The Huey was the most reliable and tough aircraft in the Army inventory. I always loved flying the Huey. It was the rookies’ savior and the old guy’s dream ride.
This chopper will go down in history as the DC-3 of Helicopters. Tim’s voice above, he forwarded this email to me from Paul Cotter, which I copied and pasted here
on my website and added the photos.
The Army retired the last Huey in 2011. Here’s a nice tribute to those who remember:
It was 53 yrs ago this month that the first Huey arrived in Vietnam with units that were to become part of the 145th and the 13th Combat Aviation Battalions; both units assigned here at Ft Rucker today.
While in Vietnam, the Huey flew approximately 7,457,000 combat assault sorties; 3,952,000 attack or gunship sorties and 3,548,000 cargo supply sorties. That comes to over 15 million sorties flown over the paddies and jungles of Nam, not to include the millions of sorties flown all over the world and other combat zones since then ….what an amazing journey…. I am honored and humbled to have been a small part of that journey.
To those in the crowd that have had the honor to fly, crew, or ride this magnificent machine in combat, we are the chosen few, the lucky ones.
They understand what this aircraft means, and how hard it is for me to describe my feelings about her as a Vietnam combat pilot…. for she is alive… has a life of her own, and has been a lifelong friend.
How do I break down in a few minutes a 42-year love affair, she is as much a part of me, and to so many others…as the blood that flows through our veins. Try to imagine all those touched over the years …by the shadow of her blades. Other aircraft can fly overhead and some will look up and some may not, or even recognize what they see but, when a Huey flies over everyone looks up and everyone knows who she is… young or old all over the world she connects with all.
To those that rode her into combat… the sound of those blades causes our heartbeat to rise… and breaths to quicken… in anticipation of seeing that beautiful machine fly overhead and the feeling of comfort she brings. No other aircraft in the history of aviation evokes the emotional response the Huey does… combat veteran’s or not… she is recognized all around the world by young and old, she is the ICON of the Vietnam war, U.S. Army Aviation, and the U.S. Army. Over 5 decades of service she carried Army Aviation on her back, from bird dogs and piston-powered helicopters with a secondary support mission to the force multiplier combat arm that Army Aviation is today.
Even the young aviators of today, that are mainly Apache pilot’s, Blackhawk pilots, etc., that have had a chance to fly her will tell you there is no greater feeling, honor, or thrill than to be blessed with the opportunity to ride her thru the sky… they may love their Apaches and Blackhawks, but they will say there is no aircraft like flying the Huey – ” it is special”. There are two kinds of helicopter pilots: those that have flown the Huey and those that wish they could have.
The intense feelings generated for this aircraft are not just from the flight crews but, also from those who rode in back …into and out of the “devil’s caldron”. As paraphrased here from “Gods own lunatics”, Joe Galloway’s tribute to the Huey and her flight crews and other Infantry veteran’s comments:
Is there anyone here today who does not thrill to the sound of those Huey blades?? That familiar whop-whop-whop is the soundtrack of our war…the lullaby of our younger days it is burned in to our brains and our hearts. To those who spent their time in Nam as a grunt, know that noise was always a great comfort… Even today when I hear it, I stop…catch my breath…and search the sky for a glimpse of the mighty eagle. To the pilots and crews of that wonderful machine …we loved you, we loved that machine.
No matter how bad things were…if we called … you came… down through the hail of green tracers and other visible signs of a real bad day off to a bad start. I can still hear the sound of those blades churning the fiery sky ….To us you seemed beyond brave and fearless… Down you would come to us in the middle of battle in those flimsy thin skin -chariots …into the storm of fire and hell,..
…we feared for you , we were awed by you. We thought of you and that beautiful bird as “God’s own lunatics”… and wondered …who are these men and this machine and where do they come from ….. Have to be “Gods’ Angels”.
