This lesson will cover the role of helicopters during the Vietnam War. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
Describe two ways helicopters were used in the Vietnam War and were critical to the ability to complete missions in a jungle environment.
The Vietnam War saw the development of new roles for the helicopter. Airplanes were used for bombing runs and aerial combat, but in the jungle environment the helicopter became the primary mode of transportation. The Huey helicopter was the workhorse of the conflict, serving as troop transport, gun platform, medical evacuation, and cargo carriers. But it was largely in the role of dropping off and extracting troops where the helicopter earned its name as the "air cavalry" of Vietnam.
Numerous missions in Vietnam involved transporting troops to a targeted hill or clearing from which they could launch an assault or take and hold a specific position. The terrain demanded these missions use helicopters to get to that location, and often times soldiers would load into Huey helicopters a dozen at a time and be transported swiftly to the landing zone in a line of helicopters. Since exposure to enemy fire in the landing zone was common, being able to land, drop off troops and supplies, and pick up the wounded before taking off again in just a few minutes was critical. Even then, half of the 12,000 helicopters used in Vietnam were lost. The following video interviews some of the pilots and describes the types of missions they flew.