Saber Article Index
2008 Jul-Aug
MEDEVAC 15th Med\15th FSB
Mike Bodnar
307B N Main Copperas Cove, TX 76522
1704 254-542-1961
E-mail:
mbodnar27@juno.com
More from Larry MOSS, MEDEVAC crew chief '70,
B 1-9 Cav '69, 1st Aviation '68-'69, jorel611@yahoo.com : "I was
nineteen years old at the time I first arrived in Vietnam in the
summer of 1968. I left two years later, mentally much older and sadder.
"I know for most, the Vietnam War is ancient history. But, in light of
the latest Iraqi War, my experiences in combat do have relevance in
today's world. Any soldier who has ever seen the death of human beings in
combat, and the death of innocent civilians, can relate to what is
happening today. Different time, but same experience.
"So, I want
to tell this story. This happened near the end of my twenty-four months
in Vietnam. I was serving as a flying crew chief on a medical evacuation
helicopter with the 15th Medical Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. I was
at a forward base near the Cambodian border (Quan Loi). Our mission was
to pick up the combat wounded and bring them back to the mobile
hospital for emergency treatment. Along with me, there was a gunner, a
medical corpsman, and two pilots on the Huey.
"We were alerted about
10 PM. An infantryman (from one of the infantry battalions in the 1st Air
Cav) had been injured by shrapnel. We arrived in about fifteen to twenty
minutes after being alerted. When the injured soldier was put in our
chopper on a stretcher he was in bad shape. The shrapnel had entered his
back and punctured his lungs. His heartbeat was weak to nonexistent. The
Medic told me we needed to give him CPR. We had to keep him alive for the
twenty minute flight back to the aid station, where the doctors could
operate on him.
"At night it is very dark in a helicopter. When
you are flying over hostile territory at low levels you don't want to
give the enemy a target, so the flying instruments are all lit in red
lights. Because of that, everything looked red.
"When the Medic
started the CPR, he told me to breath in about eight times a minute. That
way if he did survive, he would not have brain damage due to a lack of
oxygen. So, I started giving him mouth to mouth resuscitation. I felt
something warm and wet get on my face as I did this. As I couldn't see
anything in the dark, I didn't think too much about it. For twenty
minutes, the Medic and I worked on the young infantryman trying to save
his life. All the while I was breathing in his lungs, I kept feeling a
wet liquid get on my face and chest as the Medic gave him CPR by beating
on his chest.
"We finally arrived at the aid station and delivered
our patient to the doctors. We thought he still had a faint pulse.
But, on a noisy chopper in the middle of the night it was hard to tell.
"After the flight, I as the crew chief had to clean up the chopper
for the next flight, even if it was near midnight. At the base you did
have lights. Several minutes had passed and the liquid on my face had
congealed and started getting cold. In the light at the landing pad I
discovered the warm liquid was the blood of the infantryman.
"The
shrapnel had punctured his lung, so every time he exhaled, some blood was
coming out. And, as I was giving him mouth to mouth resuscitation, I was
getting it all over my face, mouth, and chest. At the time I was actually
doing this, I was just trying to keep the young man alive. I didn't
have time to worry about it. But in the light of the landing pad, and
with the cold blood congealing on my face and chest, I got sick and threw
up. But, I had to get cleaned up in case there was an emergency in the
next few minutes. So, I didn't have time to dwell on it. I had a job to
do, and I did it.
"The young man did not survive. The doctors said he
drowned in his own blood. I did not even know his name. But to this
day, when I see human blood, I flash back to that experience. Even in
movies, bloody scenes affect me. On one level I know the blood is fake,
but on another level, my mind doesn't.
So, when you see the images of
war on television, remember the young men who have to experience it will
need our support when they return."
I got a call from Pete MORROW
of Killeen, TX, who was in B Co. 15th MED at Quan Loi and Song Be. He
said he was also at Bu Dop during the Cambodian Incursion in '70. Drafted
and made a quartermaster then, his son is now an E-7 in the 1st Cav.
Pete says he's looking for anyone who knew him.
"To 15th MED Bn.
Assn. members: Please post the following request in your Association
newsletter, e-groups, Yahoo/MSN groups and Reunion bulletins. Gotta get
the word out to capture more 'names.' The 15th MED Bn. had too many
aircraft (83), and too few personalized names (6), for history to be
satisfied. They must not be under-represented in my forthcoming book.
"Helicopter 'nicknames' of the VN War is the subject of a book I'm
presently researching. During this process I've documented six
personalized names that were displayed on various 15th MED Bn. in-country
aircraft: BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, CHEAP THRILLS, FURGS AND BEANS, HELL'S
UGLY, LITTLE VIC DONTARIA, NEW BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, TIJUANA TAXI.
