Finding and Evacuating Wounded in Vietnam

I was a Lunatic in Vietnam in 1965. Now I've got your attention! Now you are burning with curiosity to find out why I admit I was a Lunatic. If you really want to know why, read on and you will find out. If you really don't care why, read on because THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING STUFF! 

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Back in August 2016, one of the other contributors to Beaufort County Now asked me how we went about finding the wounded in Vietnam.

I responded and he came back to me recommending I turn my response into a posting in Beaufort County Now in North Carolina. Aware that those who read this posting may draw the conclusion that I am a procrastinator, because I did not publish the BCN posting until July 19, 2017, I am going to republish that posting for you to read. I’ve been busy!

Now it is August of 2025, and I am finally posting it to Foolishness…Or Is It?. Don’t attribute this to another sign of Procrastination. It is a sure sign of Forgetfulness. That’s another probable I have.

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Before I get into my recollection about 1965, I would like to digress and make a comparison to modern day Medical Evacuation in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There is a series called “Inside Combat Rescue” that runs on the National Geographic Channel that lies in stark contrast to our missions in Vietnam in 1965. What caught my eye was the amount of technology that they have available to them in Iraq and Afghanistan compared to what we had in 1965 when we would have had trouble trying to spell Technology…

Modern Medical Evacuation (Called Dustoff):

Ø They have Command Centers.

Ø They have the latest Gee Whiz Technology.

Ø There are about 8 Computer Monitors in front of the person manning the Command Center.

Ø The pilots take iPads along on their missions to do whatever it is that iPads can do for them on their missions. 

Vietnam 1965 (Called Dustoff):

Ø We had a Command Shack.

Ø We had no Gee Whiz Stuff.

Ø There were no Computer Monitors, but we did have a Telephone, a Radio, a Blackboard, a Note Pad and several Pencils.

Ø Our pilots carried Paper Maps.

To answer the question about how we found the wounded...We used a Paper Map and Map Coordinates.

That’s the short answer. The late Paul Harvey just came up behind me and told me to tell you The Rest of the Story...

I Digress Again...No the enemy in Vietnam did not respect the principles of the Geneva Convention. The Red Crosses on our ships were something to aim at. On any pickup, if the enemy were around, they did their best to kill all of us and all our patients.

Ø Missions started when we would receive radio call or a phone call in our command shack.

Ø Once we knew the call was about a mission, there began a scramble to get off the ground as fast as possible.

Ø The command pilot would remain in the shack to get the info needed for our mission.

Ø The Other Pilot, Crew Chief and the Medic would already be on the way to the ship.

Ø By the time the Command Pilot got to the ship, the Other Pilot had the ship lit up and ready to lift off.

Ø We flew to the wounded using Map Coordinates that were given to us on the Radio/Phone Call.

Ø We flew day or night.

Ø Landing in the right place, even after we found the right place, could be problematic.

Ø Early on we would request smoke to mark the landing site, and sometimes more than one smoke would come out.

Ø The extra smoke was the enemy trying to get us to land right in front of them so they could make us feel really unwelcome.

Ø We got smarter.

Ø We still asked for smoke but, when the smoke came out, we would identify the color and the troops on the ground would verify the color before we would go in.

Ø If the color identification was wrong or both smokes were the same color, we asked for more smoke and repeated the throw smoke routine over again.

Ø At night we would normally ask for a flare because smoke was almost impossible to see at night. Yea, I know what some of you are thinking, the enemy had flares too. Medical Evacuation is not an exact science.

Ø One night we landed to the good guys waving a Zippo Lighter to identify where they were because they had run out of flares. Again, probably not a smart thing to do because the enemy had Zippos too but that night there was only one Zippo Lighter waving around down there (that we could see), so we took a chance. Smart or not, we got to the wounded and got them out.

Ø One way to land at a Landing Zone (LZ) Pickup Site was to drop down to treetop level away from the LZ and come in at high speed. If the enemy were below us as we came by, the hope was we would be by them before they could get a good shot at us. I was never hit doing such an approach. I have no idea how many times we were almost hit doing such an approach. One thing is for sure, it was a very exciting ride because the trees on either side were often higher than we were.

