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Australian personnel who flew in the Vietnam War as door gunners with US forces were recognised with special Gunner’s wings in a ceremony at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross on Tuesday.
The servicemen flew with the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company Experimental Military Unit (EMU), many without formal or recognised training or category, were presented with their wings and a special certificate by Commodore Vince Di Pietro.
Peter Vidler, Kev Camm, John Waskiw, John Macartney, JJ Martin, Frank Eyck and the late Jim Hill (collected by his daughter Michelle Thorpe) were all presented with their wings.
Integrated within the unique EMU unit were members of the Royal Australian Navy’s Helicopter Flight Vietnam (RANHFV) from 723 Squadron at HMAS Albatross.
The men volunteered to carry out the duties of a door gunner as an innovative response, born of necessity, to meet an urgent need at the time.
Commodore Vince Di Pietro said the wings were specially designed and minted in recognition of the service the men provided.
“They [the wings] are unique, no one else will have them,” he said.
For two of the recipients JJ Martin and Frank Eyck the recognition was superb.
“It is fantastic and very unique,” Mr Eyck said.
“Firstly the wings themselves are unique and it’s fantastic that navy and that’s what this is, a navy recognition, of what we have done. That is unusual”.
Mr Eyck was a aircraft mechanic and would spend 12 hours a day, seven days a week working on the aircraft.
“There was also addition requirement for various gunnery duties,” he said.
“They were always short of gunners and if we had time off we would volunteer to do that gunning and depending on what the missions were depended on whether we had a rough time or a relaxing time.”
Mr Martin said the recognition was a long time coming.
“It’s a bit overdue but we are finally being recognised for what we did in Vietnam,” he said.
Kev Camm stood proudly next to a Iroquois helicopter or Huey, as they were known, which is on display at the FAA Museum.
The display depicts a gunner in the rear of a Huey and the mannequin, which is stationed at the gun, just happens to be wearing one of Mr Camm’s uniforms.
“That’s me,” he said with pride as he looked at the display, clasping his certificate and newly presented wings.
Peter Vidler made the trip up from Tumut for the presentation.
“I was working in the operations centre and therefore didn’t see the need to do the flying training so I didn’t do it before we left Albatross,” he said.
“But when I got over there I volunteered as a gunner.
“Ninety per cent of my time in Vietnam I was in the operation centre, working night shift. I would do flight manifests, decode missions etc.
“We’d work four or five nights and then have three days off.
“You would sleep for the first day and then volunteer for gunner duty and spend the next two days flying.
“I actually found the experience helped me with my role in the operations centre. Having seen and experienced the scenes first hand I could better understand and visualise what the crews were going through.
“We would often go up country into outposts and drop off supplies.
“I remember one day we had finished and were sitting on a dirt road with the choppers in what was considered a safe zone and this dust cloud appeared in the distance.
“The pilots started to fire up the helos just in case and then this Australian jeep appeared and it was the Salvation Army who had heard there were some Aussies in the region and found us to see if we needed anything.
“I couldn’t believe it, it was the bloody Salvos way out there.”
He spoke of the good old Aussie ingenuity which was often on display by the gunners.
“Sometimes the big guns (M-60) used to jam as the bullets were fed into it,” he said.
“We came up with a solution. We would run the bullets over a used VB beer can. That solved the problem.”
He said receiving the wings was a special occasion.
“I will wear them with pride,” he said.
“We have waited 46 years to get them and there is around 40 different Australian units, be it navy, army or air force who took part and also deserve recognition.”
CDRE Di Peitro, a former commander of 723 Squadron, knew many of the maintainers from when he first joined the squadron as a new Sub-Lieutenant.
“Many of them were my contemporaries and I always felt they lacked the recognition they so rightfully deserved,” he said.
“I put this proposal to Chief of Navy Tim Barrett and he overwhelmingly agreed to get these Aussies, who did some extraordinary things, in extraordinary times, in extraordinary ways recognised.”
CDRE Di Peitro and Commander Ted Wynberg will undertake similar presentations around the country, while Commander Max Speedy, the XO of the second Australian helicopter contingent to serve in Vietnam, will be making a presentation to seven personnel (three navy and four army) on Wednesday at HMAS Cerberus.
The presentation will be made at the RAN Recruits School during Shipp Divisions, named after Leading Aircrewman Noel Shipp who died in Vietnam, shot down while acting as a helicopter gunner and was seen firing his weapon all the way to impact.
Jim Shaw, who is currently in the US, will be presented with his wings by the last CO of the 135th Lieutenant Colonel Fred Dunaway, US Army retired on Anzac Day as part of the group’s reunion activities.