"I'm wondering if this number accurately reflects the total output
produced by crews of the 15th MED Bn. who might have painted something
special on the nose, door, or fuselage of their Vietnam based 'copters.
"There has never been a comprehensive cataloging of personalized
'names' before. This attempt will be the first, and hopefully, the most
complete tabulation of Army 'copter nose-art nicknames ever. Therefore,
it is important that the published database (late 2009) include all
known 15th MED Bn. 'copter names as possible.
"I ask that you notify
your members about this project and that you forward their input to me.
Scanned photos are welcomed, but not necessary. Sincerely, John BRENNAN,
active member in the VHCMA & 114th Avn. Co. Assn.; former SP5, 114th AHC,
Vinh Long AAF, 1970-71, Mekong Delta. E-mail:
johnmailman@yahoo.com ."
John HAMM, SFC (ret.) D Trp (E Trp. Blues) 1-9th Cav. '70-'71
bustertucker@comcast.net , e-mailed: "I have just finished reading the
Saber. I was mainly interested in the 9th Cav section but happened upon
the 15th MED section. I got to thinking-a dangerous thing for me,
usually. I thought back to Nov. 29th of 1970 in the jungle near the Dong Nhai River. I was with D Trp. 1-9. We were working as Blues for E Trp. At
about 1300 we made contact with a pretty determined enemy force resulting
in several Cav casualties. We were MEDEVACed from a pretty hot bomb
crater. Thirty-seven years have not erased the memory of that beautiful
red cross on that Huey. I just want to thank the 15th MED on behalf of
all us gravel agitators, and especially the crew of the bird who flew us
out of that crater on Nov. 29th.
"You probably don't get many letters
of thanks; although, you surely deserve them. I would be honored if you
would publish this letter for all of your members to read. If you have a
Reunion, I would be honored if I were allowed to attend for a short time,
just to shake a hand or two and say 'thanks'."
The following members
are reported to be in the hospital fighting illnesses: Bobby BROOKS, with
a mild stroke; Randy BREWER, has had several bouts of bronchitis, could
now be pneumonia; Charles WILLIAMS, due to complications with Multiple
Sclerosis. Member Jack ZORTMAN has passed away, from long time
complications. For more information and contacts, e-mail Webmaster\Past
President 2003-2006 15th MED Association Murray GIBBS, MEDEVAC '67-'68
gunnermadmur@neo.rr.com .
Dan TOOTHMAN, "Fang,"
DanMEDEVAC19@msn.com e-mailed saying, "I had the honor to serve with
the 1st Cav in 1969. I was diverted from a gunship assignment and was
assigned to MEDEVAC; call sign MEDEVAC 19; Jan '69-Jan '70. I flew many
exciting missions with the finest NCOs, EM, and officers in the Army. It
was a great tour. In an attempt to find one of our old crew chiefs, Jack
DAHLMANN, I sent an e-mail to Murray GIBBS, relating a hoist mission on
which Jack and I were shot down on 5 Sep 69. He said you would probably
want to put it in the Saber.
"Our second patient hung in a tree
when we started taking hits from enemy fire. Jack had to unbuckle from
his seat and, standing in the doorway, helped operate the hoist and
returned fire with his M-60 at the same time. I don't remember the
Medic's name nor the gunner's, who was so new he didn't have Nomex {Fire
resistant flight clothing}.
"I have not received the Saber since
1971, but have read all of your stuff on the 15th MED Website. You do
good work.
"We had a total electrical failure flying to an emergency
landing site and went down on fire, and the engine quit at the top of the
trees. We didn't crash, but the patient, in a rigid litter still under
the helicopter, hit a tree snapping the hoist cable and he didn't
survive. He may have been dead anyway as the ground unit told us he had
three GSW's in the chest and they had been giving him mouth-to-mouth for
several hours. But, that really doesn't change things from my point of
view."
Bill WALSH, MEDEVAC Medic '70, C 2-7 Cav '69-'70, Chicago
P.D. (ret.), e-mailed information about his motorcycle club who ride for
vets: "Again, the American Knights, including Mikey G, led off the bikers
on the run to Marsailles. Check out the little film clip on the Website:
<http://cbs2chicago.com/local/illinois.freedom.run.2.753914. html>."
'69 PSG Gordon RUSSELL <Grdnrussell1952@aol.com> responded with
information regarding a photo of him and Cpt. WOOD, posted in this
column. "Mike, little info on Cpt. WOOD. He had over three thousand hours
and was very good while on a mission. I trusted him more than any other
pilot we had at the time. He lives in Weatherford, TX, and is very sick.
I stay in touch thru his wife."
Always remembering our 1st Cav
troops on duty around the world; over and out.
FIRST TEAM!
Garryowen,
Mike
Bodnar C 2\7 '69
MEDEVAC 1-7\70
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE