Jim O'Gorman

AF Aug 59 to Jan 80  retired as E7

Received the 2 H-43Bs at Dover in Mar 60, tail #s 59-1569 & 59-1555.  I was HM & FE in the LBR, Det. 10, 43rd ARS, me and my buddy Andy Paparella crewed these as Airman 3rd Class, probably the lowest ranking FE (we had only been in the AF 7 months including tech school).

I then moved to Dow AFB for another year on the H-43s, from there on to Alaska and the H-21, that was 4 great years.

Then to Nam as Crew Chief/FE/Door Gunner on UH-1F #63-13158 as a member of the 20th SOS Green Hornets.  We were shot down on Mar 26 1969 killing 8 of the 10 on board. This was the 695th Combat Sortie and I was lucky.

I did a year in the hospital getting over the crash then got reassigned to Laredo AFB till they closed it. I was processing out for another tour in Nam when the war ended???.

For some reason I made the dumb mistake of volunteering for MTI duty. I think I wanted to get my head out of the toolbox and improve my people and communication skills. That was the worst most dead end tour of duty I ever faced.

I'm a member of the Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Assoc.

~  Final Flight 26 June 2010 ~

"FREEDOM ISN'T FREE"

~SOMEONE PAYS FOR YOU AND ME~

"HELICOPTERS" - THE ONLY WAY TO FLY

~NEVER FORGOTTEN~