European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Chopper pilots recall combat in Vietnam daily Magazine photo by Lynda Sparks to Carr Tom Jim Fazekas and Jim West remember a photo an assault drop led the men to a nearby where they faced the Viet by Don Tate staff writer the room gets you can Al most hear the rotors winding the four i among the last of a Are bringing it hands turning into their voices electric with this is no there we were at 300 taking hits left and rolling in through a screen of like the hands suddenly the Man describing his near death dive is it was Only near All four Are dodging Debullet the Way they used to laugh it those nights after making it Back alive from those interesting Vietnam if it sounds like a War it is part of the most confusing War Story in american the War Story that didst end ten years says the but calendars have no calendars we rent its still going look at the listen to the nothing we will Ever do will compare to those says Jim shaking his Chang ing his diving chopper into a the Esprit was Unbe in those Days the four often flew Wing on protecting each three scorpions and a three gunships and a fanning up Over big Battles Mogged Clatter ing Over towering Trees that spread out like great Green dark umbrellas Over the smoking Earth what newsmen called the mysterious murderous Jungle that hid whole enemy triple canopy there in their late 30s and 40s All senior warrant officers stationed in All still flying for Uncle Sams its the first reunion of the four since the War Jim the Pelican Jim to Carr and Tom the gathered in this Darmstadt hotel Only there not really do you remember that and suddenly there Back there in the thick of tales of being shot at and hit by everything from anti aircraft fire to be on the Alert for that Light Gray because the second you were you knew that next puff was going to punch your to crossbow tales of careening Back to their engines fuel spewing out of Bullet Rotor Blades half shot their Birds punched so that some Days there seemed no Good reason Why they could stay in the but that was the that was the aviators you kept flying that baby even if it was shot to says Tom you kept her flying even if you knew you were your engine was shot out and a 155 round was about to land in your says what were you Guys afraid actually asks a what was i afraid actually reflects slow talk modes sounding Jim not As Long As these Guys were on my flanks he they All see the sweat on that says showing his old unit the 161st aviation that Chick in they got medals and they got but we we rent any big adds they sent us Over there to Fly in and we flew in compared to the blurring they flew Low and guns skimming the ground into and out of hot Rotor Blades chopping close enough some times to see the looks on the faces of the men trying to kill indelible freeze frames of Vietnam was the helicopter do you remember that time names Roll out like Khe con Dak the Rock do they the four of says the four of it goes it goes deeper than these Guys saved my i remember every bloody thing we Ever remember old dirty someone that god love was one of those Guys who  do anything he could screw up a steel Ball with a rubber whatever happened to him they remember on shot the enemy Soldier who always fired off a single round at choppers Landing and taking and never hit they put up a sign dont anybody do harm to old one he might be replaced by somebody who could shoot Bobbitt remembers the Veteran Grunt who wanted so bad to become an aviator he spend All that time screwing around in the mud taking his and then the first time out of the bag in a chopper he gets his Eye shot gets All banged up and ill never forget him telling me when i Wake up in the morning i my legs my Chest my eyelids i there was a lot of Hurt in and the irony of America preparing to celebrate Victory Europe almost at the same time it is remembering the anniversary of defeat in Vietnam is not lost on these when the visitor asks the inevitable question How did it feel to be in the Only War their country Ever lost something changes in their to the quiet sits straight didst win the that really ticks me off when i hear that just kills Jim Fazekas pleasant face becomes a Sunset of Ever time we fought the North vietnamese in real Battle we kicked we beat beat them decisive but we were never allowed to follow never allowed to finish them they remember that it was two years after the Paris peace accords were signed and troops had pulled having beaten off every communist attempt to take Over the country it was Only then that the communists rolled Over South and Saigon that was april it broke my they says and we we rent permitted to do a Damn thing about not to be Able to do what we knew we could had done Over and Over which was to defeat was super and then to have to hear that endless crap about losing the but they Arent Here this night to dredge up All they still talk about flying with the Gung to Joy of daring Young men on their first Mission of flying fixed anything the seat of their pants will still fit and Tom Bobbitt is 48 now and plans to Fly for the army probably or at least until in going to be the highest time helicopter Pilot there Ever id even go Back to Vietnam to Morrow if they but not tonight they sing the Good old the bad old the Way they used Phu Phu Bais a hell of a the organizations a flaming disgrace theres captains and majors and Light All standing around with nothing to they stand on the they scream and they about Many things they know nothing april 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13