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“No compromise. No rationalization. No Hesitation. Fly the mission. Now!"
"Dustoff," "That others may live", art by Joe Kline, Copyright 2000. "Dustoff" is a grunt's-eye view of a UH-1 Huey medevac helicopter being guided into a tight LZ to pick up wounded infantrymen. This was the creed of Major Charles L. "Combat" Kelly, viewed by many as the founder and inspirational leader of the world renowned "Dust Offs," the men and women of Army military medical evacuation helicopters, the air ambulances. Their stories are incredibly inspirational. Their courage and steadily improving tactics have reduced deaths among those wounded on the battlefield almost exponentially since WWII, to where today, about 85 percent of our wounded in Iraq survive. MSgt. Stan Hutchson, a Vietnam vet, wrote a poem entitled, simply, "Dustoff," and it opens like this: "They come in fast and furious. Sliding in over the top of a tree. A better sight on all this earth. Believe me, you’ll never see." "Dustoff to strike force. Ready your wounded. ETA (Estimated time of arrival) 60 seconds from your LZ (landing zone). We're coming in." August 16, 2004, re-accomplished and published again January 21, 2006. Editor's note: What a terrible way to start the new year. In August 2004, we wrote and published an extensive and I think very good article about the history of our "Dustoff" medevac crews, their machines, and their bravery. Some how, I do not know how, all the text vanished into the ether. One of our readers, who liked the article, happened to save most of it, so we have that part back. I then worked to reconstruct the remainder and ended up adding a few things, so we have the article back and I am publishing it now. Ed Marek, editor
In this photo for Reuters by Chris Helgren, you see a U.S. Marine giving the thumbs up to a U.S. Army medical evacuation helicopter crew after loading a Marine injured in a mortar attack, at a firebase in the Iraqi town of al Yusufiya, August 10, 2004. Helgren wrote:
The 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance - AA) has made the news a lot recently, partly because fighting has intensified in and around Najaf and that is its area of responsibility. There are plenty of such units as the 45th, all around the world, and the men and women of these organizations have again and again demonstrated service, sacrifice, and courage. More important, they have saved many, many American lives and have saved many lives of innocent civilians, comrades in arms from our alliances and coalitions, and even enemy combatants.
An article by Oliver Poole deployed with the 45th Medical Co. posted on the UK's Telegraph web site provides us with a good overview about why this subject is important:
Helicopter medical evacuation, its roots in the 1940s The 45th's history begins in Vietnam. But we'd like to start our story in the 1940s, because that's where the helicopter and the idea of medical evacuation (medevac) got their roots. The Germans had the first helicopter to enter active military service, with the FL-265 and FL-282 entering service with the German navy in 1942. But the Yanks were right on their heels. The Sikorsky R-4 was a two-seat aircraft that became the "belle of the ball," and the Coast Guard's Lieutenant Commander F.A. Erickson one of the early pioneers.
But by May 6, 1941, Sikorsky put a body on her, made other improvements and set a world helicopter endurance record of 1 hour, 32 minutes, 26 seconds aloft. By January 1942 further improvements had been made, the aircraft was redesignated the VS-316, and the military came aboard, designating her the R4, the Army Air Corps' (AAC ) first service helicopter, nicknamed the "Hoverfly." The Navy also bought in, on behalf of the Coast Guard.
Sikorsky R-4B "Hoverfly," photo courtesy of the USAF Museum, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio The R-4 was the world's first production helicopter and the AAC's first service helicopter. It was to be a two-man aircraft used for observation, reconnaissance, and medevac, with one external litter. As we read the records, though, the first operational R4 belonged to the Coast Guard, and it and its pilot made medevac history.
