After Lively got shot, I pushed for An Khe as hard as I could; and the 317 just kept shuddering --- even had a little bit of a wallow to her. The thing I remember most, tho, is the plexiglass windshield flexing in and out. I had this "detatched" sense that was contemplating what the aircraft would do and how I would counter when it gave way and I had all that sudden "grab" in the wind. I never looked at the a/s indicator or the torque or the EGT; just kept the rpm up enough to keep the alarm from going off.

It was just after that I began to realize I really didn't know the Huey like I oughta. There just wasn't anywhere near enough mechanical and technical training after flight school; we had none at all in-country. And 3 months later the Unit went on Stand-down and it was all over.

Pickett