Bob,

Just think about. In a helicoter company they had how many flight slots? Besides the flight platoons and the pilots which had to be covered there were others who had those slots. One slot was the 1st Sgt. I know that for a fact because I have a set of orders with 1st Sgt Wyatt's name on them for flight pay. Then if you throw in the Supply Sgt. a couple operation's dudes and a few others pretty soon you have guys that need hours for their flight pay. These guys didn't go on combat assaults so where do you get hours for them. Easy. There are crewchiefs and gunners who are flying 150-200 hours a month so we grab a very hours here and there. Battalion totals up the monthly hours and compares it to the hours our ships flew and by magic all the numbers jive. Hey, they get 10 hrs a month to cover their flight pay and in four or five months they have enough hours for an air medal. How many of those clowns flew during the Battle of Dak to or in the Plei-Trap Valley during March of 1969? I can count them on one hand and still have five fingers left.

That's why most of us thought the "Benny Badges" were a little bogus anyway. I respect the guys I served with and none of them need to impress me. Go to any bar or VFW and listen to all the guys who claim to have been crewchiefs and gunners in Nam. Every clerk cook or swinging dick that could walk must have flow over there.

If I had my one wish I would give back all those medals if just one less name were on that "Long Black Wall" that stands in Washington DC.