Welcome home: Fort Rucker honors Vietnam-era Bird Dog veterans

By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff WriterOctober 16, 2015

Welcome home: Fort Rucker honors Vietnam-era Bird Dog veterans
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (Oct. 16, 2015) -- Hundreds of Vietnam War-era pilots came together on Fort Rucker to share tales and remember those they'd lost during their time in service as the installation paid homage to those pioneering pilots -- the Bird Dogs.

A monument to 11 Bird Dog companies was unveiled during a ceremony at Veterans Park Oct. 9, where hundreds gathered to honor those who helped pave the way for today's Aviators.

Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command deputy commanding general and chief of staff, offered his heart-felt thanks to each and every Bird Dog in attendance, as well as those lost in combat through the years.

"We celebrate the service and the sacrifice of you and those like you, who did more than your fair share, most on far off lands, serving a cause greater than self," he said during the ceremony. "We certainly celebrate those who paid their last full measure of devotion … flying the venerable Bird Dog in combat and training, and perishing in that cause.

"To each and every one of you, thank you for giving us, your nation and fellow citizens, the best years of your lives," continued the general. "Most of you did not get the proper 'thank you' when you returned from your fight. On behalf of a grateful nation -- one that was too consumed with itself in the day -- thank you for your service."

Bird Dog pilots flew fixed-wing aircraft -- the Cessna L-19s and O-1s -- from 1950 to 1974 during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and unlike today's Aviators, the flying was done "by the seat of their pants," said the lieutenant general, whose father was a Bird Dog pilot with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany and Vietnam.

While unmanned systems and new technologies allow Aviators of today to better monitor their flight controls, it's the pilot who is the real star of the show, and it's those who flew before the advent of today's technology who set the stage for today's Aviators, said Mangum.

"While our unmanned systems allow us to persistently stare at wide swaths of the battlefield, we still need and rely on the man on the loop -- the Aviator in the cockpit," he said. "Only the Army Aviator, like you in your day, low and slow over the target, can own the situation and influence it for that young infantryman on the ground."

Those pilots in the air were the eyes of the Soldiers on the ground, said the general, and it was those Soldiers on the ground who relied on the pilots in the air to be able to spot the enemy, and call for backup or retreat if necessary.

"Flying the Bird Dog in all kinds of weather, whether in Korea, Europe or Vietnam, you were always there -- often at great risk to yourself and your machine to put eyes on the target, the troops and the enemy," said Mangum. "You established a level of sacred trust that you would be there for Soldiers whether you were breaking bush, moving to contact, covering the last 100 yards to close with and destroy the enemy, or in contact and decisively engaged."

That's just what Charlie Mingus, Bird Dog pilot with the 183rd Reconnaissance Airplane Company, and his fellow pilots did.

"We went out every day and we looked for the enemy," he said. "We were the eyes and ears for the infantry -- we covered all of Vietnam."

Mingus, who also helped organize the memorial event, said that the unveiling of the monument meant a lot to him and his peers, and in a way was therapeutic for him.

"For the last three years, it's just really been therapy for me to spend time with these guys -- it's really been a healing process," he said. "We've planned this event for two years and to see it come together has been really great."

Related Links:

USAACE and Fort Rucker on Twitter

USAACE and Fort Rucker on Facebook

Fort Rucker, Ala.

U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence