45th Med. Co. AA ,Lai Khe, Dust Off, 4th Flight Plt., wood plaque.
Vietnam Dustoff
1967-1968 ...
   K-9 dogs from 1st Infantry Division units

(� 1997) by Richard Cunnare
 
Rich Cunnare
45th Med. Co. AA ,Lai Khe, Dust Off, 4th Flight Plt., Crew Chief 6/67 to 6/68, "TET 68"
D Troop 1/1 Cav, D Troop 17/Cav, Gun Pilot Scout, Đà Nẵng, Easter Offensive Conventional Warfare, 1972
Dav Life Member Member Heli-Vets and VHPA, Enterprise, Alabama

Wild Child II: Huey Chopper, Dennis Telischak, my Medic, and Richard Cunnare, March 1968
Wild Child II.

Picture of Dennis Telischak, my Medic, and I, March 1968.
 I am the good looking one on the left.

Wild Child II: Huey Chopper, Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. 1968.
Angel of Mercy

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Hosting a Stretcher. 1968.
B Hoist Cunnare -- Remember, we were invicible back then.
Today... I just shake my head and think "Dumb".

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Hosting a Stretcher. 1968.
Hoist practice Makes Perfect ...  but still dumb.

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with safety-belt harness. 1968.


At least the Safety Belt is attached...this time.

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. NVA Sniper hiding in a tree. 1968.
Practice and real hoist missions. A shot NVA hiding in a tree (look close/center) was from a hoist mission when the 2/28 Infantry was butchered on 17 October 1967. They had 54 WIA and 56 KIA. The shot of the NVA in the tress was taken moments before I saw him and shot.  The picture was taken by Dennis Telischak.

 


Night Gun Cover

Photos are of dogs evacuated to Lai Khe and are dogs from 1st Infantry Division units.
Taking Fire

The following K-9 pictures are from Feb and March 1968. These photos are of dogs
evacuated to Lai Khe and are dogs from 1st Infantry Division units:

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded In Action K-9 War Dog. 1968.
K-9 Big Guys Don't Cry.  How we tried to harden our emotions, to survive, but the kids and K-9 were sometimes more than one could stand. But there were worse things to come.

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded In Action K-9 War Dog. 1968.
K-9: Atta Boy.

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded In Action K-9 War Dog. 1968.
K-9: Good Boy.  You're gonna make it big guy!

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded In Action K-9 War Dog. 1968.
K-9: Hold on fella.

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded In Action K-9 War Dog. 1968.
K-9: Window Guy. 

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded In Action K-9 War Dog. 1968.
K-9: I'll just stay right here.

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded Vietnamese Children. 1968.
Dennis, with some kids. Sometimes they were just scared.  Who wasn't? The little boy could be a soldier's unknown child.  You try to harden yourself against the incredible suffering, pain, and death ... and when you think you are a tough guy you land and pick up some wounded children,  broken in spirit and body.

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded Vietnamese Children. 1968.


 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded Vietnamese Children. 1968.
Sometimes you just cried with them....

 

WARNING: NEXT PHOTO IS OF GRAPHIC KIA INJURIES

The emotions Dust Off Crew members experienced on a daily basis still haunts us all. One photo, "Never Again," is so graphic but also so common to the daily events of crews.

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with battle damage and severed limbs. 1968.
NEVER AGAIN

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Crewman with Wounded ARVN soldiers.. 1968.
Wounded ARVN soldiers.

 

Wild Child II: Angel of Mercy, Huey Chopper. Icoming and Outgoing rounds. 1968.

Incoming and Outgoing!

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