The Coast Guard's Lieutenant Commander F.A. Erickson, fifth from the left in the above photo (courtesy of helis.com), had watched the development of the VS-300 virtually from the start, and saw the value of a helicopter for antisubmarine warfare and medevac. The US Navy accepted its first helicopter (to be used by the Coast Guard), a Sikorsky YR-4B (HNS-1), at Bridgeport, Connecticut, following a 60 minute acceptance test flight by Mr. Erickson on October 16, 1943. Cmdr. Erickson started the world's first helicopter school at Floyd Bennett Field, New York in December 1943. Just the next month, on January 3, 1944, the US Naval destroyer USS Turner, while anchored off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, experienced a series of shattering internal explosions and sank, taking 15 officers and 123 crewmen with her. Many survivors were picked up by nearby boats and brought to the Sandy Hook Hospital. The hospital was in urgent need of plasma. A terrible storm was pounding the area and all airfields were closed. U.S Coast Guard Admiral Parker, from his Third Naval District headquarters in New York, called Erickson and asked him if he could fly to Battery Park in New York, pick up plasma, and get it to the hospital. Erickson said he could do it, he grabbed his co-pilot, Ensign Walter Bolton, and his aircraft, an R4 called HNS-1 by the Coast Guard, tail number "Buno 46445", and off they went. You need to read the full story conveyed by helis.com, because this was a hair-raising flight, but Erickson completed the mission marking this as the first use of a helicopter in a life saving role. To give you a sense for the bravado demonstrated during this flight, Erickson and his co-pilot strapped two cases of plasma to the helicopter's floats, the co-pilot was forced to stay behind because of weight issues, and Erickson literally had to back his way out of Battery Park to avoid obstacles and go into the wind to get his bird aloft. He certainly set the bar for medevac pilots to follow, and as you'll see, they have set an even higher bar. The next first for the helicopter in a medevac role occurred in 1943. The AAC was the first to use the helicopter in operational service in WWII. We believe that the AAC, in 1943, sent one R4B to General Hap Arnold's 1st Commando Force in the China-India-Burma theatre of operations, to serve along with a composite force of fighters, cargo planes, light aircraft and support people. This was the first helicopter to serve in combat. The air commandos were hooked up with ground commandos known as "The Chindits," formed and led by British Major General Orde Wingate DSO. Together they conducted "unconventional" hit-and-run warfare to confuse the enemy, and destroy their lines of communication and resupply. The 1st Commando Force was re-designated the 1st Air Commando Group in 1944 and deployed to Hailakandi, India. Four more R4Bs were airlifted to India. In fairly short order, the unit was down to two aircraft. Then, we get another first, the first combat medical evacuation by a helicopter. In late April 1944, 1st Air Commando sergeant pilot Ed "Murphy" Hladovcak crash landed his L-IB light plane in Burma with three wounded British soldiers aboard, deep behind Japanese lines. On April 25-26, 1944, Lt. Carter Harman of the 1st Air Commandos flew an R4B behind enemy lines to them. He flew from his base in India on a circuitous 500 mile route to avoid the Japanese. He had to stop for fuel every 100 miles at landing zones controlled by friendly ground commandos.
In one day, engineers turn "Broadway" into a bustling airfield. This end of the field needed little leveling, but the other was badly rutted. Photo courtesy of National Geographic magazine, August 1944 edition, "The Aerial Invasion of Burma," by General H.H. Arnold, Commanding General, US Army Air Forces.
The light plane airstrip at "White City," carved out of the jungles behind enemy lines by Wingate's "Chindits" British Commandos. The Stronghold is in the hills next to the airstrip. Imperial War Museum (Ref SE7937) courtesy of Chindit Special Force Burma 1942-1944. Harman made it to the Allied Aberdeen glider strip (similar to White City and Broadway seen above) torn out of the Burma jungles.
