Were li eere live at the archives in washington, d. C. , where theyve just opened an exhibit on the vietnam war. Were here with jerry sego. Why are you out here today with these vietnam Era Helicopters . To help the archives bring attention to this remember vietnam series and help us, our continuous goal to honor the Vietnam Veterans by display with the vietnam Era Helicopters. Sometimes the vietnam war is referred to as the first helicopter war. Why is that . Well, the helicopter after they found out the utilization of it was multiple uses, the helicopter took the part of trucks, jeeps and other equipment that had been used in other wars. Medevac and troops was a big key from the field. They could put troops into lzs quicker and safer. They could pin point them into a place quicker. It brought a whole new industry out there for the use. Can you tell us about your own personal experience . When did you serve in vietnam . Did you volunteer or were you drafted . All helicopter pilots were volunteers. So it wasnt something that you were told you were going to do. I flew lift ships and gun ships for a total of nine months. Then i went to maintenance, which wasnt necessarily safer than being shot at every day, because in maintenance you were subject to failures. Even though the maintenance guys did great jobs, there was things that happened even with new equipment you would get. Can you describe what a typical day would be like . You would get up in the morning, be assigned your mission. It could be hauling supplies out to the field to troops. It could be taking commanders out to observe their troops. It could be doing insertions with 20 or 30 helicopters or even more to insert large groups of troops into the field. This helicopter here was used for commanders to go out and see where their troops were and what they were doing. Also it would go out with two gun ships and it would fly low level along the roads in order to draw fire. When it would draw fire, it would get out of the way and then your gun ships would come in and lay down fire in the area where they indicated. The primary objective was to draw fire to locate troops or locate the enemy, enabling your armed gun ships to come in and lay down fire in that area. It consisted of a pilot and observer to mark the area where the fire was coming from. Your gun ship pilot would be the gunner pilot in the front, knew at all times where this bird was and where his 12 00 was. If t how long did you stay in vietnam . I was there a year. When you came home, did you have a career in the military . No, maam. I worked with an architectural firm. I actually stayed away from military because i was just busy and raising a family for about ten years. Then i became involved with the National VietnamHelicopter Pilots Association before we formed the North Carolina association. After obtaining the first aircraft, we found there was a need to educate the public as well as educate school kids and just the general public and bringing honor to the vietnam vets by doing this. Wed been doing this for 25 years. Weve had over 300,000 students in schools go through these aircraft. Not only can we take them to a school as a historic item, we can also relate to their other courses of studies in doing this and may be able to enable a student to pick a course of study he never thought about. We also would take them to places they wouldnt be able to take normal, ordinary aircraft. Weve been up in the mountains to places where kids and adults can come out to view the aircraft. Were bringing history to the people who wouldnt otherwise have an opportunity to see the aircraft. Thank you very much for talking with us. Thank you. Were life eere live at t archives in washington, d. C. With peter goch. What can you tell us about this helicopter thats behind us . This is the famous cobra, which came about by the development of the First Armored helicopter. We originally used a charlie model helicopter, which was part of the lineage of the hueys. Hueys started off with an a model, a b model. And they took the b model and enhanced it and made a c model which was primarily a gun ship. L or d model huey aircraft. They made it narrower with two pilots and a lot more armament. When did you serve in vietnam . Did you volunteer or were you drafted . I was eligible for the draft. Rather than being drafted, i enlisted for the draft. They had a program where you can list for the draft. It give you some choice as to what you were going to enlist for. I decided i wanted to try to become a helicopter pilot. Famous as a kid watching world war ii movies with world war ii pilots and thought it would be interesting. I had a strong dislike for walking long distances with large weights on my back. How different was the vietnam ii that yould war grew up learning about as a kid . When i grew up, almost all of in one way parents or another were involved in world war ii. Part of the baby boomer generation. Everybody was either in the service or had something to do with the service. Just being able to watch the old movies, watch the ground movement, had a particular interest in the aircraft that flew over europe, so that was one of the main reasons i wanted to be a pilot in vietnam. I thought that was where the equivalent of the Fighter Pilots would be. When you went to the training and arrived in vietnam, wasnt anything like you expected . Absolutely not. You always heard about how hot and humid and everything was a rice paddy there are certain parts of vietnam that are like that. I was stationed in a mountainous area. Very green, very lush, beautiful country. We always slept with blankets at night. It was a beautiful view of the area. Nothing at all what i thought about as far as what vietnam was supposed to be like. You never have an idea of what war is going to be like. I didnt have any preconceived ideas about the actual war part of vietnam. Can you describe what a typical day would have been like . I did two can you describe what a typical day would have been like . I did two separate tours in vietnam. My first tour, i flew the famous huey with the 170th Aviation Company known as the bikinis. And that was up in central highlands. Our typical day was pretty much fly all day all day. We would get up first light in the morning, get a little breakfast, go over to the flight line and be assigned an aircraft. We usually had the same aircraft and same crew. And they would tell us what area, who we were going to support. We pretty much went out on our own most of the time and contacted who we were supporting. And we would fly all day, contact the person we were supporting. They would tell us what they needed, whether it was to take supplies out to troops on the ground. We did everything from taking people out, inserting them into hot areas, picking people up, bringing people fresh food, change of clothes. The big thing that the troops on the ground really enjoyed was when we brought their mail out. Unlike today when they have constant communication with their family, these people would get mail once a week, once every other week, Something Like that. It was certainly a high point of their spending time out in the field. The troops on the ground, some of them would spend two, three, four weeks on the ground out in the jungle without getting a break. Sometimes without even getting a change of clothes. They were out there that long. Our job was strictly to support the troops on the ground. Thats what we were there for. Can you tell us a little bit more about this aircraft . Its considered an assault helicopter . Right. This is an armed assault helicopter. At the time back in the late 60s, it came into country, i think in the end of 1967 or 1968. Its considered the hot rod of the helicopters at the time. Fl, aside from the part that it was dangerous. You had a front seat or that was a qualified pilot. He sat up there and controlled sights. Et the backseat or was normally an aircraft commander. The back seater was normally the aircraft commander. He sat in the back and controlled the aircraft and the rocket pods. Although he could fire the turret in the fixed position. Thats the turret down there. We also have a 40 millimeter grenade launcher. The pilot and copilot gunner would switch duties at flight time. The aircraft could be fully controlled and flown from the front. Just two people . Just two people. And wed get up first thing in the morning and take off and go to where we were being staged and our mission was. Once we were out in the field, it was our responsibility to rearm the aircraft, refuel the aircraft and check over the aircraft and make sure all the maintenance and everything it was still flyable. How have you found being out here talking to the public about your service in vietnam . This is the third time ive done this type of program. Its a wonderful experience. We have a lot of people that really have a lot of misconceptions. Its great for them to come out. Theyve seen pictures of cobras and stuff, but havent really come up and touched one, realized exactly how large they are and how small on the inside, how narrow it is. Its been very nice. The people that have come by have been very, very grateful to us and very warm. I actually had a man who came up with either his son or grandson yesterday and said to me how proud he was of us. And he said, you know, in the 60s i was one of the protesters. And he wasnt really proud about that at this point. So it was really heartwarming to see Something Like that. What was it like for you when you came back from vietnam . What year would that have been . I came back from vietnam i left vietnam the day before actually, it was Christmas Eve of 1970. And i was back home in connecticut the end of Christmas Day in 1970. That was the termination of my military service. Coming back, it was not like it is today. You know, we had to fall right back into our civilian way of life. And people didnt really recognize Vietnam Veterans. You didnt really talk about it. You just put it behind you and tried to go on with life. Did you have to deal with a lot of people who were very critical of our involvement in vietnam . Or do you just not talk about it at all . I had very few people that bothered me with that. Most of them didnt know that i was involved in vietnam. You just went about life. I was never really in that kind of situation where people were trying to attack me or anything like that. And you have enjoyed your time talking to the public . I loved it. Its been a fantastic experience. Im grateful that the archives did this. My grandson and i were down at the wall yesterday. It was a wonderful experience for them. I ran across a man down there. He said where were you in vietnam . I said i was at camp holloway. He looked at me and