Ron you are right about the VFW. I laughed hard when I read your last post about all the CE's and Gunners. (A lot of whom on being questioned suddenly "can't remember")
I took 1/sgt. D.W. Quinn ( 545th Det.) flying a lot and used him as a co-pilot on several occasions, but of course the 545th never flew combat assaults. Just tests, admin and a recovery now and then. That's why I flew with the 119th flight platoons a couple of days a week to build time.
BTW, old Quinn was a pretty good pilot. He owned a Navion back in the states and enjoyed getting out of Holloway when he could and getting a bit of stick time with me.
As for all the others you mentioned, I am not sure I ever saw them fly but maybe they did.
Anyway I never thought of it in that light before.
Bob T