Ø Another type of approach was to drop the ship like a rock from 3,500 feet and pull it out at the bottom and drop it onto the ground (hopefully right next to the wounded).

Ø The reason for this was, we thought, small arms fire could not reach us above 3,500 feet. We wanted to get from 3,500 feet to the ground as quickly as possible and be vulnerable for as short a time as possible.

Ø Coming back out we did the opposite. We stayed at treetop level to gain airspeed and then pulled collective pitch (power) hard and rose up like an elevator. The Huey was a very powerful ship. Those rides up were surprising and thrilling the first time you rode one up and thrilling every time after that.

Ø In heavy jungle we had to hover down through the trees with all four crew members looking around the ship so we could hover away from tree branches. Everyone was on the intercom. It sounded something like this: go forward, go left, go forward, go right, go left, etc. The pilots could see obstacles in front of the ship but can bet they were looking right and left too.

Ø Sometimes the troops on the ground had to blow away trees to make a big enough hole for us to hover in to. Many times, the holes were very small.

Ø Some of our guys made these hole-in-the-trees pickups at night. This would increase the pucker factor. I never had the opportunity to do this at night.

Ø On the way back up, we were again all looking for branches as we reversed the process.

Ø If we knew where the enemy was, we approached from the opposite direction. We did not want to be slowing down for a landing right over them.

Ø Again, if we knew where the enemy was, we landed with the back of the ship towards them. This was done for several reasons. We did not want to be loading patients with the enemy looking and shooting right at the pilots. We wanted the back of the ship toward the incoming fire hoping that some of the fire might be adsorbed or redirected by the ship itself. Finally, we did not want to be taking off low and slow toward or right over the enemy.

Ø Guys in the back...The pilots were, of course, vital to any Medical Evacuation Mission. We flew it in and out of harm’s way (as they say in the movies).

Ø The Medic and the Crew Chief were as important as pilots.

Ø Often, they were even more exposed to enemy fire than the pilots. There were times when they had to leave the ship to get the patients. There were even times when some of those on the ground would not stand up to load the patients because of the fire being received. Our Medic and Crew Chief went and got, loaded and then cared for the patients as we flew back.

Ø It was amazing how many holes could be put into a Huey, and it would still fly. Of course, any single one of those rounds in a vital place could destroy a ship. 

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I am including in this posting an audio recording entitled, "God's Own Lunatics". If you have trouble with the link below, keep trying because it is special. If you search on “God’s own lunatics” or “God’s own lunatics You Tube”, you will be able to find several versions…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqYOAqxlL_Y

This recording was part of an address given by Joe Galloway at a Military Convocation many years after the mid November 1965 Battle of Ia Drang Valley. Joe was a civilian photographer attached to 1^st Battalion of the 7^th Cavalry of the 1^st Air Calvary Division. He was a main character in the Mel Gibson movie and co-author of the book; We Were Soldiers Once...And Young.

Click here to read about the Battle of Ia Drang Valley…https://lzxray.com/

I am very proud to have been a Life Saving Lunatic in 1965.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: In case I gave the wrong impression, God’s Own Lunatics was not intended to recognize only Medical Evacuation Crews. It was intended to sing the praises of all who flew Helicopter Missions in Vietnam.

 

WE WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER...OR WILL WE?

IF YOU ARE THINKING THAT THE ABOVE SUBJECT SOUNDS LIKE THE WORDS OF CHIEF JOSEPH, YOU ARE RIGHT IN THAT THINKING.

Let your mind wander with mine for a few moments. It is November 1, 2028, and Our President has been working hard on the Good Ole USofA’s and the World’s problems since January 20, 2017 (Except during the 4 years of the Biden Administration). It appears all his efforts have paid off...

Ø All of Planet Earth’s Dictators have stepped down from power and Democratic Elections have replaced every one of them.

Ø All Earth’s Nuclear Weapons were destroyed years ago.

