Eagle Dustoff: Medevac Choppers to the Rescue

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Medical evacuation helicopters were the lifeline of the Vietnam War. Affectionately known as medevacs or dustoffs–a nickname originally taken from the radio call sign of Army chopper pilot Major Charles L. Kelly, who was killed in action on July 1, 1964–these Bell UH-1 Huey airborne ambulances and their brave crews saved the lives of thousands of wounded soldiers.

The 101st Airborne Division’s 326th Medical Battalion formed an air ambulance platoon known as ‘Eagle Dustoff’ that was responsible for aerial medical evacuation of casualties in its area of operations, including some of the most infamous hot spots in all of Southeast Asia. In the spring of 1969 that area included the rugged A Shau Valley, on the western edge of Thua Thien province near Laos, which remained a Communist stronghold throughout the war. Eagle Dustoff crews also evacuated casualties from the mountain known as ‘Hamburger Hill,’ where elements of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne and two battalions of the 29th NVA Regiment engaged in a bloody 10-day slugfest in May 1969 that resulted in 446 American casualties. In early 1972 the 326th’s medevacs provided support for South Vietnamese forces engaged in Operation Lam Son 719, during which ARVN troops invaded Laos to disrupt NVA supply lines and destroy base camps.

The A Shau Valley, April 22, 1969

Even though he enjoyed flying over the wild terrain of the A Shau Valley–sometimes called the ‘valley of death’–Larry Wagoner, the crew chief of Dustoff 99, had a bad feeling about the mission on April 22.

The aircraft commander, Warrant Officer 1st Class Max E. Tucker, affectionately known as ‘Fat Albert,’ was trying to get a picture of what was happening on the ground along the mountain ridge bordering the western side of the valley and Laos. Via radio, he learned all he could about the multiple casualties waiting for his crew and about the enemy positions up ahead. Tucker had already called for an artillery shut-off in the immediate area.

Wagoner was working the radio. His chopper crew included medics Tony T. ‘Doc’ Burdo and Garry Bryant, the latter on his first dustoff mission. The co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 2nd Class William A. Tiffany, was flying the chopper, scanning the rugged ring of mountains for signs of AAA fire as they approached the pickup point.

The red crosses on the nose and sides of the chopper were no guarantee of safe passage. Neither were the empty M-60 machine-gun positions in the ‘hell holes’ (rearmost seats). Firepower and protection were supplied by Bell AH-1G Cobra gunships from the division’s air assault battalion. Two of the’snakes’ raced alongside the airborne ambulance or darted back and forth, looking for things to kill.

As the chopper got closer to the pickup point, the main rotors beat the treetops back and forth, affording Wagoner glimpses of the ground. The red-haired crew chief hung out of the right cargo bay door, letting the cable attached to the jungle penetrator slide through his left fist as the device dropped straight down. Below, troops of the 101st Airborne Division were guarding their wounded, waiting for help to arrive.

Suddenly a burst of fire raked the helicopter and slugs tore through the bird. The chopper started bucking, shaking and vibrating. Paint chips flipped through the air. Bits of aluminum, steel-mesh webbing, dust and debris blew around the cabin and flight deck. Four of the five radios took hits and died. Fuel lines ruptured. More rounds stitched holes along the length of one main blade, going through it like butter, while leaving the other blade unscathed.

Small-arms fire came through Tucker’s right door, just below the window, smacked into his armored chair, the armor plates in front of his face, and on up through the overhead ‘greenhouse’ window. For the crew, time slowed down–everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Then something hit Wagoner square in the back. His feet flew up, and he crashed onto the steel deck. The crew chief rolled over onto his side and scrambled to get the cable and penetrator back inside.

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Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Historical Conflicts, Vietnam War

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