Lt. Carter Harman (standing at left) made the first AAF helicopter rescue, in Burma, behind Japanese lines on April 25-26, 1944. U.S. Air Force Museum, photo courtesy of Ft. Rucker, Alabama, home of Army Aviation He then flew to a clearing near the crash site to pick up the first wounded British soldier and took him to an emergency strip prepared by British commandos on a sand-bar 10 miles away. He went back and picked up the second wounded soldier, but an overheated engine forced him to remain at the sandbar overnight. He went back the next morning to get the third wounded soldier and then went back again and got the L-IB pilot. He successfully picked up three British soldiers and a pilot from behind Japanese lines. We understand a painting of this historic operation is hanging in the Helicopter War Museum in England. The last two R4Bs of the 1st Air Commando Group were credited with 15 successful evacuations before the two helicopters collapsed from the weight of the jungle's environment. The success of the R4 led to the development of the R5 and R6, followed by large production orders from the Army.
Sikorsky R6-A "Hoveryfly II". Presented by USAF Military Training Instructor Association.
One of very first external litter helicopter transports, 1945 in Philippines using Sikorsky R-6A. Both photos, above and below, submitted by Dan Gower. Presented by dustoff.org
The R6-A was a two-seat observation helicopter and served in combat in May 1944. Although primarily an observation and liaison helicopter, many R-6As also were equipped with capsules on each side of the fuselage to carry litters for medical evacuation. Bomb racks also could be installed and, if necessary, the R-6A could be equipped with floats for operation from water. So began the long and distinguished history of helicopter evacuations and specifically medical evacuations, medevacs. The tactic continued to develop during the Korean War.
Personnel and equipment needed to save a man's life are assembled at HQs of the 8225th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, Korea. October 14, 1951. That's a Bell H-13 "Sioux" helicopter. Photo credit: Cpl. Charles Abrahamson. (Army), courtesy of defenselink.mil, "Commemorating the Korean War." Based on the enormous casualties of WWII, and the helicopter's potential to serve, in June 1950, Army field forces recommended that a helicopter organization be provided for each division and field army and be considered, from a medical standpoint, the same as a medical ground ambulance unit.
Hiller H-23 Raven three seat utility helicopter used for medical evacuation and battlefield observation and surveillance. Presented by The Korean War. Interestingly, at the outset of the war there were no Medical Service (MS) aviators specifically trained in aeromedical evacuation, so as has so often been the case in warfare, they had to operate by the seat of their pants and learn day-by-day.
Members of 3 RAR (Australian) load a wounded soldier into a pod on a US Army Bell 47D (H-13) helicopter in the Sokkong valley area, Korea. Photo courtesy of the Australian war Memorial In both WWII and Korea, the practice was to pick up the wounded and get them to a medical facility. That changed in Vietnam, when the practice of providing medical care aboard the flight began. This was a natural progression, especially as helicopter technology improved and the aircraft grew in size, power, speed and maneuverability. Vietnam: the 57th Medical Detachment (Air Ambulance), and Combat Kelly
Saved from certain death, a stretcher-borne Vietnamese soldier leaves his US Army air ambulance for a hospital in Da Nang. The day before he was shot in the abdomen while patrolling the Bou Aie Ha. Called by radio, the Army helicopter flew to the rescue. From "Helicopter War in South Viet Nam," by Dick Chapelle, National Geographic magazine, November 1962.
In January 1963, the 57th was moved to Ton Son Nhut Air Force Base (AFB) at Saigon. It later split operations between Tan Son Nut, outside Saigon, and Pleiku in South Vietnam's central highlands, dividing its UH-1 fleet between the two bases.
UH-1 Iroquois "Huey", photo courtesy of Global Security As an aside, the 57th was also the first unit to use the UH-1 "Iroquois" helicopter for medevac in actual combat. The name "Iroquois" never really caught on. This ship was more fondly known as the "Huey." Before it left Vietnam in 1973, the 57th had evacuated more than 100,000 patients within the combat zone. There are several elements of history tied up in the 57th crucial to understanding US military helicopter medevac history.
Following Korea, Capt. Kelly would get promoted to major and then go off to Vietnam, taking command of the 57th. We are not sure of the date, but believe it was in 1963.
