MEDIC 9150 ROLLING--WILL CALSTAR 4 GET THE CALL?
Night shift again at CALSTAR's Ukiah base. From
one moment to the next I do not know if I will be sitting here blogging or
flying into the wilderness of Mendocino county. Arlington Texas. That is what
I wanted to write about. Not specifically about Arlington but about who I met
there. It all started a little over 37 years ago near Tuy Hoa, Vietnam...
Before the night shift In Ukiah, before flying
tourists in San Francisco, before fighting fires in the forests of northern
California, there was Vietnam. Boy, there was Vietnam. In early 1967, I
arrived at the Long Binh replacement depot. just past my 20th birthday, with
just over 200 hours flying time, a new Warrant Officer assigned to the 173rd
Airborne brigade. I didn't know much about it at the time but the Skysoldiers
were the most heralded unit of the war. I am proud to have been a small part of
their legacy. 50 days later I was on a plane to Tokyo in blue hospital pajamas.
Flying an H-13 helicopter--the same kind that you see in the opening of the TV
series or the movie M.A.S.H.--I got shot down and wounded while trying to do a
medical evacuation. I was on my way to Japan to mend and then back to Fort Sill
Oklahoma for a new assignment stateside.
I haven't heard from Medic 9150 for awhile so I am free to write for another moment at least.
Getting from Tokyo in 1967 to Arlington Texas in July 2005 may seem like a stretch but stick with me. I decided to not to go to Oklahoma, nothing against the state really, except for the liquor laws. After I healed and developed a taste for sushi, I volunteered to return to the "herd" as the 173rd was also known. Many months later, which I will get into in later entries, I ended up flying along the coast at a place called Tuy Hoa.
A frequent assignment was flying the commander for the brigade artillery. That commander was Lieutenant Colonel Robert Whitbeck. Only a handful of men that I flew stand out in my memory. 37 years later LTC Whitbeck is one of those. He was fearless. In no way careless as some described with that attribute are. Too me he was inspirational in his leadership, confidence and genuine compassion for a lowly officer like me. In appearance, he was like a more manly version of the actor Tom Sizemore. Still a long ways from Arlington, but I am getting there.
Colonel Whitbeck loved to fly. He showed a remarkable amount of confidence in a very young appearing aviator, requesting me to fly him into some of the most inhospitable places of the war. With only the benefit of a topographic map--there was no GPS, or other navigation systems--we would fly below any radar or radio coverage low level into the jungle and mountains. It was scary stuff. If we were hit, no one knew where to look for us. Colonel Whitbeck’s confidence and bravery were infectious. I would follow him anywhere. Sometimes, if the aircraft had dual controls, as an enticement to fly higher, I would let him fly. He loved to skim the trees low level. At the end of the day the bottom of the helicopter would be stained green from hitting tree tops and grasses. The conversations we had as we flew have faded with time but not the respect I hold for LTC. Whitbeck.
LTC Whitbeck did not make it home to his family, nor was he able to complete his military career. He joins 58,194 other men and women who gave all for our country. A few years ago I wrote these words on the virtual wall: A Brave Man Remembered--I had the honor of serving with LTC Whitbeck when he commanded the artillery unit of the 173rd Airborne brigade. I flew him all over the central coast and highlands of Vietnam in an OH-13 helicopter. He was fearless. We would explore vast expanses of the country low-level and without benefit of flight following. He was inspirational to me as an Army aviator, showing his capacity as a consummate professional soldier. He knew the risks and accepted them as part of his commitment to his men and our country. To me he was the epitome of the ideal Army officer--duty, honor and country. I flew with him on his last mission, where his dedication to his men cost him his life. I salute you.
Those words did not go unnoticed. LTC Whitbeck’s daughter, Elaine Whitbeck, read them which lead her to me. On July 14th I met Elaine in Arlington and we talked about the father she lost as a young girl, and the man that I have carried in my heart and mind all these decades. It was a fitting tribute to a fine man.
Medic 9150 has settled down for the time being, but that is only one ambulance in the county. It is nearly 1 AM and half a moon is well above the ridgeline to the east of Ukiah. The fog covers parts of the coast and will spread into some of the valleys to the east before morning. Our Bell 222 helicopter sits just a few yards outside the door. The night has a long ways to go.
I haven't heard from Medic 9150 for awhile so I am free to write for another moment at least.
Getting from Tokyo in 1967 to Arlington Texas in July 2005 may seem like a stretch but stick with me. I decided to not to go to Oklahoma, nothing against the state really, except for the liquor laws. After I healed and developed a taste for sushi, I volunteered to return to the "herd" as the 173rd was also known. Many months later, which I will get into in later entries, I ended up flying along the coast at a place called Tuy Hoa.
A frequent assignment was flying the commander for the brigade artillery. That commander was Lieutenant Colonel Robert Whitbeck. Only a handful of men that I flew stand out in my memory. 37 years later LTC Whitbeck is one of those. He was fearless. In no way careless as some described with that attribute are. Too me he was inspirational in his leadership, confidence and genuine compassion for a lowly officer like me. In appearance, he was like a more manly version of the actor Tom Sizemore. Still a long ways from Arlington, but I am getting there.
Colonel Whitbeck loved to fly. He showed a remarkable amount of confidence in a very young appearing aviator, requesting me to fly him into some of the most inhospitable places of the war. With only the benefit of a topographic map--there was no GPS, or other navigation systems--we would fly below any radar or radio coverage low level into the jungle and mountains. It was scary stuff. If we were hit, no one knew where to look for us. Colonel Whitbeck’s confidence and bravery were infectious. I would follow him anywhere. Sometimes, if the aircraft had dual controls, as an enticement to fly higher, I would let him fly. He loved to skim the trees low level. At the end of the day the bottom of the helicopter would be stained green from hitting tree tops and grasses. The conversations we had as we flew have faded with time but not the respect I hold for LTC. Whitbeck.
LTC Whitbeck did not make it home to his family, nor was he able to complete his military career. He joins 58,194 other men and women who gave all for our country. A few years ago I wrote these words on the virtual wall: A Brave Man Remembered--I had the honor of serving with LTC Whitbeck when he commanded the artillery unit of the 173rd Airborne brigade. I flew him all over the central coast and highlands of Vietnam in an OH-13 helicopter. He was fearless. We would explore vast expanses of the country low-level and without benefit of flight following. He was inspirational to me as an Army aviator, showing his capacity as a consummate professional soldier. He knew the risks and accepted them as part of his commitment to his men and our country. To me he was the epitome of the ideal Army officer--duty, honor and country. I flew with him on his last mission, where his dedication to his men cost him his life. I salute you.
Those words did not go unnoticed. LTC Whitbeck’s daughter, Elaine Whitbeck, read them which lead her to me. On July 14th I met Elaine in Arlington and we talked about the father she lost as a young girl, and the man that I have carried in my heart and mind all these decades. It was a fitting tribute to a fine man.
Medic 9150 has settled down for the time being, but that is only one ambulance in the county. It is nearly 1 AM and half a moon is well above the ridgeline to the east of Ukiah. The fog covers parts of the coast and will spread into some of the valleys to the east before morning. Our Bell 222 helicopter sits just a few yards outside the door. The night has a long ways to go.
Posted: Tue - July 26, 2005 at 01:33 AM
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Published On: Dec 09, 2006 10:23 PM
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Published On: Dec 09, 2006 10:23 PM