UH-1 "Huey", The

Flight Journal, Apr 2003 by Thompson, Warren E

CLASSICS

To thousands of U.S. ground forces who fought in the Vietnam War, the "Huey" was a valuable asset in combat and a friend they could count on. These versatile machines began to appear in Southeast Asia as early as 1962 when they were used by senior U.S. Army advisors. Normally, they were armed with two, door-mounted 7.62mm M60 machine guns that were very effective in keeping the enemy at bay while loading or unloading troops.

This amazing helicopter's tasks included a wide variety of missionsmedical evacuation, carrying troops, fire support, search and rescue, etc.and it handled all assignments superbly. Most of the wounded were evacuated to medical facilities in the rear-sometimes, under a withering barrage of fire from hostile forces. The UH-1 was equipped to carry up to six litters of wounded at a time and saved hundreds of lives by providing rapid transport out of the combat zones.

The Huey was used by all four branches of the United States military: Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy. With a top speed of 127mph, it was fast enough to get into and out of just about any combat situation. A lot of these aircraft were lost in Vietnam, however, because of the close proximity of ground fire and the aggressive manner in which pilots used them.

Today, the Huey is still seen serving with many police, firefighter and sheriff departments. Through the years, it has also been an asset to law enforcement officers who work in drug interdiction.

Original Vietnam colorphoto by Don Ferris; courtesy of Warren Thompson

-Warren E. Thompson migalley@bellsouth.net