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Perry Tillman III,
Tour in Vietnam with the 1st Cav Division
After taking a Champagne flight from Travis, AFB in CA to Elmendorf, AFB, in AK, I arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam on December 12,
1965. We went to a staging area where I was sent to Co A 1st Bn (Abn) 8th Cav Division.
I remember very few details about my 3 months tour in An Khe, South Vietnam. I remember going on a mission Christmas day of 1965. The
reason I remember is because Bob Hope was coming to be at the 1st Cav base camp in An khe on Christmas day and I was going to miss
seeing him. I remember going to Pleiku. On my first helicopter ride, I remember asking "where was the seat belt". Then I remember my
science class in high school where we talked about centrifugal force.
I was injured in a helicopter crash (Huey) on March 13, 1966 in Happy Valley. The day of the crash, I can remember flying to the LZ. I do not
remember the mission. I do not know if the helicopter lost power or was shot down. The next thing I remember was trying to brace myself for
the crash. We are talking about seconds when I was thinking about what to do. What went through my mind was if I should jump or not. The
reason I was thinking about that was because we went to a repelling demonstration where a trooper was almost killed in that exercise. The
helicopter lost power but it regained power before the trooper who was repelling hit the ground. The Sergeant told us not to jump in a
situation like that but to ride the helicopter down. I was following that order when I was injured. Since that time I have tried to second guess
that decision. Each time I do, I think I made the right decision.
When I landed on the ground, I could not get up. A Trooper ran to me and I told him that "I was alright but could not get up". I was put on a
helicopter after they applied first aid to a trooper who had both legs cut off by the blade. If we went together to the field hospital or not I do
not know. I remember parts of the ride to the field hospital. I do remember arriving at the field hospital and going to be X-Rayed. I remember
being placed on the X-Ray machine and being in so much pain. That is all that I remember.
I was told later that the helicopter was shot down. I was also told later that the pilot and co-pilot walked away from the crash. The helicopter
blew up at the bottom of the hill. One trooper was killed. One trooper had both legs cut off. Two troopers each had a leg cut off. Another
trooper had an arm cut off. Another trooper’s head was crushed. Happy Valley and March 13, 1966 have been imprinted on my brain.
Fred was eating a Zero. The name of the mission was Crazy Horse. The pilot was shot in the head. That is different from what I have been
told. I have the names of those who were injured. Fred was in the bed next to me in Vietnam. Fred was at Fort Sam on the amputee ward at
the same time with me. My hospital stay from the 85th Evacuation Unit in South Vietnam to leaving the VAMC’s SCI Center in Memphis, Tenn.
March 13, 1966 to March 28, 1966 85th Evacuation Unit in South Vietnam
March 28, 1966 to April 12, 1966 Clark AFB in the Philippine Islands
April 12, 1966 to April 28, 1966 Trippler Army General Hospital, Oahu, Hawaii
April 28, 1966 to May 4, 1966 Travis AFB Hospital, San Francisco, Calif.
May 4, 1966 to September 13, 1966 Brooke Army General Hospital, San Antonio, TX.
I was discharged from the US Army on September 12, 1966.
September 13, 1966 to October 28, 1966 VAMC’s SCI Center in Memphis, Tenn.
I was inducted into the US Army on June 26, 1966. I was discharged on September 12, 1966
. I was hospitalized from March 13, 1966 to October 28, 1966.
8 1/2 Active Duty June 26, 1965 to March 13, 1966
7 1/2 Hospitalized March 13, 1966 to October 28, 1966, 16 Months
Tour in Vietnam with the 1st Cav Division
After taking a Champagne flight from Travis, AFB in CA to Elmendorf, AFB, in AK, I arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam on December 12,
1965. We went to a staging area where I was sent to Co A 1st Bn (Abn) 8th Cav Division.
I remember very few details about my 3 months tour in An Khe, South Vietnam. I remember going on a mission Christmas day of 1965. The
reason I remember is because Bob Hope was coming to be at the 1st Cav base camp in An khe on Christmas day and I was going to miss
seeing him. I remember going to Pleiku. On my first helicopter ride, I remember asking "where was the seat belt". Then I remember my
science class in high school where we talked about centrifugal force.
I was injured in a helicopter crash (Huey) on March 13, 1966 in Happy Valley. The day of the crash, I can remember flying to the LZ. I do not
remember the mission. I do not know if the helicopter lost power or was shot down. The next thing I remember was trying to brace myself for
the crash. We are talking about seconds when I was thinking about what to do. What went through my mind was if I should jump or not. The
reason I was thinking about that was because we went to a repelling demonstration where a trooper was almost killed in that exercise. The
helicopter lost power but it regained power before the trooper who was repelling hit the ground. The Sergeant told us not to jump in a
situation like that but to ride the helicopter down. I was following that order when I was injured. Since that time I have tried to second guess
that decision. Each time I do, I think I made the right decision.
When I landed on the ground, I could not get up. A Trooper ran to me and I told him that "I was alright but could not get up". I was put on a
helicopter after they applied first aid to a trooper who had both legs cut off by the blade. If we went together to the field hospital or not I do
not know. I remember parts of the ride to the field hospital. I do remember arriving at the field hospital and going to be X-Rayed. I remember
being placed on the X-Ray machine and being in so much pain. That is all that I remember.
I was told later that the helicopter was shot down. I was also told later that the pilot and co-pilot walked away from the crash. The helicopter
blew up at the bottom of the hill. One trooper was killed. One trooper had both legs cut off. Two troopers each had a leg cut off. Another
trooper had an arm cut off. Another trooper’s head was crushed. Happy Valley and March 13, 1966 have been imprinted on my brain.
Fred was eating a Zero. The name of the mission was Crazy Horse. The pilot was shot in the head. That is different from what I have been
told. I have the names of those who were injured. Fred was in the bed next to me in Vietnam. Fred was at Fort Sam on the amputee ward at
the same time with me. My hospital stay from the 85th Evacuation Unit in South Vietnam to leaving the VAMC’s SCI Center in Memphis, Tenn.
March 13, 1966 to March 28, 1966 85th Evacuation Unit in South Vietnam
March 28, 1966 to April 12, 1966 Clark AFB in the Philippine Islands
April 12, 1966 to April 28, 1966 Trippler Army General Hospital, Oahu, Hawaii
April 28, 1966 to May 4, 1966 Travis AFB Hospital, San Francisco, Calif.
May 4, 1966 to September 13, 1966 Brooke Army General Hospital, San Antonio, TX.
I was discharged from the US Army on September 12, 1966.
September 13, 1966 to October 28, 1966 VAMC’s SCI Center in Memphis, Tenn.
I was inducted into the US Army on June 26, 1966. I was discharged on September 12, 1966
. I was hospitalized from March 13, 1966 to October 28, 1966.
8 1/2 Active Duty June 26, 1965 to March 13, 1966
7 1/2 Hospitalized March 13, 1966 to October 28, 1966, 16 Months
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| Alpha Company 1965-1971 Trooper's Page |
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