Reading List: More Dustoff Missions in Vietnam

[September 27, 2024]  I’m back with another great book telling the stories that need telling about dustoff pilots in the Vietnam War.  The first book was “The Helicopter Whisperers, Vol I” by Phil Marshall, which I reviewed here on Monday (see link).  Today, I will highlight COL Doug Moore’s book “A Bullet Through the Helmet” and, yes, the cover photograph shows his flight helmet where a bullet went through the front and out the side of his helmet.  Now, that is a story to tell your grandchildren.  Just a note to say that I’m honored to review these books, and although I did several combat tours, they were nothing even approaching what Doug Moore, Phil Marshall, or any of the dustoff pilots did while rescuing those wounded in combat.  Both these books can be found on Amazon; type in their names, and the books will come up for you.  Obviously, I highly recommend them both.  Now, it’s time to sit back, call your dog over to sit with you, brew your coffee, and tell your wife not to disturb you while reading.  And I’m giving a shout-out to all our Vietnam Veterans, “Welcome Home!”

A Bullet Through the Helmet: A Vietnam Dustoff Pilot’s Memoir, COL Douglas E. Moore, April 16, 2019

I am privileged to know a Father Jim Drucker, who introduced me to Colonel Doug Moore, the dustoff pilot I’m writing about today.  And this man has a signature career in the U.S. Army and a life’s adventure that most of us can only be jealous about.  Any person who willingly and purposefully exposes himself to physical harm through the actions of a determined enemy is a real hero, and to actually read about his exploits makes me honored to know that there are men like that out there who can be relied upon to go the extra mile to save others.

“It must be true that God looks after dogs, children, and wayward aviators.”  So ends chapter 2, where Doug Moore tells the

COVER: A Bullet Through the Helmet by COL Douglas E. Moore

story of flying in rain and fog to a South Vietnamese base camp at Thu Dau Mot, just north of Saigon, and unknowingly landing inside the camp, nowhere near their designated landing pad.  All the while, they are taking fire from the VC with a 51 caliber machine gun, small arms fire, and dodging VC sapper teams.  This is how the book works.  One story after another in succession, all telling of the exploits of dustoff pilots, and not all in Vietnam.  But what we easily pick up on is that dustoff pilots are a different breed of Soldier.

In Chapter 10, we get the story behind the bullet through the flight helmet.  What I liked about this book is that Moore goes the extra mile to explain what dustoff pilots did.  In this chapter, titled ‘A Day in the Life of a Dust Off Crew,” he tells us a story that is exciting in every detail.  “Just then, Steve Peth exclaimed, ‘Look to our left front!’ Two North Vietnamese Army soldiers fired what was likely a B-40 rocket at us.”  That sure does create a pucker factor that most folks will never experience.  Those are the kinds of events that are great for telling in a bar with your friends.  After the fourth trip to pick up wounded from an Infantry Battalion in contact, Moore was hit in the helmet with an AK-47 bullet.  “… I felt something hit me and hit me hard.”

Doug Moore tells us many stories while he was with the 57^th Medical Detachment.  What he does also is let us know that the crew of the dustoff was a tight group that worked closely together to pull the wounded out of the most dangerous circumstances.  And they did this without regard for themselves.  Anyone who knows Doug Moore or any dustoff pilot should know these are rare men, and just being around them is a true honor.

Highly recommended.

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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