Reading List: Dustoff Missions in Vietnam

[September 23, 2024]  By luck, I just obtained two great books on helicopter rescues during the Vietnam War for review.  The first is “The Helicopter Whisperers, Vol I” (2021) by Phil Marshall, and the second is “A Bullet Through the Helmet” (2019) by Douglas E. Moore.  When Marshall’s book arrived, my wife said that I might need someone to help me carry it into the house because of its size.  The book is 423 pages in an 8.5×11 sized book.  This massive volume is full of twenty stories of rescue missions that will thrill even the most inattentive reader.  As regular readers of my website know, I’m not a Vietnam Veteran.  But having spent three years in combat, I do have some insights into the nature of war and the impacts on the humans that are involved.  I want to go on record now that I’m honored to give each of these books a review on Amazon and what you read below will soon be posted on Amazon’s website.  So, kickback, get yourself a cup of coffee and start reading.  You won’t regret getting these books.

The Helicopter Whisperers, Vol I, 20 Incredible Rescue Missions Flown in Vietnam, Phil Marshall, February 28, 2021

I first became aware of CW2 Phil Marshall, Vietnam War DMZ Dustoff pilot, a few weeks ago when he was on Father Jim Drucker’s radio show out of south Philadelphia.  Phil talked about his favorite songs from that era, music that we all can appreciate, and he discussed his time in Vietnam.  Now, for those who are combat veterans, we place a high value on those who can save our lives.  That is where Medical Evacuations (medevac) rescues come in.

The Helicopter Whisperers by Phil Marshall

“Dustoff” is a term that came about during the early part of the Vietnam War.  DUSTOFF is an acronym for “Dedicated Unhesitating Service to Our Fighting Forces.”  While medevac helicopters transformed how wounded troops were removed from the battlefield and taken to other locations for advanced care, they were responsible for a major drop in fatalities.  Units flying dustoffs accounted for 29,114 medical evacuations.

The dustoff pilot is a distinct breed of helicopter flier who rescues wounded troops during battle.  In Vietnam, they are legendary for flying into “hot” Landing Zones to pick up those in dire need of medical care.  Under fire from small arms to anti-aircraft missiles, these men looked death in the face while doing their jobs.  Many died fulfilling that mission.  Ask any Vietnam veteran, and they will tell you the stories of these dustoff crews.  Phil has done us a huge favor by collecting many of these stories.  This book, Volume I is the most highly recommended by those who know him.  Get your copy now, and you won’t be disappointed.

This particular volume contains twenty of the most daring – and should I say spectacular – rescues of the war, written in the words of those pilots.  We might immediately think that all these men on the dustoffs were heroes, and indeed they are, but that is not how they thought of themselves.  They were doing what they trained for and did it well.  Dustoff crews knew that the lives of Americans and, at times, other allied soldiers depended upon them.  They knew if they could not get to the battlefield on time and in the right location, then someone was going to die.  Today, more than 50 years after our involvement in Vietnam ended, the legends of these men still remain strong.  What I did not find surprising was that these men were humble.

Phil does us a favor by explaining that he publishes these stories to “convey some of the REAL history of the Vietnam War and honor” those who were there.  He also answers the question, “Why did they do it?”  The answer, they did it for each other.  And he wants us all to know what war is like, in its most raw form.  These 20 missions do just that.  Whether the rescue was a wounded Infantryman, a downed F-4 Phantom crew, or another Dustoff crew, we get to read the words of the person who was there and what they experienced and their thoughts.  That is why this book is so valuable.

Highly recommended.

—————

Please read my books:

1. “55 Rules for a Good Life,” on Amazon (link here).
2. “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).

Side Note: Please remember and take a look at Tom Copeland’s reading blog.  His website, which I highly recommend, can be found here: https://militaryreadinglists.com/map