1991 Briefings
December, 1991: The Society of U.S. Army Flight Surgeons maintains a memorial to flight surgeons who died in service of their country. However accumulating data from the Vietnam era has proved problematic. Those with information on Army flight surgeons who were seriously injured and died in service of the country are encouraged to contact: U.S. Army Aeromedical Center, ATTN: H5XY-AER (Flight Surgeon Memorial), Fort Rucker, Alabama, 36362-5332.
Learn MoreFortunate One in Vietnam
October 1966: PFC Richard K. Duhamel, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, finished digging in for the night. He bed down, covered by his poncho. Suddenly a resupply helicopter swooped over, propeller wash sheering off the poncho. Duhamel recovered and settled in. More helicopters, more propeller gusts. Duhamel gathered his belongings, moved 15 yards, and claimed new territory. As he settled in, a grenade popped in the position he so recently occupied. “Glad I moved,” muttered Duhamel. “It would’ve made a sizable hole in my poncho.”
Learn MorePhotographing a Bear
October 1991: Major Joseph A. Durso, Aviation Brigade S-3 for the 2nd Aviation Brigade, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is pictured last July with the Bear himself, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The brigade had been assigned to fly General Schwarzkopf during his farewell tour.
Learn MoreBest Hope for the Future
May-June 1947: Major General James M. Gavin wrote an article, “Airborne Armies of the Future,” which appeared in the May-June 1947 edition of The Field Artillery Journal. And on these pages he offered . . . . . . “The future of our armed forces is in the air. All the fighting men and everything they need to fight with in the future and live on as they fight must be capable of movement by air.”He concluded with. . . . . . “The nation that in the future has the best trained and equipped airborne forces has the best...
Learn MoreSioux Scout
September 1963: The Sioux Scout was a short-lived rotary wing aircraft which appeared in the early 1960s. It was a two-place experimental armed helicopter offered by the Bell Helicopter Company in Fort Worth, Texas. A few particulars below: The Sioux Scout Personnel: Pilot and gunner.Power plant: A single Lycoming TVO-435 turbo supercharged engine, rated 260 hp.Rotor system: A single two-bladed main rotor of 37 feet in diameter. A two-bladed metal tail rotor of five feet 10 inches in diameter. The Scout flew publically for the first time in September 1963. As a configuration based on the OH-13, the Scout was an...
Learn MoreArmy Aviation Aces
October 1966: Army Aviation’s unheralded “Aces” rack up daily kills in South Vietnam with a wide variety of weapons. The Hueys have carried machine guns, grenades, rockets and wire-guided missiles.
Learn MoreAir Assault Roundtable
October 1991: Carlisle, PA., May 22-23, 1991, convened at the Army War College was a roundtable discussion series, “Air Assault – The Strategic Vision.” Army War College Commandant, MG Paul G. Cerjan, hosted the event. Objective: Explore and discuss roles, missions, fresh ideas, concepts and structure of the Air Assault Division for the future. Initial presentations included the historical perspective by LTG Harry W.O. Kinnard (Ret.), former commander of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test); DESERT STORM operations, by MG Binford Peay, Commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and MG Rudolph Ostovich, Commander of the Army Aviation Center,...
Learn MoreFrom the Past. . .
September 1966: Pictured is the eight-place utility helicopter known as the H-31. Manufactured by Doman Helicopters Inc., Danbury, Connecticut, it featured a single Lycoming SO-580D of 400 hp. Rotor system consisted of a four-bladed main rotor and a three-bladed tail rotor; with all the blades made of wood. The rotor system was completely sealed, rigid and non-articulated. Commercial designation for the aircraft was LZ-5. The Army procured two H-31s in 1952 for purposes of evaluation.
Learn More1991 AAAA Scholarship Foundation Awardees Announced
The AAAA Scholarship Foundation awarded a record $100,000 in grants and loans to 31 individuals who will be entering college this fall. AAAA National and AAAA Chapters make considerable financial contributions to the Foundation. In addition, many AAAA members, friends of Army Aviation, relatives of deceased members, private businesses and corporations make substantial donations to the Foundation.
Learn MoreMattel Messerschmidt Milestone
September 1966: Placards denoting training hours of the TH-55A helicopters at the U.S. Army Primary Helicopter Center, Fort Wolters, are prominently displayed. 100,001 hours, logged by the Army’s primary rotary wing trainer, known affectionately as the “Mattel Messerschmidt.” The milestone was established by the “Broken Hats” of Class 67-1A-4, commanded by Major L.V. McNesse, Jr.
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