Ø All Earth’s Weapons of Mass and Minor Destruction were beaten into Plow Shears years ago.

Ø All Working Age Citizens of the Good Ole USofA have a Job.

Ø The Good Ole USofA’s Food Stamp Program has been eliminated simply because there is no need for it any longer.

Ø All Former Welfare Recipients have gotten off Welfare and have unanimously stated that it is their firm belief that they will never have need for any form of assistance from anyone for the rest of their lives.

Ø All Negative Political Campaign Advertising has been eliminated.

Ø Israel and Every Arab Nation have made peace and are enjoying picnics together on each of their respective religious holidays.

Ø The last Terrorist Attack of any kind was so long ago that hardly anyone can remember when the last one was.

Ø Every Terrorist Organization anywhere in the world has long ago voluntarily disbanded.

Ø Rancor in the U.S. Congress is a distant memory.

Ø Compromises in Congress are now reached after 20 minutes of friendly debate and for the last 3 years all bills have passed without a single negative vote.

Ø The Democrat and Republican Leaders in the House and the Senate walk into the Capital Building hand in hand every day that Congress is in session.

Ø All the Shouting Nightly News Shows have been canceled and have been replaced with John Phillip Sousa Music Stations and re-runs of Ozzie & Harriet and Father Knows Best.

Ø There has not been a Labor Strike in the Good Ole USofA in many years.

Ø There has not been a Murder or a Robbery in the Good Ole USofA in many years.

Ø No NFL Player has knelt during the National Anthem in 8 seasons (Kaepernick is still not good enough to play).

Ø The National Anthem is scheduled to be replaced with It’s a Small World next Thursday.

But wait! Is that what I think it is? Is that a Lone Protester walking with a Soap Box under his arm toward the Capital Steps? What is his intent?

A large curious crowd forms around him on all sides. The news cameras and microphones zoom in to catch what he has to say. After climbing up on his Soap Box he says...

“I don’t like The President’s Demeanor”

Then a voice from the back of the crowd (later found out to be the Soap Box Protester’s Brother-In-Law) shouts, “Me Neither!” “Me Neither” is repeated by several others and, before you can say, “God Bless America” a full-fledged riot has broken out and all the Bullet Points I pecked out above are thrown into the Ash Heap of History and None of Us Like Any of Us Anymore.

The Guy on the Soap Box picks up his box and walks into history saying to his Brother-In-Law, “I feel better. This is as it ought to be.” ... Or ought it to be?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: Did you get mad at me? Don’t be mad at me. Remember this Blog is entitled… Foolishness…Or Is It?

Misleading Headlines Try To Trick Readers Into Reading What The Writer Has Written

 

Here is a good Attention Getting Headline example...

Steve Kerr Had Words for Anthony Edwards After Warriors-Timberwolves Series

Does this not sound like Kerr had harsh things to say to Edwards? It sure sounds that way to Fella. “Had Words” means somebody is mad at somebody and wants to Straighten Somebody Out, Gave Somebody A Piece of His Mind, Told Somebody How The Cow The Eat The Cabbage (Louisiana talk), etc.

In our Internet World today that’s not what’s happening. They (whoever “they” are) desperately want us to read what they want us to read. Why? Because somewhere in what they want us to read is an opportunity to give them some of our money, just laugh at us because they frustrated us, got us to waste our time reading their stuff and/or they are just mean people.

The people who create headlines for Internet Articles often use deception and controversary to get us to read their articles.

Let’s face it, Controversy Sells!

Below are the actual words of the article about Steve Kerr and Anthony Edwards referred to above that I wasted my time reading:

“Shortly after the final buzzer, as the players on both sides exchanged pleasantries following a hard-fought series, Kerr was seen exchanging words (Oh My Gosh! He must have really been mad!) with Edwards on the court. 

It looked like the Warriors shot-caller (This is the first time I have ever heard a Head Coach called a “shot-caller”.) was congratulating (Congratulating? The article headline said he had words for Edwards! Isn’t “having words” a confrontation?) Edwards for an incredible series in what was an endearing moment (“Endearing?” Tom Hanks is visiting with me today and he just said, “There’s no ‘endearing’ in basketball!”) between them. 

