erate in the area, flying missions, taking fire and losing aircraft, but no other crew members were killed. Finally, orders were received for redeployment back to the United States. Those personnel that had not completed their required time in Vietnam were transferred to other assignments, some to aviation units. Dorsey got his wish and was transferred to an infantry assignment. Some found themselves in totally different kinds of units but also working in totally different job assignments, often assignments for which they had no formal training. Such was the confusion as the US attempted to depart from Vietnam and leave the war to the Vietnamese people, who really didn’t care who ran the government so long as it left them alone.
Chicken-man had arrived in Vietnam in 1965. It was time for Chicken-man to go home. On February 21, 1972, with all the aircraft refueled and ready to depart for the coast to be placed on ships or turned over to the Vietnamese Army, the decision was made to make a low-level flyby down the runway of Camp Holloway. In trail formation, the flight of twenty-one helicopters raced down the runway at ninety knots and about one hundred feet of altitude. At the end of the runway, the flight leader made a sharp turn, with each aircraft executing the same maneuver until Chalk Four entered the turn. His nose pitched up, and his tail pitched down and hit the ground, throwing the aircraft out of control when it slammed into a concrete telephone pole and crashed. No one was killed, but everyone experienced broken bones and was medevaced to hospitals. It was a sad way for a unit with such an outstanding record accumulated over a seven-year period to end its time.
The unit still lives today, serving in the First Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. No longer a lift company, it is now an attack helicopter company with the AH-64 attack helicopter, the Apache. The unit has carried on the traditions and reputation of Chicken-man, having served in Desert Shield/Desert Storm as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Most of the pilots are young warrant officers, both male and female.
CITATION: MEDAL OF HONOR
MAJOR WILLIAM EDWARD ADAMS
Department of the Army
General Order No. 38 (September 6, 1974)
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Major William Edward Adams, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with A/227 Assault Helicopter Company, 52d Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade in action against enemy aggressor force at Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 25 May 1971. On that date, Major Adams volunteered to fly a lightly armed helicopter in an attempt to evacuate three seriously wounded soldiers from a small fire base which was under attack by a large enemy force. He made the decision with full knowledge that numerous anti-aircraft weapons were positioned around the base and that the clear weather would afford the enemy gunners unobstructed view of all routes into the base. As he approached the base, the enemy gunners opened fire with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. Undaunted by the fusillade, he continued his approach determined to accomplish the mission. Displaying tremendous courage under fire, he calmly directed the attacks of supporting gunshots while maintaining absolute control of the helicopter he was flying. He landed the aircraft at the fire base despite the ever-increasing enemy fire and calmly waited until the wounded soldiers were placed on board. As his aircraft departed from the fire base, it was struck and seriously damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire and began descending. Flying with exceptional skill, he immediately regained control of the crippled aircraft and attempted a controlled landing. Despite his valiant efforts, the helicopter exploded, overturned and plummeted to earth amid the hail of enemy fire. Major Adams’s conspicuous gallantry, intrepidity, and humanitarian regard for his fellow man were in keeping with the most cherished tradition of the military service and reflected utmost credit on him and the United States Army.
CITATION: MEDAL OF HONOR
FIRST LIEUTENANT BRIAN MILES THACKER
Department of the Army
General Order No. 42 (November 5, 1973)
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant (Field Artillery) Brian Miles Thacker, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 1st Battalion, 92d Artillery, in action against enemy aggressors in Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 31 March 1971. First Lieutenant Thacker, Field Artillery, Battery A, distinguished himself while serving as the team leader of an Integrated Observation System collocated with elements of two Army of the Republic of Vietnam units at fire base 6. A numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force launched a well-planned, dawn attack on the small, isolated, hilltop fire base. Employing rockets, grenades, flamethrowers, and automatic weapons, the enemy forces penetrated the perimeter defenses and engaged the defenders in hand to hand combat. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, First Lieutenant Thacker rallied and encouraged the US and Republic of Vietnam soldiers in heroic efforts to repulse the enemy. He occupied a dangerously exposed observation position for a period of four hours while directing friendly air strikes and artillery fire against the assaulting enemy forces. His personal bravery and inspired leadership enabled the outnumbered friendly forces to inflict a maximum of casualties on the attacking enemy forces and prevented the base from being overrun. By late afternoon, the situation had become untenable. First Lieutenant Thacker organized and directed the withdrawal of the remaining friendly forces. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he remained inside the perimeter alone to provide covering fire with his M16 rifle until all other friendly forces had escaped from the besieged fire base. Then, in an act of supplemental courage, he called for friendly artillery fire on his own position to allow his comrades more time to withdraw safely from the area and at the same time, inflict greater casualties on the enemy forces. Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for eight days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by First Lieutenant Thacker were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the military service.
Glossary
AC. Aircraft commander; also alternating electrical current.
ADA. Air-defense artillery.
ADC. Assistant Division Commander.
AIT. Advanced Individual Training. The next phase of training for a soldier after basic training focusing on the specific military occupational specialty for that individual.
ARA. Aerial Rocket Artillery, commonly referred to as Blue Max.
ARVN. Army of the Republic of Vietnam.
BC. Battalion commander.
CO. Commanding officer.
CONEX. A metal shipping container made of corrugated metal and measuring 8.5 feet long, 6.3 feet wide and 6.9 feet high, capable of holding 9,000 pounds of material.
Contour flight. The aircraft maintains a constant high speed and follows the folds of the terrain at treetop or lower level.
C-rations. Canned food that could be eaten cold or hot, used by the military from World War II until the late 1970s or early 1980s.
C-7 Caribou. A twin-engine aircraft capable of short-field takeoffs and landings used by the Army in the mid-1960s. The aircraft was turned over to the US Air Force in the late 1960s.
CWO. Chief warrant officer.
C&C. Command-and-control aircraft.
DC. Direct electrical current.
Det cord. White cord approximately 1/4 inch around that is highly explosive and used to quickly cut trees or blow up other objects.