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U.S. Army Captain Thomas Pienta: Firsthand Account of a Vietnam War Helicopter PilotVietnam | 22 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post November 27, 1968. It was Thanksgiving Day back home in Ohio, but it wasn’t Thanksgiving in Vietnam. It would prove to be one of the most harrowing days of my life — a day in which I became a casualty of war. I was a 21-year-old first lieutenant, a helicopter pilot assigned to the 187th Assault Helicopter Company, which was based near the Black Virgin Mountain not far from the city of Tay Ninh. Our two ‘Slick’ lift platoons were known as the ‘Crusaders.’ The troop-carrying UH-1 had earned the nickname Slick because it carried no externally mounted weapons, only two M-60 machine guns, one on the port side manned by the crew chief and the other on the starboard side manned by a volunteer infantry door gunner. The remainder of the back seat was thus available to transport six U.S. (or 10 Vietnamese) infantrymen on combat assault missions. THE AFTERMATH FOR THE CRUSADERS Subscribe Today
That day we had already logged three hours of combat assault time, and we were sitting on the ground on’strip alert’ at a small airstrip on a rubber plantation at Dau Tieng in War Zone C, northwest of Saigon. After several hours on the ground, our flight leader received the call that was to summon us on that fateful mission.
The flight leader gave us the signal to crank, and we began our ritual. The door gunners and crew chiefs donned their protective vests and helmets. Although Huey pilots sat in armored seats, many were killed or wounded by groundfire coming up through the chin bubble, the plexiglass just below the pilot’s feet, which was positioned on the anti-torque controls, the pedals that controlled the tail rotor.
I then put on my flak jacket and stepped up into the pilot’s seat. The Crusaders flew with the aircraft commander in the left front seat and the pilot in the right front seat. Before securing the shoulder harness and lap belt, I would put my ‘chicken plate’ inside my flak jacket against my chest. The chicken plate was a 22-pound piece of chest-shaped armor worn inside the flak jacket as added protection for vital organs. Some pilots sat on theirs. You had that option. I then slid forward another piece of armor, which was attached to the side of the armored seat and designed to give side and head protection. Once that was done, it was almost impossible to close your own door. Our gunners would then close our doors for us after we cranked up the engines. The pilot would have great difficulty opening the door again if he needed to exit the aircraft in case of fire. Within the next hour, I would find this out firsthand.
After going through a combat-expedited check list, I cranked the Lycoming turbine engine. With the engine run-up procedures completed, we put on our ‘brain buckets,’ our ballistic protection helmets. It was absolutely essential that we adhere to the rules governing the wearing of flight safety equipment. It is one of the reasons I am alive today — scarred from second- and third-degree burns over 45 percent of my body, but alive. Unlike the hot dogs you see in the movies, we buckled our helmets. Without the chin strap secured, the helmet comes right off your head in a crash, and hair and ears are the first to go in a fire. We pulled the helmet’s visor down to protect our eyes from shrapnel before making the final approach to the landing zone (LZ). We wore our sleeves rolled down and pulled our flight gloves up over the cuffs of our fatigues or NOMEX (fire retardant) flight suits, if we had them. We wore leather boots because the nylon in jungle boots would melt right into your feet during a fire.
Had I not been wearing my flak jacket, I am sure 90 percent of my body would have been burned, thus leaving no skin to use for the grafting procedures, a very torturous procedure to say the least. In my case, the flak jacket is what saved my life. With 45-percent burns, you suffered but usually lived if you were lucky. With 90 percent burns, you suffered and died, as I saw many fellow Vietnam vets do on the burn ward at Brooke Army Hospital in Texas. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Airborne Operations, Historical Conflicts, Historical Figures, People, Vietnam War
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22 Comments to “U.S. Army Captain Thomas Pienta: Firsthand Account of a Vietnam War Helicopter Pilot”
CPT.Pienta i am glad you made it home safe to your family I was a door gunner with the 71st AHC awarded DFC lam son 719 LZ LOLO mar. 1971 have a good day’
By bronniebat21@aol.com on Aug 24, 2008 at 12:31 am
To bronniebrat21, thanks for serving, the courage and accuracy of the guys in back, gunners such as yourself was quite amazing…Lam Sam was a real bad day..over 200 helicopters shot down….you also have a great day..thanks for the comment
By Tom Pienta on Dec 6, 2008 at 12:32 pm
sorry bronniebat21…..mispelled your name in my comment….
By Tom Pienta on Dec 20, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Tom and I were stick buddies in flight school at Ft. (Mother) Rucker. We had some wild and crazy times there … and since. I flew slicks for the 190th AHC in the same AO in ‘68-’69. The area around Dau Tieng was know as the Iron Triangle and contact with Charlie was pretty much guaranteed if you flew there. We are old men now. Something many of our comrades did not get to experience. Tom’s ordeal illustrates how uncommon valor was a common virtue in all the young men who faced the challenges of that war. Keep ‘em turning, Brother.
By Spartan 26 on Dec 21, 2008 at 1:29 am
My dear friend , Spartan26 is a Doctor now of Veterinary
medicine…he is one great man and piloted an Army UH-l helicopter through much combat. we had a ball in flight school and to this day are the best of friends…salute!!!!!! to my best friend Dr. Captain Spartan26, second platoon leader for the 190th assault helicopter co.