On July 1, 1964, he arrived at a very hot area to pick up the injured, and came under intense hostile fire. He was ordered to withdraw several times, and responded that he would depart “when I have your wounded.” That idea quickly became the unofficial motto of all Dust Offs.
From what we read, Major Kelly's impact on the Dust Off crews around the world to follow was enormous. We see a phrase attributed to him that seems to fit the man, the mission, and the crews who flew before him and after him:
Vietnam: The birth of the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance - AA) In the beginning of this report, we said we were going to use the 45th Medical Company (AA) as our means to explain the medevac business up through the present. So let's get started. We have not been able to find a single history of the 45th on the internet, but have one pieced together. The overall story this history tells is one of great heroism and dedication to saving lives. The significance of the 45th, and other similar companies that preceded and accompanied it, was that they were full-fledged medical companies rather than taking the job on as an extra duty.
Long Binh, South Vietnam, from the air. Photo credit: from Dennis Mansker's Long Binh Post Gallery
45th Dustoff parking ramp, Long Binh, Vietnam Oct. 1969-70. Submitted by Del Williams. Presented by dustoff.org
This is the 45th Med Co.'s "gate" and area at Long Binh. Presented by dustoff.org The 45th was formed on September 13, 1967, at Long Binh, Vietnam, located near Saigon and just northeast of it. The 45th Medical Company (AA) was at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, but it had been on what the Army calls "deferred status" since 1965. That meant it had 25 obsolete H-19 helicopters and virtually no one able to fly them.
"Wild Child II," typical of the brand new UH-1Hs sent to the 45th Medical Company (AA) at Long Binh, Vietnam (it so happens Wild Child II was replacing one of the new ones already lost in combat). On the left is Richard Cunnare, the crew chief, on the right, Dennis Telischak, the medic, 4th Flight Platoon, 45th Med. Co. (AA), on March 1, 1968. Fliers and aircraft came from many locations throughout the US to form up this company. The Army outfitted it with 25 new Bell UH-1H, the latest and, at the time, the greatest, with powerful engines for lift, new navigation kits, and improved hoists. The 45th's aircraft actually came directly to Vietnam from the factory in Texas.
Bullet hole through diffuser section. 45th Med, Long Binh 1970. Submitted by Del Williams, presented courtesy of dustoff.org We read one wife's account of her husband's tour as a pilot with the 45th in Vietnam. She wrote:
This wife understood the enemy well. Sgt Kenneth Rucker, a 19 year old medic with the 4th Platoon, 45th Medical Company, was aboard a 45th Dustoff over Binh Long province, Vietnam on May 27, 1968. His pilot hovered the red cross marked aircraft above wounded special forces soldiers and Rucker was trying to hoist a badly wounded Green Beret aboard. Enemy gunners operating two Chinese communist machine guns rattled the aircraft with fire. The pilot held his hovering position, continuing their hoist operation. Then the enemy fired a B-40 rocket at the helicopter, it crashed and exploded, all souls aboard lost.
