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David Freeman Back in the States there was a move on to gain support for the military. One of the ways this was accomplished was through a program called MAST (Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic). MAST was a pilot program being tried in San Antonio and a few other places around the country. In… Continue reading White Elephants

David Freeman (Photos) When the crew of Dustoff 71 reported in to the 57th Medical Detachment’s Operations office for First Up duty on the evening of October 13, 1971, they checked the Mission Board and found one mission still pending from the afternoon shift. CW2 Ron Schulz was the Aircraft Commander and WO1 John Chrin… Continue reading Loss of Dustoff 71 and Crew – October 13th, 1971

David Freeman The monsoon season hit. I never dreamed it would get cold in Vietnam. Walking around in sweat-drenched flight suits, waiting for the sun to go down and a slight breeze to kick up had become a way of life. Now, suddenly, everything was different. The days were windy with dark clouds overhead and… Continue reading Twister

David Freeman With the Viet Cong on the move throughout the Delta, the VNAF Dustoff crews could not keep up with their missions. We began helping them again during the day, along with flying most of the night missions ourselves. Gunships were usually available during the daytime and we began to work regularly with Cobras… Continue reading Cobras In Action

David Freeman Christmas Day should have been quiet. Both sides had declared an informal truce during the Christmas 1971 -New Year 1972 season, and we expected no real activity. But activity came, and it came in an unexpected way. We got a call from Rach Gia (pronounced “Rock Jaw”), a small town on the west… Continue reading The Navy Has a Christmas Party

These are photos from the reunion of the 57th and 82nd Med Detachments held in Washington D.C. on May 17, 2005. For those who had not been to D.C. before it was quite an experience. Attending were Pete “Frenchy” Jeansonne, Larry Brocksnick, Jim Frankenberger, Jerry Noack, Gary Wilemon, Mike Lewis, Gene Dewulf, Gil Hinz, Bob… Continue reading 2005 — 57th and 82nd Med Grand Reunion

By David Freeman We all had additional duties to perform when not flying. First Lieutenant Chris Seidor had an especially challenging job. He was the Awards and Decorations officer, as well as the unit historian. It was his job to write up acts of bravery and submit recommendations for medals and other awards. He had… Continue reading Awards and Decorations

By David Freeman By late 1971, the American Dustoff crews in the Delta had transferred the bulk of the daytime ARVN medevac support to the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). The VNAF medevac pilots, despite their vast flight experience, were not inclined to fly at night. The 57th Medical Detachment continued to fly night medevac missions… Continue reading Dustoffs at Night