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  • Alabama Hamma

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    I have posted this twice, I had to. When my Dad was in Viet Nam His Rescue Squadron's Moto was (So That Others May Live). I believe that they did things that most people don't know about. He wouldn't speak of any of it. They received the Presidential Unit Citation for what they did. I do know that the Men on the HH-43B were all cross trained and experts in weapons and hand to hand combat.
     

    SAWMAN

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    If he was USN he didn't happen to be in a Det. of HC-1 did he?? Flying out of several places in Thailand ?? ---
     

    USAF Sarge

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    A PUC was something to write home about. My dad's unit in Vietnam got it.

    While the PUC is the still the highest unit award and not easy to get, and because units were performing above what is required for the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The Air Force created the Gallant Unit Citation and Meritorious Unit Award to recognize the actions of units below PUC level but above AF Outstanding Unit Award.

    I know during GWOT we were submitted for the PUC, but was downgraded to a GUC, some of the units put in with is got the PUC. Which was the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-SOUTH/Task Force K-BAR, which was the guys from DEVGRU (SEAL team 6) and some USAF PJs and such.

    So we now have in order highest to lowest.

    Presidential Unit Citation (Comparable to a Service Cross)
    Gallant Unit Citation (Comparable to a Silver Star)
    Joint Meritorious Unit Award
    Meritorious Unit Award
    Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
    Air Force Organization Excellence Award
     

    Alabama Hamma

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    If he was USN he didn't happen to be in a Det. of HC-1 did he?? Flying out of several places in Thailand ?? ---
    Air Force Det. 10 out of Maxwell Air Force Base. 38th Aerospace and Rescue Squadron. From what I understand from my mother he couldn't even tell her where he was going. She said he was gone 6 months before she received a letter from him.
    My dad Tsgt James R. Wilson
    I'm pretty sure they did fly out of Korat Thailand, and out of a couple of Fire Bases from what a Major told me. He would not talk about it. I found the PUC in his Military papers one night before he died and asked him how they got it. I remember the PUC said extraordinary gallantry in the face of an opposing armed force. There was more but that sticks in my brain.
     
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    USAF Sarge

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    Air Force Det. 10 out of Maxwell Air Force Base. 38th Aerospace and Rescue Squadron. From what I understand from my mother he couldn't even tell her where he was going. She said he was gone 6 months before she received a letter from him.
    My dad Tsgt James R. Wilson
    I'm pretty sure they did fly out of Korat Thailand, and out of a couple of Fire Bases from what a Major told me. He would not talk about it. I found the PUC in his Military papers one night before he died and asked him how they got it. I remember the PUC said extraordinary gallantry in the face of an opposing armed force. There was more but that sticks in my brain.

    Here's the criteria for it from the AFPC Awards and Decorations page.

    CRITERIA

    It is conferred on units of the armed forces of the United States and of cobelligerent nations, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after Dec. 7, 1941.

    The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross to an individual.
     

    Alabama Hamma

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    I hate that he took it to his grave. I tried to get him to tell me about it and he said he was still trying to forget it. It had been 39 years and would not tell me anything other than he had a job to do, peoples lives depended on him, didn't have time to think about it and seeing and doing things that no one should ever have to see or do in their life time. He would be asleep on the couch when I was a kid in the late 60's and he would jump to his feet and the look on his face is un-describable. He looked like he was in kill mode.
     

    USAF Sarge

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    I hate that he took it to his grave. I tried to get him to tell me about it and he said he was still trying to forget it. It had been 39 years and would not tell me anything other than he had a job to do, peoples lives depended on him, didn't have time to think about it and seeing and doing things that no one should ever have to see or do in their life time. He would be asleep on the couch when I was a kid in the late 60's and he would jump to his feet and the look on his face is un-describable. He looked like he was in kill mode.

    I'll see what I can dig up on my end in the meantime. I'll ask around and see if there was an action specific unit citation or just a cookie cutter citation for PUCs.

    DET 10 was activated on 15 September 1965 Binh Thuy Air Base RVN, and was disbanded at Binh Thuy AB RVN on 20 December 1969.

    The 38th ARS was awarded PUCs during the following periods in Vietnam.

    Presidential Unit Citations (Southeast Asia)

    1 Jul 1965 - 31 Jul 1965
    1 Aug 1965 - 30 Jun 1966
    1 Jul 1967 - 31 Jan 1969
    1 Feb 1969 - 30 Apr 1970
    1 May 1970 - 1 Jul 1971

    When it became the first MAC unit to receive the Presidential Unit Citation during 1966, the 38th had already flown 8,700 combat missions. While rescuing 1,700 persons during its relatively brief life, squadron members were highly decorated, several were wounded and others were killed in action.
     
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    USAF Sarge

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    Interesting rotor head site.


    You could also reach out to the Public Affiars Office at Moody AFB, GA and ask for contact information for the Unit Historian. The 23rd Wing Public Affairs office can be reached at (229) 257-4146.
     
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    Alabama Hamma

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    I had contacted thru mail the records department back in 04 and they said they did a poor job of it during 64 and early 65. I even got on the computer and there wasn't much info for this time period. I remember him talking about a friend of his, pretty sure it was Pittsinbarger that was KIA in early 66 after he waved off the chopper due to heavy fire. I have an old photo of my dad and the chopper crew.
     

