The Bright Side with Ben Fuchs February 18,2023 Commercial free.mp3

Saturday 2/18/2023 Arnold Sampson, Author of the book “Dustoff”

The story of Dustoff rescues has been told but it cannot be told enough because the courage of the crews cannot be celebrated too frequently nor too loudly. Any aircraft that could land could perform an extraction of needful personnel but only Dustoff ships had the life-saving skills of combat-seasoned medics and the medical supplies that could mean the difference between life and death for gravely injured personnel. This book attempts to go beyond the day-to-day missions to detail and share some experiences that were probably paralleled by every veteran. War is an environment of extremes and it is those extremes that settle into the psyche and spirits of those who served and left them, almost to a man, changed forever. Read this and see what changed them.Shortly after completing the U.S. Army's Rotary Wing Aviator's course, author Arnold Sampson was assigned to the 68th Medical Detachment (helicopter ambulance) in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) where he spent much of his tour in Chu Lai. During that tour, he spent time in the unit's two field-standby sites located at Ban Me Thuot and Duc Pho, and he also had a short temporary duty stint with the 254th Medical Detachment in Nha Trang. With assignments as the unit's supply officer, acting detachment commander, executive officer, and operations officer, he became intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of a medevac unit. Seven months into his tour, he became an aircraft commander with the call sign Dustoff 85. To him, that felt like a 7-year sojourn. He was awarded several commendations that were part of a team/crew effort. However, his two Purple Heart awards, awarded after separate injuries from shrapnel, and his Broken Wing Award were more singular and very personal. During his short year of service, he was also awarded the Bronze Star, at least five awards of the Air Medal with "V" device for heroism, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star device for heroism. After returning to the States, he earned an FAA commercial helicopter pilot's license while stationed at Fort Ord, California. He is writing this book to recount the most vivid memories of his varied experiences in the unit in hopes that telling his story might enable him to sleep better at night. He has post-Vietnam insomnia and tranquil sleep often still eludes him. With this book he is paying homage to friends who died in-country or who succumbed to the long tendrils of the war once they got home. He values them, misses them, and dedicates this book to their memories and their families.