Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam

DUST OFF:
ARMY AEROMEDICAL
EVACUATION IN VIETNAM

Peter Dorland
and
James Nanney

CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY
UNITED STATES ARMY
WASHINGTON, D. C., 1982

First Printing

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402

Contents

PREFACE

THE AUTHORS

I. THE EARLY YEARS

Early Medical Evacuation
Early Aeromedical Evacuation
The Korean War

II. BIRTH OF A TRADITION

The Struggle Begins
The First Air Ambulance Unit in Vietnam
Dust Off Takes Form
Relations with the South Vietnamese
Kelly and the Dust Off Mystique
A New Buildup
The Crisis Deepens

III. THE SYSTEM MATURES

Origins of the Air Ambulance Platoon
The Air Ambulance Platoon Goes to Work
The Medical Company (Air Ambulance)
The 436th Medical Company (Provisional)
ATTLEBORO
The 45th Medical Company
The Buildup of 1967
Riverine Operations
Dak To
The 54th and the Kelly Tradition
Dust Off Wins Its First Medal of Honor
Dust Off in the Saddle

IV. THE PILOT AT WORK

The UH-1 Iroquois ("Huey")
The Hoist
Evacuation Missions
Evacuation Problems
Enemy Fire
A Turning Point

V. FROM TET TO STAND-DOWN

TET - 1968
The Drawdown Begins
A Second Medal of Honor
VNAF Dust Off
Cambodia
A Medevac in Peril
Laos
Papa Whiskey
Stand-Down and Ship Out

EPILOGUE

Statistics
Doctrine and Lessons Learned
A Historical Perspective

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Articles
Books and Studies

MAP