Post by Anonymous Vet on Dec 22, 2002 4:57:17 GMT -5
January 24, 1971
Dear Folks, I received two letters from you today. I was relieved to hear that you had finally received my letters.
My rump is almost healed now. I can sit down for short periods of time in a soft chair. It's still rather uncomfortable. I didn't try to make you think that I was hurt less than what I was. It wasn't a serious wound. It put me out of commission as a pilot because I do my work sitting down. The wound looked bad but wasn't. The reason for leaving it open for five days was to see if infection was going to set in. That's normal procedure for bullet or shrapnel wounds. Now that I'm sewn up and healed, there's nothing but three scars. The two small holes in the back of my leg required three stitches apiece and the one on my butt required seventeen.
As to what happened to the aircraft, we started taking fire just as we were leaving a unit in the field. I started evading maneuvers and got hit a few seconds later. The pain and shock made me lose control and we almost crashed.
My peter pilot was a new guy and it was the first time that he'd ever been shot at. As soon as I got hit, I told him to take the controls. He was so scared that I had to scream at him twice more before he would take it. While I was trying to find out how bad I was hit and if everyone else was okay, he climbed out and headed west. It just so happened that Chu Lai and the hospital was to the east. This made me mad, so I had the gunner (Tyree) (a friend of mine who knew his way around) instruct the pilot how to get us back while I made radio calls. If I had been unconscious, we may never have made it back. I had to talk (on the radio) almost constantly all the way back in.
Before I was halfway back though, I had two ships inbound and one escorting me back. It's nice to have buddies to fly out and make sure that you make it back. It's a standard practice that if one aircraft gets in trouble everyone else diverts to help him. I expected to make it back okay and I did, but one thing really made me feel good. I had a good buddy who's call sign was Minuteman 29. We had an agreement that if he ever got in trouble he'd holler for me and if I ever got in trouble, I holler for him. He (Philip "Gooch" Eugene Richard ) went to another company to fly LOHs and got killed. After that, I made the same agreement with another friend, Minuteman 0 (Larry P.Warrick).
When I got hit, I couldn't contact my control, so I called for any Minuteman aircraft. Minuteman Zero was in operations and heard me on the radio. He jumped in his bird with his crew and come out to get me. It was great to hear him call me and say "Two-seven, this is Zero, where are you Buddy? I'm coming to get you". Aviators have to be some of the best guys in the world.
By the way, I just remembered Zero got shot down yesterday but no one was hurt. He was about five miles north of where I got shot. Since I got shot, there has been a lot of activity in that area. The resupply mission out there has become known as the "Death Mission". It doesn't help much because in another week or so I'll be back out there flying it. Thank goodness I've only got about a month until R & R.
See you in 164 days. Love, ----
Dear Folks, I received two letters from you today. I was relieved to hear that you had finally received my letters.
My rump is almost healed now. I can sit down for short periods of time in a soft chair. It's still rather uncomfortable. I didn't try to make you think that I was hurt less than what I was. It wasn't a serious wound. It put me out of commission as a pilot because I do my work sitting down. The wound looked bad but wasn't. The reason for leaving it open for five days was to see if infection was going to set in. That's normal procedure for bullet or shrapnel wounds. Now that I'm sewn up and healed, there's nothing but three scars. The two small holes in the back of my leg required three stitches apiece and the one on my butt required seventeen.
As to what happened to the aircraft, we started taking fire just as we were leaving a unit in the field. I started evading maneuvers and got hit a few seconds later. The pain and shock made me lose control and we almost crashed.
My peter pilot was a new guy and it was the first time that he'd ever been shot at. As soon as I got hit, I told him to take the controls. He was so scared that I had to scream at him twice more before he would take it. While I was trying to find out how bad I was hit and if everyone else was okay, he climbed out and headed west. It just so happened that Chu Lai and the hospital was to the east. This made me mad, so I had the gunner (Tyree) (a friend of mine who knew his way around) instruct the pilot how to get us back while I made radio calls. If I had been unconscious, we may never have made it back. I had to talk (on the radio) almost constantly all the way back in.
Before I was halfway back though, I had two ships inbound and one escorting me back. It's nice to have buddies to fly out and make sure that you make it back. It's a standard practice that if one aircraft gets in trouble everyone else diverts to help him. I expected to make it back okay and I did, but one thing really made me feel good. I had a good buddy who's call sign was Minuteman 29. We had an agreement that if he ever got in trouble he'd holler for me and if I ever got in trouble, I holler for him. He (Philip "Gooch" Eugene Richard ) went to another company to fly LOHs and got killed. After that, I made the same agreement with another friend, Minuteman 0 (Larry P.Warrick).
When I got hit, I couldn't contact my control, so I called for any Minuteman aircraft. Minuteman Zero was in operations and heard me on the radio. He jumped in his bird with his crew and come out to get me. It was great to hear him call me and say "Two-seven, this is Zero, where are you Buddy? I'm coming to get you". Aviators have to be some of the best guys in the world.
By the way, I just remembered Zero got shot down yesterday but no one was hurt. He was about five miles north of where I got shot. Since I got shot, there has been a lot of activity in that area. The resupply mission out there has become known as the "Death Mission". It doesn't help much because in another week or so I'll be back out there flying it. Thank goodness I've only got about a month until R & R.
See you in 164 days. Love, ----