While the mics were not able to catch exactly what was said during their brief exchange, what is clear is that there's nothing but mutual respect between the two.” (Did you hear that gagging sound? That’s Fella gagging!)

What’s next? Are we going to be told that all those precision bombs our pilots just dropped on Iran missed the target and blew up Toledo!?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Another Record Is Set

 

I was born more than 80 years ago. Television was born not long after I was born. We got our first TV in the early 50’s. It was not long before the TV Weatherman was invented. The first day he was inside our TV, the Weatherman told us it was hot outside, and to prove it, he told us the outside temperature. We wondered why he was bothering telling us it was hot outside and what the temperature was outside because we knew it was hot outside because it was July and we were in New Orleans and it was always hot outside in New Orleans in July.

The TV Weatherman seemed pleased with his newfound ability to alarm us by telling us the outside temperature and alarming us. It was not long before the TV Weatherman was heard to say, “This is a new Record High Temperature”. The first time he said this was the second day he gave us the temperature (he was comparing the second day’s temperature to the first day’s temperature).

Do you get my drift? My drift is all these years later does it not seem like the TV Weatherman is all too often telling us that today’s temperature is a new high temperature (in summer) and a new low temperature (in winter)? Is it possible that we can set new high/low temperatures every year?

Shazam! I just figured it out. The TV Weatherman is leaving out a few words from his Dire Temperature Alarm Warning. His computer tells him about the places in the Good Ole USofA where the temperature has set a record and he leaves off where the record was set.

Here are 3 examples of his striking through trickery to arrive at another record...

• This is a Record High Temperature for today in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
• This is a Record Low Temperature for today in Palookaville, Montana.
• This is a Record High Temperature for today in Social Circle, Georgia.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: Did you take notice of Palookaville in the second bullet above? Palookaville is actually a town in Montana. It is named after Joe Palooka. You don’t know (remember) who Joe Palooka was? Joe Palooka was an American comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion, created by cartoonist Ham Fisher. The strip debuted on April 19, 1930, and was carried at its peak by 900 newspapers. It was cancelled in 1984. The strip was adapted to a 15-minute CBS radio series, 12 feature-length films, nine Vitaphone film shorts, a 1954 syndicated television series, comic books and merchandise, including a 1940s board game, a 1947 New Haven Clock & Watch Company wristwatch, a 1948 metal lunchbox featuring depictions of Joe, Humphrey and Little Max, and a 1946 Wheaties cereal box cut-out mask.

It’s In There!

 

In 1981 Campbell Soup Company introduced Prego Sauce. From the beginning their advertising pitch was, “It’s In There”!

Click below and enjoy one of Prego’s classic commercials...

https://youtu.be/2J87QekxQVI?si=FEQtmReta43bu251

Prego had garlic, little bits of herbs, onions and seasoning (for that homemade taste).

Today there are a growing number of products proud to advertise all the things that are Not In There. That is because we are afraid of what we eat (it does not seem to slow down what we are eating). 

Many food producers are obsessive about telling us to buy their product because it will not kill us.

On the other hand, many of us take comfort in saying to ourselves, “It will only make me fat” (which will kill us).

I just bought a new Breakfast Cereal that is obsessed about what they Do Not Put In There...

• They start off by telling you that it does not have grain in there.
• Silly me, I thought all breakfast all cereals had grain in there.
• Not my new cereal. My new cereal brags that it is an, “Organic Grain-Free Cereal.”
• Are they really saying that it has Grain but it is Grain-Free because they do not charge you for the Grain That Is In There?

Then they go into an extensive list of what their cereal does not contain...

• It does not have Refined Sugar.
• It does not have GMOs (whatever that is?).
• It does not have Artificial Dyes.
• It has Nothing Artificial in it.
• It does not have Seed Oils.
• It does not have Glyphosates (whatever that is?).
• It does not have Gluten. This one has been around for years. 80% of Americans are on a Gluten-Free Diet and 65% of that 80% do not know what Gluten is.

