"The important thing was the mission. And if there were guys out there that needed our support, we needed to go."
Description of Interview:
Mr. Borgeson shares his perspective as an aerial rocket artillery pilot during the battle of LZ Bird, which produced a number of Silver Stars, a Medal of Honor, and earned Mr. Borgeson and each member of his crew a Distinguished Flying Cross. He also describes being shot down, escaping as the sole survivor from the wreck, his rescue, six weeks of recovery at a hospital in Okinawa, discovering a genetic defect that should have grounded him forever, and then returning to fly with the Black Cats of Phu Loi (albeit piloting an OH-23, not a Chinook) for the remainder of his tour in Vietnam.
Key Words: Fort Walters, Fort Rucker, ARA, Crow’s Foot, LZ Hammond, LZ Bird, Quy Nhon, MASH, Okinawa, Distinguished Flying Cross, 4F, SS-11 wire-guided missile, AK-47, Black Cats of Phu Loi, 213th Assault Helicopter Company, 1st Aviation Group, Chinook, Bien Hoa, Iron Triangle, OH-23, White Horse Division
Key Names: Captain Stan Kass, Bill Hingston, Sergeant Jennings (Medal of Honor), Warrant Officer Charles White, Roger McAllister, Gary Adams, Billy Wood, Colin Powell
Unit:
2nd Battalion, 20th Artillery, Aerial Rocket Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division
Read the Complete Transcript of this Interview.