November-December 1969-page 3,4

“MEDEVAC”

 By SSgt Jim White

"Helicopter people" - those who fly, maintain or manufacture rotary-wing aircraft - can be justly proud of the impressive number of medical evacuations made possible by helicopters operating in Vietnam. The daily life-saving operation in which they play such an important part is described below. A mission account concerned with HH-43's from the 38th ARRSq has been included to illustrate the perils which helicopter crews are often called upon to face during their humanitarian work.

PEDRO AND THE REPOSE - Settling down on the helicopter landing pad at the stern of the U. S. Navy hospital ship Repose is an Air Force HH-43 "Pedro" rescue helicopter from Da Nang AB. The helicopters often carry patients from the mainland to the hospital ship for emergency treatment. (USAF photo by SSgt Paul J. Harrington)

TAN SON NHUT AB, Republic of Vietnam (7AF) - A generation ago, an American soldier wounded on the bat­tlefields of Europe or the islands of the Pacific had a hard time of it. Often, he had to go for days or weeks without proper medical treatment for his injury. A trip to a field hospital usually involved a long, pain-filled, teeth-grinding ride over rough roads in a military ambulance. For the seriously wounded, medical help often came too late. But today, in the Republic of Vietnam, a unique Air Force-Army team can speed the victim of an enemy soldier's bullet from the spot where he was wound­ed to a fully-equipped hospital within minutes or hours, rather than days or weeks.

An American soldier wounded in Vietnam has more than twice as much chance of surviving his wound than his World War II predecessors had. What makes the difference? Improvement in medical techniques and facilities plays a part. But the major factor is the short length of time it takes the wounded soldier to reach medical help. In this war, ambulances have taken to the air.

Somewhere in the jungle, a shot rings out and a soldier falls. A medical corpsman rushes to his side and begins administering first aid. A radioed call for help goes out. Miles away, at a forward operating base, a "Dustoff" medical evacuation helicopter crew rises off a pad and speeds toward the scene. Arriving, the "Dustoff" crew settles down into a prearranged landing area. As rotor blades continue to whirl, a pair of men jump out, pick up the now stretcher-borne patient, and bring him aboard. The helicopter lifts into the air again, and another corpsman continues the first aid treatment begun by the men on the ground.

Within minutes, the helicopter lands on a pad beside a field hospital. Waiting orderlies rush the patient inside, where doctors clean and dress his wounds and provide his first intensive medical care. If he is seriously hurt, he will stay until his condition is stable enough for him to be moved again.

His next "air ambulance" will be an Air Force C-130 Hercules, outfitted to carry stretchers and carrying a crew of medical technicians and flight nurses. Each day, the Air Force planes visit bases throughout Vietnam, transporting patients to major medical facilities. 

The Hercules sets down on the runway. The blast from its reversed propellors kicking up clouds of dust as it reaches the end of the runway, the aircraft turns and taxis toward a parking area where the wounded man is in an ambulance. The C-130 stops, its propellors slow to a halt, and the ramp swings down from its tail. Attendants bring the patient aboard and fasten his stretcher into place on a set of racks running down the center of the plane. Patients aboard, the plane taxis back out to the runway and takes off. In flight, the medical crew makes its charges as comfortable as possible and keeps a close watch on their condition. Within an hour, the C-130 lands at a major base, where Air Force CH-3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters or military ambulances are wait­ing to move the patients to a well-equipped, modern hos­pital for careful diagnosis and specialized treatment.

When the day comes, he transfers - either by ambulance or aircraft - to an Air Force casualty staging flight at Tan Son Nhut, Cam Ranh Bay or Da Nang Air Base.

There, he is prepared for a flight by a Military Airlift Command C-141 Starlifter to a U. S. hospital in the western Pacific-or in the United States. In some cases, a man could be back in the U. S. within 48 hours after being wounded.

"The Army's 'Dustoff' helicopters provide immediate treatment of battlefield wounds, and the Air Force's aeromedical evacuation system provides fast transport to major medical facilities for advanced care, " points out Col George E. Schafer, 7th Air Force surgeon. "The marriage of the two systems has given the American fighting man in the Republic of Vietnam the best chance of survival of any soldiers ever to fight in a war."

HOSPITAL SHIP - Looking over his right shoulder, Air Force Maj Tom W. Brumfield, an HH-43 "Pedro" helicopter pilot, zeroes in on the U. S. Navy hospital ship Repose. Major Brumfield and the other pilots of Det 7, 38th ARRSq, at Da Nang AB often transport patients to the Repose for emergency treament. (USAF photo by SSgt Paul J. Harrington)

BIEN HOA (7AF) - Rescue helicopters from Det 6, 38th ARRSq (MAC), at Bien Hoa AB recently pulled off the daring rescue of three Army soldiers wounded in fighting 22 miles northwest of the air base.

"Two of our choppers were scrambled to an area seven miles west of Lai Khe where the Army troops had been wounded while on night patrol," recalled Capt Harvey B. Bell, copilot on one of the HH-43 helicopters used in the rescue. "When we arrived, Army, gunships were shooting up the area trying to keep the enemy forces from reach­ing the wounded troops, " he continued. "It was just like an old western movie as they continually circled 100 to 150 meters from the wounded. "

The Air Force rescue helicopters hovered over the area while Army Huey and Cobra gunships raked enemy positions. The Army command chopper marked the area and directed the Air Force crew to attempt the rescue.

"We immediately began taking heavy ground fire, " said Bell. "We were forced to back out and had picked up several bullet holes, including two through our rotor blades. So we headed for Lai Khe." At Lai Khe, 15 bullet holes were counted in the chopper so 1stLt John F. Kolar headed back to Bien Hoa to change the chopper for another. Within an hour, they were back in action.

During all this time the second chopper had remained on scene but had been unable to make the rescue. Running low on fuel by the time Lieutenant Kolar's crew returned, the second chopper had to make a refueling trip to Lai Khe. A short time later Bell guided his chopper in for another rescue attempt. Hovering 60 feet above the ground, just on top of the trees, TSgt David D. Rhody, a pararescueman (PJ), went down to the ground aboard the jungle penetrator. As he hit the ground, Rhody called for a litter and immediately strapped in the most seriously wounded and had him hoisted to the chopper. Repeating the procedure again while still receiving ground fire, the second man was taken aboard the HH-43.

"We then had to clear out, leaving our PJ and the third man on the ground," Captain Bell said. "The other rescue chopper had returned from Lai Khe and was in place before we left. They managed to get the third man and our PJ out. "

It was quite a day for Rhody who ended up flying in all three HH-43's. Back at Bien Hoa, inspection of the three choppers used in the rescue showed 25 bullet holes. Other crew members participating in the rescue were: SSgt Gary D. McGrew, flight engineer aboard Bell and Kolar's chopper; Capt Walter D. Murphy, aircraft commander aboard one of the three HH-43's; Maj Richard W. Lorey, a copilot; Sgt Dale C. Cady, a flight engineer; and Alc Terry M. Wells, a pararescueman.

last update : 06/08/2007