Fella’s Questions of the Day… Is there anything in there? It sure looks like there is nothing left that could possibly be in there. If there is nothing in there, why would any fella, let alone The Fella, spend money to buy a Breakfast Cereal that did not contain anything?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

The Old Days Versus The New Days

The New Days…

Zoe Saldaña won the Oscar for supporting actress for her performance as a lawyer who helps with the gender transition of a transgender drug lord.

Compare the above to a description of Shane below.

The Old Days…

Shane contains something more than the beauty and the grandeur of the mountains and plains, drenched by the brilliant Western sunshine and the violent, torrential, black-browed rains. It contains a tremendous comprehension of the bitterness and passion of the feuds that existed between the new homesteaders and the cattlemen on the open range. And it also contains a wonderful understanding of the spirit of a little boy amid all the tensions and excitements and adventures of a frontier home.

Does it surprise you that I prefer the old days?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

Mao Wrote a Little Red Book. Fella wrote a Little Read Book.

Around $10 Is Not Much Money for What Might Be the World's Greatest Bathroom Book!

After you have bought my book (or not), send this information to your friends (or enemies who have around $10) who might be smart enough or silly enough to buy my book (I don't care which it is).

Below is the Amazon Link where my book can be purchased...

Once inside Amazon, click on "Read Sample" under the picture of the book and you can read a few pages.

After you have read a few pages and had a good laugh or two, add it to your cart and buy it.

Also available in a Kindle Version ... Click here

I've heard that Justin Bieber reads my entire book every day (that is a complete lie that I made up so I could say I heard it).

I hope you will enjoy my book.

FellaO

Lagniappe: I self-published my little-read book. Self-publishing a book means that no one knows you published your book who you do not tell that you published your book. After you run out of relatives, friends, enemies (who have around $10) and anyone who just plain feels sorry for you (who have around $10) your book sales dry up. Then you just might resort to begging for sales (which is what this Blog Posting is).

The Question of the Day

In September of 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people. Now Equifax has agreed to a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and 50 U.S. states and territories. The settlement includes up to $425 million to help people affected by the data breach.

I am being told that I am one of the 147 million people who have been harmed by Equifax’s Carelessness and I am due my share of the $425 Million. Yahoo! I am rich...Or am I?

I almost forgot to remember The Question of the Day (Subject of this Blog). The question of the day is, How Much Did the Lawyers Get? They worked hard to get me my Fair Share which is $7.44...Or did they?

Fella’s Wondering Department...I am not going to bother filing for my $7.44. There will probably be millions of us who will not bother also. I wonder if all that unclaimed money will go into a lockbox and somewhere down the road that box will be unlocked and the lawyers will get that too?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

 

A Football Emergency Has Been Declared By The National Football League

It seems like only yesterday that the NFL was flying high as a kite. Now they are in imminent danger of going out of business. Did you just say to yourself, "Self, how could this have happened so quickly?" 

It's very simple. The NFL must have Football Players to play Football and they are fast running out of Football Players.

Am I going too fast for you? OK, I'll slow down...

• In the past, 99% of the NFL Football Players came from College Football.
• A few years ago, College Football started to change.
• Some people who wanted to make a lot of money started agitating that it was not fair that College Football Players had to practice a lot and really work hard all through their College Careers and all they got was...
  >Free college education.
  >All the free food they could eat.
  >Free accommodations that rivaled the kind of palaces that middle-east Oligarch hang around in. 
  >Beautiful coeds hanging all over them.
  >Lots of mystery money and really nice cars (even though they had no salary).
  >Had to go to a class every so often.

Before we football fans knew what was going on, all that changed...

