Joe Galloway, a noted Vietnam War correspondent and co-author of the book, We Were Solders Once—And Young, referred to the helicopter pilots and crew members serving in southeast Asia as “God’s own lunatics.” Whether these helicopters were bringing in reinforcements, evacuating the wounded, providing fire support or giving infantrymen a ride out of the hell of combat, “Their presence was announced over the loud din of battle by the early distant sound of escalating thumps of ’wop-wop-wop,” he wrote. “These helicopters pilots and their two door gunners were undeterred by the enemy fire they took approaching and landing on a hot LZ.” At least five Vietnam veterans from Jennings fit Galloway’s description as God’s own lunatics: Guy New (JHS Class of 1947), A Huey slick pilot; Jimmy Griffith (’66), Huey slick and Cobra gunship pilot; Harold Chaisson (’65), crew chief/door gunner; Danny Dean Hanks (’68), crew chief/door gunner (killed in action in 1970); and Sheldon Hunt (’69), an airman who volunteered from time to time as a door gunner on Army Hueys. Griffith was 22 ears old when he flew Huey slicks for combat assault and resupply with B Company 229th Aviation. He later flew Cobra gunships with C Troop 1st of the 9th Cavalry, and then the 1st Air Calvary’s hunter-killer teams in III Corps. He still lives in Jennings. Like most all the pilots and crew members, Griffith participated in major battles and many combat air assaults to remote landing zones. These missions provided much more excitement and adrenaline rush than he can describe. During periods of intense action, training kicked in and Griffith forced himself to focus on the mission at hand. Chopper pilots didn’t have the luxury of thinking about fear until after it was all over. “As I look back on that time in my life, I am in wonder and amazement at the things we young men, just one to two years out of high school, did while flying in combat,” Griffith said recently. “I realize now what an incredible group I had the privilege to serve with. I was fortunate enough to have flown the Huey lift ship in combat assaults and the Cobra gunship on search-and-destroy missions. Each experience flying these different helicopters had its own special set of unforgettable, ‘WOW-did-you-see-that!’ incidents. “I still marvel at the skill levels of the pilots I flew with and learned from. Many of those ‘lunatics’ are now with their God. A new generation takes up where we left off”.