By Tom Pienta on Feb 7, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I just now found this website and am so very proud of my brother, Cpt. Tom Pienta. It has been a long journey from November 27, 1968 and you, Tommy, are a hero for me. You said “yes” so many years ago and continue to heroically accept all that life brings. I hope that I can come close to overcoming the pain and suffering that you endured with the courage that I have seen in you again and again.
By Big Sis on Mar 6, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I, too, was a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. ‘69 & ‘70. A lot of my friends were burned. It was my bigest fear.
I’m glad you survived. Good luck to you.
By Mike Nadler on Mar 7, 2009 at 1:23 am
Tom,
I just found this site. Great to be able to say “Hello”. I know every day is a blessing, including this one. Years ago, I read your article in Vietnam magazine (still have a copy). Ron’s been gone 10 years next month, hard to believe. I admire his legacy. You be well.
Gary Timberlake
Chu Lai
69-70-71
By Gary Timberlake on Apr 1, 2009 at 12:31 pm
thanks big sis, thanks for serving Mike, ABOVE THE BEST, thanks Gary, Ron was a great soldier and a good friend, yes the years travel so fast, i miss him dearly….he was one great pilot
By tom pienta on Apr 10, 2009 at 12:24 am
thanks for serving also Gary….the name Timberlake holds a great legacy in military history
By tom pienta on Apr 10, 2009 at 12:25 am
Tom,
I am so proud to know you and to have you as a very special friend. You, like so many of our brothers, made incredible sacrifices with little or no recognition and hardly any thanks.
You are a true American Hero ! You are the living definition of the word !! THANK YOU !!
P5
By Jim Collins on Apr 14, 2009 at 11:14 am
thank you Cpt. Collins, you are a very very dear friend and fellow combat helicopter pilot….thank you for your bravery flying many many combat hours for the Little Bears…..love ya big Jim…you phrazey Jeem :-))
By tom pienta on Apr 18, 2009 at 1:07 am
I grew up with one image of what a modern American fighter was, and that was Ron Timberlake. He above all things in my life represented what the meaning of BRAVE and DEDICATED to his country meant. Ron was Brave. He is forever in the pantheon of the American Hero. He once asked me to help him write a history of his action in the air. I wish I had been mature enough at the time to take him up on that offer.
Anytime the American air Calvary is mentioned I say a prayer for him. I have known many veterans and pilots in my life, but none so admirable in service to his country as was Captain Ronald Timberlake (my step brother and personal hero to this nation).
Also, that two of my step family were in Vietnam made my formative years quite conflicted, and yet no matter what happened then or now in my life, these two men were part of a proud history of our families in service to this country going back to the Revolutionary War.
By H. Lamar Thomas on Apr 19, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Mr. Thomas, you are so right in your comments…what a great family you have….I firmly believe that if it wasn’t for Ron’s courage in battle I and many more soldiers would not have survived that terrible battle of 27Nov1968….thanks for yout comment and may God bless you and your family….peace brother
By tom pienta on Apr 20, 2009 at 9:18 pm
What year was this source produced because its one of the questions on my history assignment? thanks
By Eric on Jun 22, 2009 at 6:08 am
my piece was published as the cover piece for VIETNAM magazine, produced then by Cowles History Group…it was the Dec. 1996 issue of the historical magazine
By Tom on Jun 22, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Eric….google my name, Cpt. Thomas Pienta in a search…more articles will come up…good luck on your history assignment
By Tom on Jun 22, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Hello Sir, I was with 187thahc at Tay Ninh in 70-71. You pilots were the best . I volunteered to gun when one was on r&r or other reasons and our pilots and crew chiefs/gunners were so great at their jobs. I went to last Nov. reunion, saw my best friend from Nam for first time in 37 year s, he died in Mar. Thank you for your service , bravery, and dedication to your fellow Crusaders and Rat Pack. I,m glad you made it sir.
By terry s on Jul 29, 2009 at 4:28 pm
hello Terry…thanks for the kind words about the 187th AHC. thank you for serving so bravely and manning a gun when you voluntered. our mission was to support the Infantry, the Queen of Battle…the grunts were the best, brave and tough…thanks Terry
By Tom Pienta on Aug 19, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Welcome Home Brother……
I too was with the 187th AHC when I first got in country 9/71. The move had already been made from Tay Nihn to Dian, but we still staged out of Tay Nihn. Flew as Gunner on 705 Ship of Fools.
It seems like yesterday…..but the years have past. I thank you and the rest of our pilots for the fantastic job you guy’s did. We were young, dumb and full of —
Take Care Tom…..
John
By John W on Aug 27, 2009 at 3:28 pm
to Mike Nadler..thank you for your nicecomment and also for serving as a fellow huey pilot in that war….yep being burned was all of our biggest concern. glad you made it safely home and thanks again…tom
By Tom Pienta on Nov 1, 2009 at 1:19 pm
to John W….thanks for the nice comment and thank you for serving in the holy land as we called it…you guys in back were the greatest and so so brave…get some and glad you made it home…Tay Ninh was real Indian country as John Wayne would say….full suppression left and right
By Tom Pienta on Nov 1, 2009 at 1:23 pm