• It was decided that College Football Players were entitled to make money off of their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).
• Since the NCAA approved NIL rules in 2021, athletes have secured agreements with brands, enabling them to monetize their popularity and skill. (Sometimes called their "Personal Brands".)
• Next thing we knew, all rules about transferring schools and tampering with another schools recruited players had been thrown out the window.
• During College Games we began hearing the commentators saying things like, "Bruiser has been to 4 schools during his 3 years in College". 
• We started hearing College Players saying to each other, "What's that song they are singing?" Response: "That's your school's Alma Mater." Response back, "What's an Alma Mater?"

This is near the bottom of this Blog Posting, so here is the Bottom Line...

The NFL is going out of business because it is running out of Football Players coming out of College because the Football Player are retiring rather than go to the NFL because they have all the money they will ever need.

Bruiser said it best: "Why should I go into the NFL? Someone might knock me down and give me a Back Wallet Contusion".

I'll save you having to Google "Back Wallet Contusion"...

A Back Wallet Contusion happens when a person with a very thick wallet falls down, lands on his wallet and causes his Spinal Column to go out of alignment.

In case you are wondering, now that College Football Player are so rich, will they have to pay for their College Educations? The answer is No.

One final point. That last Bullet Point at the top of this Blog Posting that says, "Had to go to a class every so often"...That requirement has been scratched. 

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: During a future College Football Trial on something or other, the Sitting and Listening Attorney hears the Pontificating Attorney say something that confuses him, so he says to his Minion Backup Attorney... What was that word he just used? Quick! Google, "unethical"! And while you are Googling, look up, "School Spirit", "Loyalty" and ''Alma Mater"!

Special Fella Note:

Tired Of Going To Foolishness...Or Is It? Web Site Only To Find Out That A New Blog Posting Has Not Been Published Yet.

If You Will Send Fella Your Email Address by EMail (zooombuggy-forii@yahoo.com) or by Comment to  a Blog Posting, He Will Put You On The Foolishness Notification List.

If Later You Want Off, No Problem. 

Fella Can Handle Rejection.

Send Request to be Removed to zooombuggy-forii@yahoo.com.

Is It A Rule That, If You Are Not Eligible To Participate, But You Sneak In, You Are You Entitled To Stay?

On Fella's Foolishness Scale This Blog Posting Registers As Not Very Foolish

Congress is abuzz about the Members who want to Cut Medicaid Spending.

Is it a Cut to Medicaid if you stop Medicaid Funds from going to people who are not entitled to Medicaid?

I Heard a New York Congresswoman On TV Make These Points:

• In New York State 5 million people are Eligible for Medicaid.
• In New York State 8 million people are Collecting Medicaid.
• That’s 3 million who are Collecting Medicaid who are Not Eligible for Medicaid.
• Medicaid paid $40 Billion for these 3 million Ineligible Recipients of Medicaid Funding.

(Are you saying to yourself New York need not care about the cost of Medicaid because the money for Medicaid comes from the Federal Government...Or does it?)

• Actually, State and Local Governments pay half of the cost of Medicaid Expenditures.
• That means New York paid $20 Billion (its half) and the Federal Government paid $20 Billion (its half).

Now you know. What do you want to bet that some of our representatives in both the States and Federal Governments who are poking holes in the air when they stand up and talk about Medicaid do not know what you now know?

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It’s not Exact Science...

New York’s Medicaid program is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local dollars. The federal government reimburses 50% of most New York Medicaid costs, with higher matching rates for ACA (Obamacare) Medicaid expansion costs and other special circumstances, which is why the visualizations show the federal proportion as greater than 50%. ^*

Click on this link below only if you have burning desire to become confused...

^{*Source: https://uhfnyc.org/our-work/initiatives/medicaid-institute/dashboards/new-york-medicaid-expenditures/}

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Since we are at the Bottom of this Blog Posting, here is The Bottom Line...Many are complaining about the people who want to cut Medicaid. Fella’s question of the day is, Is cutting payments to people who are Not Eligible for Medicaid really “cutting” Medicaid?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella

Lagniappe: These are big numbers but these are only one state’s numbers. If we were to try and wrap our heads around all 50 states and all 50 states had the same Ineligible Medicare Recipient Payment Problem, would you not agree that we are talking about some Really Big Numbers!