Vietnam Dustoff
'67-'68 ...
   K-9 dogs from 1st Infantry Division units

(© 1997) by: Richard Cunnare
 
Rich Cunnare
45th Med. Co. AA ,Lai Khe, Dust Off, 4th Flight Plt., Crew Chief 6/67 to 6/68, "TET 68"
D Troop 1/1 Cav, D Troop 17/Cav, Gun Pilot Scout, Da Nang, Easter Offensive Conventional Warfare, 1972
Dav Life Member Member Heli-Vets and VHPA, Enterprise, Alabama


Wild Child II.

Picture of Dennis Telischak, my Medic, and I, March 1968.
 I am the good looking one on the left.


Angel of Mercy


B Hoist Cunnare -- Remember, we were invicible back then.
Today... I just shake my head and think "Dumb".

 


Hoist practice Makes Perfect ...  but still dumb.

 


At least the Safety Belt is attached...this time.


Practice and real hoist missions. A shot NVA hiding in a tree (look close/center) was from a hoist mission when the 2/28 Infantry was butchered on 17 October 1967. They had 54 WIA and 56 KIA. The shot of the NVA in the tress was taken moments before I saw him and shot.  The picture was taken by Dennis Telischak.

 


Night Gun Cover


Taking Fire

The following K-9 pictures are from Feb and March 1968. These photos are of dogs
evacuated to Lai Khe and are dogs from 1st Infantry Division units:


K-9 Big Guys Don't Cry.  How we tried to harden our emotions, to survive, but the kids and K-9 were sometimes more than one could stand. But there were worse things to come.


K-9: Atta Boy.

 


K-9: Good Boy.  You're gonna make it big guy!

 


K-9: Hold on fella.

 


K-9: Window Guy. 

 


K-9: I'll just stay right here.

 


Dennis, with some kids. Sometimes they were just scared.  Who wasn't? The little boy could be a soldier's unknown child.  You try to harden yourself against the incredible suffering, pain, and death ... and when you think you are a tough guy you land and
pick up some wounded children,  broken in spirit and body.


 


Sometimes you just cried with them....

 

WARNING: NEXT PHOTO IS OF GRAPHIC KIA INJURIES

The emotions Dust Off Crew members experienced on a daily basis still haunts us all. One photo, "Never Again," is so graphic but also so common to the daily events of crews.


NEVER AGAIN

 


Wounded ARVN soldiers.

 


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