    Alabama Hamma

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    Here's the picture of my Dad, he's the one in the middle wearing shades. On the back the pic is dated 1 DEC 64 Korat Thailand
     

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    SAWMAN

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    Dets. from HC-1 (out of NAS North Island) were in Binh Thuy,Vung Tao,Udorn,NGK,Pak Se,and several others.
    Part of HC-1 split off to become HAL-(3). DET.1 of HC-1 flying HH3's were a big part of the initial rescue attempt of BAT-21. The "Big Mother's" and "Golly Green's" had MASSIVE firepower. Including 4,40mm auto grenade launchers,two GAU-1B gatling guns,and one that I saw had a twin bbl 50BMG chain gun.
    They also carried several 20mm ammo boxes of grenades,both WP and frag. Several MK-79 grenade launchers also. Then 20 or 30 smokes in racks above the door. White,yellow,and purple,IIRC.
    I do not know how the AF helo's were configured. I remember that when Nah Be was almost over run they came to the aid of the Navy and were shootin' up the end of the runway. They jettisoned a external JP-5 tank and another helo lit it up with a WF grenade. I believe that helo was AF. Could be wrong. --- SAWMAN
     

    Alabama Hamma

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    I have the picture that my mother had hanging on the wall of the HH-43B they flew. I had read were the men would rig cables in the back and hang BAR's in them.
     

    FrommerStop

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    SSgt. Barry Sadler
    The author of the song was an interesting Character. He was a relatively famous Author of the Casca Series.
    Wiki
    Literary works
    Sadler was unable to score anything close to a major success with his other songs, though "The A-Team" was a Top 30 Billboard chart single during 1966. He was honorably discharged from the Army in May 1967, and moved with his family to Tucson, Arizona. After minor acting parts in four episodes of two TV western series, "Death Valley Days and "The High Chaparral", and in the 1968 caper film Dayton's Devils starring Rory Calhoun, he moved to Nashville and begin writing pulp fiction novels. His popular Casca series is about the title character, Casca Rufio Longinius (a combination of Longinus and the Wandering Jew), supposedly the Roman soldier who thrust his lance into Christ's side during the crucifixion. Casca is cursed to remain a soldier until the Second Coming. The novels feature Casca's life from biblical times to the 20th century. Sadler himself wrote the first twenty-two books. After his death, the series was continued with books by other authors.


    Death of Lee Emerson Bellamy
    On December 1, 1978, at about 11 p.m., Sadler killed a country music songwriter named Lee Emerson Bellamy with one gunshot to the head.[3] The shooting was the culmination of a month-long dispute the men had concerning Darlene Sharpe, who was Bellamy's former girlfriend, and Sadler's lover at the time. Bellamy made many harassing telephone calls to Sadler and Sharpe, had one violent confrontation in a Nashville bar's parking lot, and threatened both their lives.
    Literary works
    Sadler was unable to score anything close to a major success with his other songs, though "The A-Team" was a Top 30 Billboard chart single during 1966. He was honorably discharged from the Army in May 1967, and moved with his family to Tucson, Arizona. After minor acting parts in four episodes of two TV western series, "Death Valley Days and "The High Chaparral", and in the 1968 caper film Dayton's Devils starring Rory Calhoun, he moved to Nashville and begin writing pulp fiction novels. His popular Casca series is about the title character, Casca Rufio Longinius (a combination of Longinus and the Wandering Jew), supposedly the Roman soldier who thrust his lance into Christ's side during the crucifixion. Casca is cursed to remain a soldier until the Second Coming. The novels feature Casca's life from biblical times to the 20th century. Sadler himself wrote the first twenty-two books. After his death, the series was continued with books by other authors.
    Death of Lee Emerson Bellamy
    On December 1, 1978, at about 11 p.m., Sadler killed a country music songwriter named Lee Emerson Bellamy with one gunshot to the head.[3] The shooting was the culmination of a month-long dispute the men had concerning Darlene Sharpe, who was Bellamy's former girlfriend, and Sadler's lover at the time. Bellamy made many harassing telephone calls to Sadler and Sharpe, had one violent confrontation in a Nashville bar's parking lot, and threatened both their lives.
    Sadler moved to Guatemala City in 1984. He continued to write and publish his Casca books, produced a never-released self-defense video, and provided free medical treatment in rural villages. On September 7, 1988, Sadler was shot in the head while sitting in a cab in Guatemala City. Witnesses said he accidentally shot himself, but his friends and family believed he was shot by a robber or an assassin. He was flown to the United States by friends in a private jet paid for by Soldier of Fortune magazine publisher Bob Brown.[citation needed]

    He was operated on at the Nashville Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, and remained in a coma for about six weeks. After emerging from the coma, Sadler was a quadriplegic and had suffered significant brain damage. He was finally released in January 1989, but he was reported missing by his family.[4] A few days later, he was found, in time to be present at a competency hearing.[5]

    After being moved to the Cleveland VA Hospital for specialized treatment, he was removed from the hospital by two former Green Berets and his mother, Blanche Sadler. After a contentious court battle waged by his wife and children, a court in Tennessee ruled that Sadler be put under the care of an independent guardian. Sadler was moved to the VA Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in February 1989, but he never recovered from his injury. He died there of cardiac arrest on November 5, 1989, four days after his 49th birthday.[6][7] Sadler was survived by his wife, Lavona, a daughter, Brooke, and two sons, Thor and Baron.[8]
    1590458385318.png
     
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    USAF Sarge

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    I have the picture that my mother had hanging on the wall of the HH-43B they flew. I had read were the men would rig cables in the back and hang BAR's in them.

    Some interesting reading for you.....
     

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