENGER, Dennis SCHMIDT, Bob SENONIE, Fred WEST, Sid BOAZ, Mike (Big Red) BURKE. Many more names will be added to these after I go through the old Saber 15th Med columns, and run them by SNORE. Of course there will be more when everyone else turns in new names as well. On the local PBS channel, a program they air, the Army News Watch, reports that the recent workhorse for aero- medical evacuation, the Blackhawk UH60-A is going to be replaced by the UH60-Q which they say will be a veritable flying I.C.U. Medics complained that the UH60-A is hard to work in and does not have adequate commo with others. The UH60-Q will improve on those problems by inserting digital systems that are compatible with organizations that they are supporting in the field, to cross organizational boundries. Part of that digital package includes a search and rescue locate system, a new commo system that allows talk to the Navy, Air Force, and civilian agencies, forward looking infrared vision, an on-board oxygen generator, a new stretcher system to manipulate patients in flight, and a digital read-out hoist that can tell the crew how much cable is out. The Army plans to field 357 UH60-Q state-of-the-art air ambulances in 2002. That is a comparison that we worked with on MEDEVAC to being given just a rifle and a shovel, or getting a modern spent-uranuim armor, laser guided, heat seeking, infrared, computerized fighting vehicle. If it keeps us on top I agree, take the technology when they have it. For those who have had to struggle with the dilemma of using a tourniquet, the Army News Watch reports that the Army with help from the American Red Cross is developing a field dressing bandage with an instant scabbing system-yuk! but yay! This new bandadge takes basic proteins from human blood clotting: thrombin and fibrinogen, applied in very high concentrations to the wound, and creates an instant scab. The Army and the American Red Cross have produced a bandage that stops even the severest arterial bleeding a minute after it is applied, in labratory tests. The backing is covered with blood clotting proteins and will be tried first with medical personnel. Then, it will become a part of every soldier's issued gear. They are looking for a manufacturer and F.D.A. approval. Always remembering our 1st Cav troops on duty around the world; over and out. FIRST TEAM! Garryowen, Mike Bodnar C 2\7 Cav '69 MEDEVAC 1-7\70 SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE |
