On Warriors Wings Army Vietnam War Helicopters And The Native Americans They Were Named To Honor

On Warriors' Wings traces the evolution of the Army policy to give names to major end items of equipment and specifically Native American tribal, warrior chiefs, and item to helicopters.Twelve Army helicopters saw combat in Vietnam, with eleven bearing Native American names. For each, David Napoliello's work includes an examination of what capabilities were needed, its performance requirements, and the production of the fleet. Napoliello continues with a discussion on how the aircraft was used during its entire period of service in-country as opposed to a twelve-month snapshot of the experiences of a single aviator or a specific aviation unit. The capstone of each chapter is the story of the Native American tribe or warrior chief and how that history commends it for the naming of that particular helicopter.David also devotes a chapter to the experiences and memories of Native American veterans who served as pilots or crew members of those eleven aircraft. These are insightful, first-person accounts of their tours of duty in Vietnam and duties in aviation units while stationed there.Over two hundred Native Americans perished in Vietnam, nineteen of whom died while participating in aerial operations. The details of that final mission and loss are included in here, along with a listing of the other fallen warriors.On Warriors' Wings concludes with a summary of the new Native American named helicopters that came after Vietnam and the progress the US military has made with regards to national recognition of Indigenous veterans.On Warriors' Wings includes extensive illustrations and archival images of Native American veterans.

The 281st AHC gun platoon named the "Wolf Pack" was the 3d platoon where a select and well-known platoon of professional helicopter pilots and crew flying the C-model Huey UH-1C known as the Charlie Model from 1965 through 1971 in Vietnam. These men were like the knights of old, going day after day in twos or threes, to hold the battlefield against all comers and to do battle in defense of the Fifth Special Forces and its long-range reconnaissance unit. Detachment B-52, Project Delta. Pilots and aircrews felt like they were invincible, 6 Feet Tall, bulletproof, and kin to the gun-slingers of the old west. Unfortunately, some made the ultimate sacrifice, others were wounded, and to this day, some still have to deal with that time. Indeed, the legacy of the 281st Wolf Pack is a story of a remarkable, unyielding spirit and uncompromisingly fierce defiance in the face of death with a determined enemy. This book is a work of respect and honor covering the life and times of the U.S. Army's first special operations helicopter company, the "Wolf Pack." As an element of the 281st Assault Helicopter Company, the Wolf Pack provided armed helicopter support for the special forces units in Vietnam, with emphasis on aerial weapons support for Project Delta and the MACV Recondo School, which was recognized as the deadliest school in the armed forces. This book contains the real-time stores of the men who flew and maintained the helicopters that operated under the banner; "Hell From Above." For the most part, these young men were fresh out of school and had been expeditiously trained to fly and maintain their helicopters. Few had previous combat experience. In performing one of the most dangerous missions of the war, these young men, proudly known as the "Wolf Pack," developed aerial gunnery and support skills that identified them as one of the top helicopter gun units of the war! This book tells their story and honors each of them. John "Jack" Mayhew was a major and the 281st AHC commander in 1967-68. He later retired as a colonel with more than 30 years of service. William McCollum was the NCOIC of flight operations in 1967-68. He later retired as a Sergeant First Class with more than 20 years of service Keywords – Vietnam, Army, Special Operations, Helicopter, 281st Assault, Wolf Pack, Pilots, Aircrew, Special Forces, Platoon, Sacrifice

This book tells the story of a group of exceptional young men in a controversial war. This book is a collection of stories told by young men who served in the U. S. Army's first Special Operations Helicopter Company that saw action in the Vietnam war. The environment and combat they experienced were new to them and their leaders, schooled in conventional warfare. Their war was proof that Old men start wars and Young men fight them, and this war was no different. This war was known as the Helicopter War in that troop transport provided logistical support by helicopters. To fly and maintain sophisticated helicopters, the U. S. Army recruited young men, some just out of high school, and trained them to fly and maintain the helicopter. Flying a helicopter from one point to another is relatively easy. Add to the mix a dense jungle environment, unpredictable weather, an enemy that owned most of the ground, young men right out of training, and the simple task becomes almost impossible. Yet the young men of the 281st Assault Helicopter Company, known as Intruders, flying under the banner of "Hell from Above," did it with great success!

Few implements of war are as representative of the US presence in Vietnam as the Bell Huey UH-1-series helicopters. Whether serving in the role of troop transport for airborne assault, supply transports, aerial gunships, or medical evacuation, the Huey was seemingly everywhere. The versatile aircraft, officially the "Iroquois," was affectionately known to all as the "Huey," a name derived from its early model designation of HU-1A. The Huey, later redesignated UH-1, was a mainstay during America's presence in Vietnam, and 11 Huey crewmen earned the Medal of Honor. Through carefully researched archival documents and photographs, the history of this iconic helicopter, and the men who flew it, is told in this illustrated volume.

One of the most enduring and vivid images of Vietnam is the helicopter. There is little doubt that the helicopter revolutionized warfare and how the war in Vietnam (1955-1975) was fought. Helicopters lifted troops, supplies, material, equipment, and vehicles. They conducted visual reconnaissance, command and control, medical evacuation, artillery spotting, fire support, and countless administrative tasks. They were aerial weapons platforms and aerial trucks. The 40,000 pilots were the men behind this revolution. Many helicopter pilots were thrill seekers to some degree. They liked fast cars and a fast life. To "party hardy" was a common term used to describe their lifestyle. They loved to fly and the war gave them the opportunity to do that. They were little concerned with the politics of the war, the conflicts back at home, and could care less about the drug culture, sexual revolution, the environment, and other social issues that defined their generation. A common aviator's phrase was, "Who needs drugs, I'm already high." Helicopter pilots experienced a broad range of combat, from air-lift, med-evac and fire-support to landing in 'Hot LZs', in which choppers would find themselves caught in deadly high-volume crossfires. Crew protection, other than armored seats for the pilots, was minimal. There was little armor to protect vital engines, transmissions, and fuel tanks. Crashes were survivable, but aircrews suffered relatively high casualties. Enemy action was not the only cause for concern. Of the 4,642 US helicopters lost in Vietnam, over half were due to non-hostile causes-accidents, mechanical failure, weather, and other non-combat causes. Aviators had to deal with long flying hours in a less than pleasant climate, heat, humidity, dust, rapidly changing weather conditions, spare parts shortages, and spotty maintenance. All of these accumulated to make the lives of natural risk-takers more dangerous. This book will reveal their experiences from their first deployment to the deadly thrill of combat in a war zone. Accompanied by poignant photographs and written by a Vietnam veteran, this is a crucial addition to our coverage of the conflict that defined the post-war generation in America.