45th Dust Off revetments, we believe at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, 1969-1970. Submitted by Del Williams, photo courtesy of dustoff.org. We have read several accounts of what a 45th mission could be like, by men who were there. Allow us to point you to one, written in 1997 by the 4th Platoon crew chief shown above with Wild Child II, Richard Cunnare. In case you don't have time, let us summarize the picture quickly to underscore what a tough business this was and is:
Average time from wounding to surgical table was under 100 minutes. 97% of soldiers who reached hospital alive survived. 390,000 wounded were evacuated during the course of the war. Courtesy of Digger history, an unofficial history of the Australian and New Zealand armed forces. This is a photo of the 3rd Platoon, 45th Medical Co. in support of Australian troops in Phouc Tuy Province. It demonstrates well the environment on the ground while the mission we have just been discussing took place. |
This three-part series DVD documentary being undertaken by Arrowhead Films & Video will delve into the Dustoff legacy from its roots in the Vietnam War to present day Iraq…a legacy that Arrowhead Film & Video first explored in its award-winning documentary, In The Shadow Of The Blade. Table of Contents Section One Opening art credit: "Dustoff" is a grunt's-eye view of a UH-1 Huey medevac helicopter being guided into a tight LZ to pick up wounded infantrymen. Artwork by Joe Kline, presented by Military Aviation Art
Michael Novosel never set out to be a hero. In fact, it looked like he might never see military action. After fast-talking his way into the aviation cadet program (he was too short to pass the physical) and earning his wings, he became a heavy-bomber instructor for the Army Air Corps. But it wasn’t until Germany’s defeat that the ace pilot finally saw combat. Assigned as a B-29 Super-fortress command pilot, he reached Tinian just before the Enola Gay took off to end World War II in the skies over Hiroshima. Despite being a senior airline pilot, when the war in Vietnam started, Novosel applied again for active duty. The only thing that the Air Force was willing to give reserve lieutenant colonels like Novosel to fly, however, was a desk. Resigning his commission, he approached the Army, which decided that flying Dustoffs (medevac helicopters) in Vietnam was a perfect job for this seasoned aviator. With two tours, 2,038 hours of combat flight, 2,345 aerial missions that evacuated 5,589 wounded, and a Congressional Medal of Honor, it’s easy to see that Mike Novosel is a genuine, 24-karat American war hero We honor service and sacrifice. Please click the "Donate" button and contribute $20 or more to help keep this station alive. Thanks. |
Since the 45th has been in the news, we decided to track its history, and gather together some photos, as a means to tell the story of all those who have served and still serve with the world famous “Dust Offs.”
On September 14, 1939, Sikorsky's prototype VS-300 helicopter flew its first flight, which turned out to be the first flight of an US helicopter (photo courtesy of 
The first full-fledged aeromedical evacuation unit sent to Vietnam was the 57th Medical Detachment (Air Ambulance-AA), arriving in Nha Trang, Vietnam on April 26, 1962 from Fort Meade, Maryland.
First, let's introduce you to the 57th's commander, Major Charles L. "Combat" Kelly. He was born in a small town in Georgia in 1925. At the age of 15, he ran off and joined the Army, serving in Europe. He came home, finished school, including college, became a high school principal, got out of that and joined the Army as an enlisted man and then became an officer. He served in Korea with the 50th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance - HA). This is where he earned his medevac spurs. (Photo of Captain Kelly receiving an award in Korea, courtesy of Si Simmons, one of "Kelly's Krazies" in Vietnam, 
In any event, one of the first things Kelly noted was that the 57th had no radio callsign of its own. There was a vacant call sign, “Dust Off,” in the operations instructions so Kelly grabbed it unofficially and started using it. “Dust Off” became not only the callsign used by all Army aeromedical evacuation flights (except the 1st Cavalry, which used “Medevac”), but its use told everyone that when they heard that call used on the radio, it was an aeromedical flight. Soldiers in the heat of battle need only remember the callsign “Dust Off” when radioing in for help. They knew they would get the desired response, any time, anywhere. The callsign "Dust Off" also became the nickname for development of the concept of operations for such operations that blossomed throughout the Vietnam war.
“Combat” Kelly, besides being a tremendous leader by example, employed some verbiage that soon became the motto of many in the medevac business.
In the minds of most Dust Off pilots and crew who flew with or knew of Combat Kelly, he is a legend. There is much written about him, all worth reading if you wish to be uplifted by the incredible devotion to his fellow man displayed by this short guy from Georgia. He was killed in a Dust Off mission on July 1, 1964, shot through the heart by ground fire. His chopper went down, his crew made it out, and retrieved his body. This flight had a US physician aboard and he declared Major Kelly dead on the scene. A group of Dust Offs, who had heard Kelly was hit, rushed to the area, only to learn they were too late. They completed his mission and rescued the patients Kelly had gone to get. Our information is that Major Kelly was the 149th American to die in combat in Vietnam.
