...what many of our members, friends, and colleagues went through during the Vietnam War years. Our guest speaker for this Saturday's (August 11) GFCA breakfast meeting is Lew Jennings, who will talk about his time as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Here's what Lou had to say about his presentation:
Over 12,000 helicopters were used in the Vietnam War, which is why it became known as "The Helicopter War". Almost half of the helicopters, 5,086, were lost. Helicopter pilots and crews accounted for nearly 10 percent of all the US casualties suffered in Vietnam, with nearly 5,000 killed and an untold number of wounded. Lew Jennings flew 726 Air Cavalry Cobra Gunship Helicopter missions receiving over 50 combat decorations including Three Distinguished Flying Crosses for Valor. His presentation describes first-hand the harrowing experiences of helicopter pilots and crews in combat operations from the far South to the DMZ including the infamous A Shau Valley, Hamburger Hill, LZ Airborne and others. Lew’s highly acclaimed memoir “19 Minutes to Live – Helicopter Combat in Vietnam” illustrates the incredible courage and determination of helicopter pilots and crews supporting those heroes that carried a rucksack and a rifle in Vietnam.
I hope you'll join us Saturday morning for what will be a very interesting talk. Scanlon Aviation hangar @ 9:00 a.m, 8:15 if you can help us set up tables and chairs. Who knows, maybe Charlie will have some coffee ready for us by the time we're done setting up!
Saturday morning for what will be a very interesting talk. Scanlon Aviation hangar @ 9:00 a.m, 8:15 if you can help us set up tables and chairs. Who knows, maybe Charlie will have some coffee ready for us by the time we're done setting up!
