‘I’m surprised I’m alive’: ‘Dustoff’ medical helicopter crews awarded congressional medal decades after Vietnam War

The appearance of a red cross on a white background painted on the nose of a medevac helicopter was a God-send to the injured during the Vietnam War.

Wounded knew the crews on that helicopter would fly through hell to rescue them.

The helicopters and crews were unarmed and flew into combat areas so that others might live.

“It was gut-wrenching,” recalled William “Bill” C. Perkins, 78, about piloting a helicopter into a combat zone to transport the wounded. “It’s a horrifying experience.

“But you suck it up and go ahead with the mission.”

Perkins’ road to helping people through emergency services began before the Vietnam War when he helped start the first emergency ambulance service in Temple as a student in high school and junior college. He is a 1965 graduate of Temple High School and 1967 graduate of Temple Junior College.

Perkins was a chief warrant officer and air ambulance pilot during his time serving in the Vietnam War following his enlistment in 1968.

A former long-time Temple resident, the Vietnam War veteran is among a group of U.S. service members awarded a Congressional Gold Medal under the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act.

“Dustoff” refers to the radio call sign of the helicopter-borne medical evacuation teams that landed in hostile conditions.

The bi-partisan legislation, passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Sept. 26.

The signing of the legislation was years in the making, and U.S. Army air ambulance crews that operated in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War are now awarded the highest medal from Congress.

Dustoff crews — pilots, crew chiefs and medics — were credited for transporting almost 900,000 people between combat zones and field hospitals during the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1972.

These included sick and wounded from the United States, South Vietnamese and other allied countries, as well as wounded enemy forces. Dustoff crews from the Vietnam War hailed from every state in the United States and represented numerous ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds, according to the legislation.

“Highly skilled and intrepid, Dustoff crews were able to operate the helicopters and land them on almost any terrain in nearly any weather to pick up wounded, after which the Dustoff crews could provide care to these patients while transporting them to ready medical facilities,” the Dustoff Act stated. “The vital work of the Dustoff crews required consistent combat exposure and often proved to be the difference between life and death for wounded personnel.”

The legislation revealed the inherent danger of being a member of a Dustoff crew in Vietnam where there was a 1 in 3 chance of being wounded or killed.

Dustoff crews flew in helicopters with no armor and were only equipped to save the wounded, not defend themselves or their passengers. These medevac helicopters were often under fire and flew in adverse weather conditions, day or night, into the remote mountains and valleys of Vietnam.

Of the 3,400 pilots, medics and crew chiefs among Dustoff crews, 241 were killed and over 900 wounded.

Perkins, whose radio call sign in Vietnam was “Dustoff One One,” regularly flew with all new crew members when he took off for a mission. Crew members often didn’t know each other and never knew if they would be added to the list of those who didn’t make it back.

“I knew I was going to die,” Perkins, who was shot down twice on separate missions into combat areas, recalled feeling each time he took off. “I’m surprised I’m alive.”

Perkins remembered how he flew more than 500 Dustoff medevac missions and evacuated an estimated 1,500 wounded and sick from the combat zone. His service earned him the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and Combat Medal Badge along with 13 Air Medals, Vietnam Campaign and Service Medal with three bronze stars and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.

Like so many Vietnam War veterans, Dustoff crews returned from the war and lived their lives without much fanfare from U.S. officials. That changed when supporters began working on the Congressional Gold Medal for this brave group of service members.

The Congressional Gold Medal was first awarded in 1776 to Gen. George Washington for his service in the early days of the American Revolution, according to background provided in the Dustoff Act. In the 248 years since, the medal was awarded to more than 300 individuals and organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Tuskegee Airmen and Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

The old adage that it took an act of Congress to get the Congressional Gold Medal for Dustoff crews is a fitting expression for the more than five years of letter writing, phone calls and lobbying spent on the effort.

“It was a laborious process,” Steve Vermillion, president of the Vietnam Dustoff Association, said.

Vermillion arrived in Vietnam in 1969 as a “newly minted” warrant office and flew 1,453 helicopter missions, amassing more than 1,100 hours of combat flight time.

He and others who worked to gain recognition for Dustoff crews traveled to Washington, D.C., and had dozens of meetings with congressional leaders.

With the help of Patrick H. Brady, retired Army major general, Medal of Honor recipient and Dustoff helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth, efforts to obtain the medal award gained stronger connections in Congress.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) worked over the past several years to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for Dustoff crews. Cornyn, military dignitaries and Dustoff crew members participated in a celebration last month at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio last month. This is where Dustoff pilots and medics were trained.

“The U.S. Army Dustoff Crews who served during the Vietnam War risked their lives to rescue countless soldiers, sailors, and airmen who may have otherwise died on the battlefield,” Cornyn said in a statement about the Congressional Gold Medal. “These American heroes deserve to be recognized for their extraordinary courage and service, and I am glad that this bipartisan legislation has been signed into law.”

Vermillion said the final signing of the legislation was a welcome outcome for all Dustoff crews and their families.

“There were lots of tears of joy for being recognized,” Vermillion said.

Each medal is created with a unique design from the U.S. Mint in honor of a group or individual. In the case of groups such as the Dustoff crews, only one gold medal is produced. The one medal for groups is usually displayed at the Smithsonian Institution or other public display space. The Dustoff medal will be displayed at the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum in Fort Sam Houston.

The final design and minting process takes about two years, and replicas are then made available for purchase by recipients and their family members.

Now living in Reno, Nev., Perkins lived in Temple from 1953 to 2013. The retired financial accountant is thankful for the work done to secure the congressional honor for all Dustoff crew members, and was a bit shocked by the news of the award when he first heard of the honor.

“There are so few of us left alive,” Perkins said. “We had that one dedicated mission. I’m relieved (the medal) has finally come due. I am so proud.”