So with that I say to her, that beautiful lady sitting out there, from me and all my lucky brothers, that were given the honor to serve their country, and the privilege of flying this great lady in skies of Vietnam – Thank you for the memories…Thank you for always being there…Thank you for always bringing us home regardless of how beat up and shot up you were…, Thank You!!!!.
You will never be forgotten, we loved you then….. we love you now… and will love you till our last breath …
And as the sun sets today, if you listen quietly and closely you will hear that faint wop wop wop of our mother speaking to all her children past and present who rode her into history in a blaze of glory ..she will be saying to them: I am here… I will always be here with you.
I am at peace and so should you be … and so should you be.”
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CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website 
Love it! I was a crew.chief 67n20 for the first Cavalry 1967,served mostly in Bong Son area, I feel blessed every day that I’m ok.D.A.Free
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The original version of this wonderful old bird was designated the HU-1 (not UH-1). That’s where the name “HUEY” came from. (take HU, change the 1 to an I and spell it “EY”, put them together and you have a HUEY). In flight school i flew a couple of training sessions in the last HU-1 in the Army’s inventory. I went on to fly every production single engine model except the “M” (Mike) model – The A, B, C, D, and H models. Mid career I transitioned to the Cobra, but to this day my heart is still in that wonderful old Huey. I’ve instructed my family that as my casket is rolled away to play that beautiful, wop, wop wop sound of a Huey cranking and flying away.
Welcome home everyone.
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I wish I’d taken a before and after picture of our new UH-1H models (24) delivered to Vietnam 7/67 from Fort Bragg. We were (I believe) the 1st Medical Company Air Ambulance in Vietnam located at Long Binh. When I left, what helicopters hadn’t been lost during the year, had more sheet metal patches and replaced blades of both types than I can imagine. The Huey was truly an iron horse and extraordinarily dependable. It did the mission with fantastic results. I know no Huey pilot or crew member who doesn’t have a love affair with the Huey! So sad not to hear that wop wop wop these days.
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My father was a Huey pilot in Viet Nam. Only in the past few years has he begun to open up and share about his two tours. I have always known my father to be a brave, get-it-done kind of man, but reading articles like this added to the bits and pieces he has shared?? It takes my breath away. Saying “thank you” always seems inadequate, but those are the only–and deepest–words I have. Thank you, thank you. (Proud daughter of a CW4 Huey and Chinook Pilot)
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The huey was a horse in armor. I delt with so many of them I can hear them from miles away. I hear these in my head 24/7 I can still tell when they are around.
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In Binh Dinh Province, the hueys were the only way we could get around in 1964-65. The roads were cut. I took a number of flights in the lead chopper to lead them to the enemy targets identified by my VN counterparts. A most reliable aircraft and pilots. You could see the flashes of the enemy guns firing at us, but the pilots went straight at them and unloaded their ordnance and came around to do it again.
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Attended the Howard county Indiana Nam Veterans Reunion this year. It’s held yearly near Kokomo Indiana. They have 3 Huey’s flying daily that you are able to ride with a purchased ticket. They fly over the reunion site multiple times daily.
It’s awesome to hear that familiar rotor “music” we will NEVER forget.
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thank you for this memory as my heart quickens even today when I hear a Heuy flying overhead.
I served with the 173rd Ab, 39th Scout Dog platoon, 503rd Infantry – you guys carried us many times into the Calderon of hell and out safely. Was on a couple that went down, but am still here to talk about it. She was a magnificent machine with some great and heroic pilots, can’t thank the pilots enough for saving my ass many times.
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I am very touched about your memories and thoughts about the Huey. I was shot down twice and had an engine failure once. Thanks to my pilots who kept their cool and knew what to do, I am alive today. I was a Door Gunner on yours and my favorite helicopter, the UH-1D Huey.
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I just note that the “DUST OFF” Hueys missions is not mentionned. They did a great job saving men wherever they were at anytime.