said, were you a bikini . I said, yeah, how did you get that . When i flew cobras, i was in the 361st. We were known as the pink panthers. This is the pink panther patch. Im very proud of that unit also. Both of our companies were in the central highlands. We supported with the bikinis the fourth division. We supported artillery units and supported the special forces. With the cobra unit we supported the special forces. It was a very interesting couple of years. Thanks for talking to us. I appreciate you having me. Thank you. Were live at the National Archives in washington, d. C. Where theyve just opened up an exhibit on the vietnam war. Were here with edmund hughes, a former helicopter pilot. Tell us how you ended up in vietnam. In 1968 i just finished my second year of college and received word that i was going to be draft. So i went down and signed up and joined the army. You could go to officer candidate school and flight school. Thats what i did. As soon as i graduated in 1970, i was in route to vietnam. Can you talk to us about your role in a helicopter like this . A huey, of course, is a 13passenger aircraft if its being used to haul combat troops in and out of the field. This aircraft is set up as a medevac aircraft. It has three litters for three patients, also has a jungle penetrator where if were trying to pick up a patient out of the woods and we cant land, we can strap the patient into the litter and retrieve him and take him to the hospital. If it was being used as a slick aircraft to haul troops or cargo, all of this internal equipment would be gone and you could haul a total of 12 people, two crew members, two crew chiefs and four combat loaded troops. The troops averaged probably 150 pounds with an additional 100plus pounds of cargo on their backs. This is designed to use at 90 knots. Gives you about 2 1 2 hours of fuel. What would it be like when you were transporting cargo or troops into an area out in the field . How long were you on the ground usually and did you often come under fire . We would get our missions every morning when we went into operations. If we were doing cargo, wed be working for an infantry unit, specifically the supply people in that unit. It could be anything from hauling ammunition to c rations to water to hot meals. We could be taking them turkey for thanksgiving day or whatever. Wed lead the aircraft. In those days we just loaded the aircraft. If it would take off to hover, we went. If you would take it to the field. Normally for that type of resupply, they had a landing zone. Wed land, kick it all off and go back and take another load to somebody else. If it was a hot lz, wed go in and push it out as fast as we can, because it makes a pretty good target to get into a hot lz. Were you frequently shot at . Frequently. We took a lot of shots, a lot of rounds. Flying is hours and hours of boredom intersfepersed with a f seconds of stark raving terror. You said there were two pilots . Two pilots. Its a single pilot aircraft. But in combat you always had two pilots in case somebody got hurt up front, the other pilot could fly the aircraft. In a lot of units we all train our crew chiefs to fly the aircraft so they could land the aircraft or get us to a medevac unit. Just safety. How long did you serve in vietnam . 12 months, july to july 71. Did you make a career . I fell in love with the army. I stayed 24 years. I loved every minute of it except when i was being shot at. Did you continue to fly helicopters . About 15 years out of 24 i was actively flying. How have you found communicating to the public these last few days . Very easy. Its been a great experience. Weve talked to people. I think my list shows about 13 Different Countries of people that have come in here plus of course the americans. Its been a lot of fun. The war, obviously very controversial. Have you had anybody approach you these last few days with criticism about the war . No. Not at all . No. And the last helicopter that we were in front of was an assault helicopter. It had the words widowmaker emblazoned on the side. Right. Can you talk to us about why some have names on the side and what thats all about . Okay. The aircraft has been referred to as an ah1g. Its called the widow maker. The mission was to eliminate the enemy and make widows out of their spouses. Thats why it was named the widow maker. The company i was in, all of our platoons had hornets on the noses. Red were the gun ships. Yellow was second platoon. White was first platoon. We all had names. My aircraft was named spirit in the sky. Thats what the ring tone is on my phone. I love it. Thank you for talking with us. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Coming up new years weekend on cspan, north Korean Refugees describe life under the kim regime. In chiefr, howevena, tens of of north korean defectors are leaving out without papers and are being sexually or physically exploited. Sunday at 6 30 p. M. Eastern, James Clapper on his career in the intelligence community. We call that new paradigm immaculate collection. Now, i mean it semihumorously. But it makes a point about the difficulty of being so precise given the global interconnection represented by the internet. I ask all Vietnam Veterans or any United States veterans who served during the vietnam era, which is november 1st, 1955 to may 15th, 1975 to stand and be recognized. [ applause ]