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Military Service: U.S.
Army 1969 to 1972 and 1976 to 1982 |
| Join the U.S.
Army in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1969. Received basic training
and advance individual training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Volunteered for Vietnam service on January 1969 and was medically
evacuated to the United States 1971. |
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Military Overseas Tours: |
1969 - 1971: Republic of Vietnam,
1st Aviation Brigade, 117th
Assault Helicopter Company (Warlords) as door gunner.
1977 - 1980: Germany, 28th AG Company and the American
Forces Radio Network (AFN).
1980 - 1982: Republic of Panama, United
States School of the Americas (USARSA) and the Public Affairs
Office, US MEDAC Panama. |
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Education while in the
Military |
| Photo Journalism School / Radio
and Television Broadcasting, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana |
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Assignments in the United
States |
| Fort Campbell, KY - Fort Sill,
OK - Fort Benning, GA - Fort Dix, NJ - Fort Lee, VA - Fort Benjamin
Harrison, IN - Fort Riley, KS |
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Discharges |
| Three Honorable Discharges (1972
- 1979 - 1982) |
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Military Awards |
- Expert Rifle M-16
- Expert Rifle M-14
- 1 Overseas Service Bar
(VN)
- Vietnam Combat Medal
with 60 device
- Vietnam Service Medal
with 2 bronze service stars
- National Defense Service
Ribon
- Combat Infantryman Badge
- Good Conduct Medal 3rd
Award
- Army Service Ribbon
- Expert Badge with Hand
Granade
- Army Aviation Badge
(Door Gunner)
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| WHAT
IS A DOOR GUNNER? |
| A door gunner
is soldier tasked with firing and maintaining manually
directed armament aboard a helicopter. The actual role
will vary depending on the task given on a particular
mission. |
ORIGINS
The role of "door gunner" originated during
the Vietnam War, when helicopters were first used in large
numbers. The original personnel who served as door gunners
aboard UH-34 and UH-1 helicopters were normally enlisted
crew chiefs who served as both the aircraft's maintenance
supervisor and the door gunner.  Later,
as the War progressed, the door gunner position usually
became a non-aviation soldier or Marine that volunteered
for door gunner duties. Thus, most aircraft carried both
a crew chief and door gunner, with the crew chief manning
a weapon as well. Initially, door gunners' weapons were
mounted on swiveling mounts in order to aim and steady
the weapon, usually an M60 Machine gun. As the war progressed,
using bungee cords to suspend the weapons became a common
practice for door gunners, as the newfound manuverablility
of the mounted weapons allowed for increased angles to
shoot from. Safety lines were also attached to the door
gunners to prevent them from falling out of the helicopter
if the door gunners leaned outward on the helicopter skids
to get a better firing angle.
The door gunner position was not a particularly
popular one, due to the inherent vulnerability of manning
a machine gun in the open door of a helicopter. With
the end of the Vietnam War, the door gunner position
faded away.
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