Our nation owes a debt to these heroes of Vietnam. Let’s pay it off

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“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.” I believe these words of St. Francis de Sales are at the heart of the warrior’s spirit. This may sound strange, for surely it’s the strength of overwhelming force that wins wars. But ultimately, it’s a warrior’s gentle love — fighting selflessly for the brother or sister next to you — that achieves lasting peace.

The U.S. Army helicopter aeromedical evacuation crews, which operated under the radio call sign “Dustoff” and evacuated some 900,000 people to safety and lifesaving care during the Vietnam War, flew their unprecedented missions of mercy with this kind of love. It’s time their virtue and valor were recognized properly by a grateful nation. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, some history.  

Before Vietnam, few helicopter rescue missions had been attempted in a war zone. However, the dense jungle landscape and tactics of enemy detachments forced immediate reconsideration of Army precedent. It was decided that to evacuate wounded troops, bulky helicopters – easy targets for enemy fire – were the only way.

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Dustoff crews, each consisting of two

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