Reflections

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
DROPPING INTO A HOT ZONE AND LEAVING THE BIRD TO TREAT WOUNDED AND THEN GETTING 5 OF THEM ONTO THE BIRD AND HEADING FOR MERBLE MOUNTAIN. CONTACTED HQ AND HAD TWO UNIT CORPSMAN SENT TO THE SITE. BOTH THEIR MEDICS WERE DEAD AND IT WAS VERY IMOTIONALL WHEN I PLACED THEM IN BODY BAGS....TOOK 6 MORE WOUNDED BACK TO MARBLE MT. AND THEN WENT BACK TO COLLECT THE MEN IN BODY BAGS.

ANOTHER INCIDENT WAS AN EXTRACTION OF A DOWND PILOT OVER THE CAMBODIAN BORDER = = WE LANDED AND HE WAS AT THE BASE OF A TREE
CRYING AND POINTING AT A DITCH ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY. THE GUNNER

AND I WENT TO LOOK AND THERE WERE CHILDREN DEAD ON BAMBO STAKES. WE BOTH HAD TEARS IN OUR EYES WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE BIRD. AS WE TOOK OFF IN THE OLD 34 WE STARTED TO RECIEVE FIRE FROM THE TREE LINE. THE PORT GUN WAS JUST SWINGING AND I GRABED IT AND RETURNED FIRE. AS WE GOT HIGHER THE STARBORD GUNNER LAID DOWN A STREAM OF FIRE AND WE HEADED BACK FOR QUANG TRI. BACK AT BASE WE TALKED AND THE CO PILOT SAID "GREAT STREEM OF FIRE BY THE PORT GUNNER" "AT LEAST 13 HITS THAT I SAW AS WE TURNED TO STARBORD".. THE CREW CHIEF SAID " THAT WAS DOC" THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT SAID " OH SHIT" I WAS ACTUALLY THE MEDIVAC COORDINATOR IN DA NANG AT THE TIME. A WEEK LATER DR. LUHERS, THE WING FLIGHT SURGEON CALLED ME TO HIS OFFICE AND WE WENT TO GEN. QUILTERS OFFICE. HE SAID "YOU REALY ARE A JAR HEAD" HE TOOK AN AIR MEDAL FROM HIS DESK AND SAID = THIS IS FOR YOUR STRIKE MISSON. THE THREE OF US NEED TO SIT DOWN THIS FRI. EARLY AND FIND A WAY TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF BRAIN INJURIES NOT MAKING IT. THE MORBIDITY REPORT IS VERY HIGH.

CONTINUE LATER.....GETTING A BIT EMOTIONAL.
5/2/20 = = = WELL, I FLEW ON MEDIVAC MISIONS AS AN OBSERVER FOR 11 CONSECTIVE DAYS, DURING THAT TIME WE PICKED UP THREE SEVERE HEAD INJURIES. WITH EACH HEAD INJURY I HAD THE COPTER STAND BY AND WENT INTO THE HOSPITAL WITH THE PATIENT. ONE PATIENT WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY INTO THE OPERATING ROOM. THE OTHER 2 WERE SET ASIDE IN TRIAGE AS THE NEURO SURGEONS WE ALREADY WORKING ON SEVERE HEAD INJURIES. I RECOVERD THEM AND WENT BACK TO THE BIRD.....WE RADIOED THE USNS SANCTURY AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE STANDING BY FOR OUR ARRIVALOFF WE WENT.. SO, GOT BACK TO MCAS HQ AND DR LEUHRS AND I WENT TO GEN. QUILTERS' OFFICE TOLD HIM THE RESULTS AND SUGGESTED THAT ALL MEDIVAC CORPSMAN WOULD HAVE THE CREW CHIEF CALL AHEAD TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL FACILITY EITHER THE 95th ARMY EVAC HOSP., THE HOSPITAL SHIP OFF THE COAST, OR THE NAVAL HOSP. AT MARBLE MOUNTAIN. THE END OF THE MONTH THE MORBIDITY REPORT SHOWED A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN LOSSES OF MEDIVAC PATIENTS. I WAS CALLED TO THE GENERALS OFFICE AND DR. LEUHRS WENT WITH ME. GENERAL QUILTER WENT TO HIS SAFE AND CAME BACK WITH A BRONZE STAR TO PIN ON MY CHEST. A FEW DAYS LATER THE RED CROSS HAD ME SENT HOME BECAUSE MY DAD WAS DYING IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER CANCER SURGERY. I GOT HOME IN TIME TO SPEND THREE DAYS AT HIS BEDSIDE AS HE WAS DYING. HELPED MY MOM FOR A FEW DAYS AND HEADED BACK TO USMCAS CHERRY POINT FOR DUTY WITH THE 2nd LAAM BATT. THAT'S ABOUT IT. STILL HAVE SOME NASTY DREAMS 55 YEARS OR SO LATER. TURNING 85 THIS COMING OCTOBER, HEALTH IS GOOD, FAIRLY ACTIVE, STILL HAVE NEVER HAD A BEER IN MY LIFE.... NOW JAMESONS' IRISH WHISKEY, THATS" ANOTHER STORY... LOL

Sullivan III, John, HMC