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The UH1E was the first combat aircraft I flew in Nam – followed by the H34 on it’s last legs and the H46 once the manufacturer got the rear end fixed. The Huey was a fun bird to drive, reliable, versatile and always brought the payloads in and us out back to home, whether a gun ship or slick. When the ground pounders heard us coming they knew that they were in good shape and would remain that way. We have one here at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Bureau Number 151267, formerly at Camp Pendleton in HML-267 until we converted to the Twin Huey and gave UV 2 back to the Navy. I have time logged in this aircraft and everytime I go to the museum it gives me good vibrations. Thank you Bell Helicopter. Buck Massie, Scarface 9.
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Very nice piece. I am President of Vietnam Veterans Of America Chapter 55 here in Newark, OH. We have an “in country” UH-1B on a Conditional Deed Of Gift from TACOM in Warren, MI. We have mounted it on a custom trailer and take it to several Veteran related and civic functions within a 100 mile radius every year. We have had the “Old Lady” for 30 years as of this month. She is still intact. We use it as an educational tool and most importantly as an outreach tool to break the ice with ‘Nam Vets and help them cope with the memories from ‘Nam. Several Vets have joined V V A as a result of seeing this piece of their history. Some have gone on to hold local, state and national positions in the V V A. One ‘Nam Vet actually made eight trips back to ‘Nam as part of the V V A’s Veterans Initiative program to help our Vietnamese counterparts locate their 300K MIA’s and they in turn have helped us recover many of our own MIA’s.
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Awesome. I remember them well. I was with the 1st Air Cav B-1-12, 66-67 and flew many asults. First time I flew on one was when I was taken to my assigned platoon. The secound time was my first assault and I remember well. Riding to our LZ we were starting to descend and then the gun ships started firing there rockets and this scared the hell out of me but it was the last time it scared me. Love the wop wop
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Great piece, but the first Hueys arrived in late 1962 for Medevac and gunship companies. More arrived in early 1963 to re-equip assault helicopter companies that arrived in mid-1962 with CH-21 “Flying Banana” piston helicopters.
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I am a Vietnam veteran. For me it was a love/hate relationship. I loved them when the got us out of a mess…but hated them when they put us down in the middle of one.
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I flew as a doorgunner on Hueys the second half of my tour with 2nd brigade aviation platoon 101st Airborne Division. 1ST half as a grunt always relying on Hueys for everything. The Huey was a very large part of my life. Now I belong to Air Classics Museum in Sugar Grove. Illinois, where we have 2 Hueys in our collection. WE take out for parades and I get to ride in MY position on the right side. Fantastic!
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Reblogged this on The Soulful Veteran's Blog.
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i was in the avel platoon attached to the 604th in pleiku and worked on the radios still miss hearing them after all these years
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Great, keep them Coming.
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It was also a blessing to see these Warriors of the Sky come to the Rest Cue,
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I’m a Vietnam vet, but I wasn’t a Huey pilot or even one of my dear brothers on the ground that depended so much on this wonderful bird. I was aircraft maintenance working on these machines daily knowing that many people depended on them. I flew in them often and still today can remember that magic sound that can be heard from afar. As Bill Roberts said, whenever I hear it I have to run outside or look out the window to see it. No other chopper sounds quite like her. I’ll never forget it. Along with the Cobra, Loach, and Chinook these birds were the reason many of our men made it back home.
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I think we, as pilots, should thank the people at Bell Helicopter for making such a great aircraft. We flew them and we flew them hard. We flew them in all kinds of conditions and situations and they always stood up to the test. When we screwed up, the aircraft seemed to have a mind of it’s own and allowed us to get back in one piece. Whenever I hear that Whop-Whop-Whop, I still have to go to the window or run out the door to catch sight of a Huey going over. If you ever run into a grunt who was in the boonies, he will always say, the Whop-Whop-Whop of a Huey was a beautiful sound. Lizard 7
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In my opinion one of the most loved soldiers in vietnam
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From the 11AAD training to the 1st Air Cav. I rode in her all the way. Snake shit was one of the best pilots if not bravest pilots around.
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Great article!! Keep up with the great stories so the world can know what we went thru!
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