[Vhfcn-l] Thought You would Appreciate this

[Jim Henthorn]

When I left the service it took a while but I found the same attitude
and people in the fire service.  That's why I stayed 33 years...

Thanks for posting this.  Think I'll steal it and reword it for my
firefighter buddies who will recognize the truth of these words in the
ways that we lived and worked.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Vhfcn-l
[mailto:vhfcn-l-bounces+jim.henthorn=chancefac.net at vhfcn.org] On Behalf
Of John Grow
Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2017 21:57
To: jim.henthorn at chancefac.net
Cc: VHFCN1 Pilots and Crew <vhfcn-l at vhfcn.org>
Subject: [Vhfcn-l] Thought You would Appreciate this




JC is quite the guy and a good friend.  Glad that he wrote this.


John



"A tribute to the Army's first generation of combat helicopter flight
crews Received this in an Email (Yes, by God, we flew in Vietnam and we
were winning when I left.) By J.C. Pennington As we get older and we
experience the loss of old friends, we begin to realize that maybe we
ten-foot tall, bulletproof Army aviators won't live forever. We aren't
so bulletproof anymore. We ponder. if I we're gone tomorrow, "Did I say
what I wanted to my Brothers?" The answer is "No!" Hence, the following
random thoughts:
When people ask me if I miss flying, I always say something like, "Yes,
I miss the flying because when you are flying, you are totally focused
on the task at hand. It's like nothing else you will ever do (almost). "
But then I always say, "However, I miss the unit and the guys even more
than I miss the flying."
Why, you might ask? They were a bunch of aggressive, wiseass, cocky,
insulting, sarcastic bastards in smelly flight suits! They drank too
much, they chased women, they flew when they shouldn't, they laughed too
loud and thought they owned the sky, the bar, and generally thought they
could do everything better than the next guy. Nothing was funnier than
trying to screw with a buddy and see how pissed off they would get. They
flew helicopters that leaked, that bled RPM, that broke, that couldn't
hover, that burned fuel too fast, that never had all the radios and
instruments working, and with systems that were archaic next to today's
new generation aircraft.
But a little closer look might show that every guy in the room was
sneaky smart and damned competent and brutally handsome in his own way!
They hated to lose or fail to accomplish the mission and seldom did.
They were the laziest guys on the planet until challenged and then they
would do anything to win. They would fly with rotor blades overlapped at
night through the worst weather with only a little position light to
hold on to, knowing their flight lead would get them on the ground
safely. They would fight in the air knowing the greatest risk and fear
was that some NVA anti-aircraft gunner would wait 'til you flew past him
and open up on your six o'clock with tracers as big as softballs. They
would fly in harm's way and act nonchalant as if to challenge the grim
reaper.
When we flew to another base we proclaimed that we're the best unit on
the base as soon as we landed. Often we were not invited back. When we
went into a bar, we owned the bar. We were lucky to be the Best of the
Best in the military. We knew it and so did others. We found jobs, lost
jobs, got married, got divorced, moved, went broke, got rich, broke some
things, and knew the only thing you could count -- really count on --
was if you needed help, a fellow Army Aviator would have your back.
I miss the call signs, nicknames and the stories behind them.
I miss getting lit up in an O' or NCO' Club full of my buddies and
watching the incredible, unbelievable things that were happening. I miss
the crew chiefs waiting as you got to your ship for a Zero-Dark:30
preflight. I miss pulling an armful of pitch, nosing it over and
climbing into a new dawn. I miss going straight up and straight down. I
miss the tension of wondering what today's 12 hours of combat flying
would bring. I miss the craps table in the corner of the O-Club and
letting it ALL ride because money was meaningless. I miss listening to
BS stories while drinking and laughing until my eyes watered. I miss
three man lifts. I miss naps on the platoon hootch porch with a room
full of aviators working up new tricks to torment the sleeper. I miss
rolling in hot and watching my rockets hit EXACTLY where I was aiming. I
miss the beauty and precision of a flight of slicks in formation, rock
steady even in the face of tracers flying past you from a hot LZ. I miss
belches that could be heard in neighboring states. I miss showing off
for the grunts with high-speed, low level passes and abrupt cyclic
climbs. I even miss passengers in the back puking their guts up.
Finally, I miss hearing In-Coming! called out at the bar and seeing and
hearing a room full of men hit the deck with drinks spilling and chairs
being knocked over as they rolled in the beer and kicked their legs in
the air-followed closely by a Not Politically Correct Tap Dancing and
Singing spectacle that couldn't help but make you grin and order another
round.
I am a lucky guy and have lived a great life!
One thing I know is that I was part of a special team of guys doing
something dangerous and doing it better than most. Flying the most
beautiful, ugly, noisy, solid helicopters ever built. an aircraft that
talked to you and warned you before she spanked you! Supported by really
talented Crew Chiefs and Gunners committed to making sure we came home!
Being prepared to fly and fight and die for America. Having a clear
mission, clear vision, and having fun.
We box out bad memories from various missions and events most of the
time but never the hallowed memories of our fallen comrades. We are
often amazed at how good war stories never let truth interfere and how
they get better with age. We are lucky bastards to be able to walk into
a reunion or a bar and have men we respect and love shout our names, our
call signs, and know that this is truly where we belong.
We are ARMY AVIATORS and CREWMEMBERS. We are Few and we are Proud to
have been one of the first combat helicopter FLIGHTS CREWS the world
ever saw.
I am Privileged and Proud to call you Brothers. Clear Right! Clear Left!
Pullin' Pitch!
Huey Driver"



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