December 7, 2019
This message is from Doug McGill, Ro-Hawk, Class of '64
Gloria,
Finally, after twenty
long years, the story of real sacrifice comes forward.
A Pararescue team mate,
Billy “Pits” Pitsenbarger’s story comes to life for the world to see.
The mud soldiers and
USAF Pararescue mission participants and the mud soldier survivors insisted and
persisted in the making of this film ....that Pits be recognized for his heroic
sacrifice made on 11 April, 1966. Hope you get to see it.
Doug McGill sends
Doug, did you know him or serve with him?
I knew of him through my close friend LTC Harry “Obee” 0” Breirne. Obee was Pit’s room mate during that time and was the guy depicted in the doorway of the chopper trying to get Pits come up the hoist. However, Pits decided the Army mud soldiers needed him on the ground more. Obee went in the next morning thinking that Pits had survived the battle, ......only to find his bullet ridden body under a poncho.
I wasn’t stationed as a Pararescueman (PJ) on HH-43s in south Vietnam, but a PJ stationed with the rescue forces flying on HH-3E Jolly Green Giants and HH-43 Pedro’s up north at Da Nang.
As a side note and a by the way, Betsy Norman was the flight attendant (stewardess as they were called back then) that flew us to Da Nang. She was flying on “Flying Tigers Airlines”. She was working the flight that took me to Vietnam.
She was very surprised to see me, for sure. When we landed at Da Nang everyone, including the flight crew, were escorted to a bunker as we were under rocket attack. To all that remember the brave American women that worked the support flights into and out of the Vietnam war zones....The brave Betsy Norman earned her combat wings that day, without a doubt. Betsy, thank you for your service to our country dear lady!
As a second side note, the helicopter used in the movie was an HH-1 as a real HH-43 call sign “Pedro” was unavailable. You might remember the Pedro’s were always assigned to cover stateside air crashes and carried a fire bottle under it's belly. It had counter rotating wooden blades and was affectionately called by it’s crew as “the whistling “shite” house”. LOL
I do hope that you get a chance to see the movie. We are in the movie in the medal presentation scene wearing our maroon berets. You can’t miss all the white hairs with berets on. We certainly look like old/proud soldiers should. Those of us who are still alive anyway.
Until we talk again,
Blessings, love, and best wishes to you and Dan and your entire family this wonderful Christmas Season.
Doug McGill, Class of '64
