The Huey helicopter: the stigma of the Vietnam war, the icon of the decade, a flying death machine. Author of Military Times magazine, Matt Leonard, argues that, "Objects define wars. They differentiate a conflict from the one that preceded it and show how the nature of combat evolves from one war to the next." (8), indicating the massive influence this particular 'object' had during the Vietnam War. Between the years 1962 and 1972, the Huey helicopter flew more combat hours than any other helicopter in history, averaging over 150 hours of fly time a week. At its peak operation, over 3,900 were cleared for active battle and rescue, equipped with .30 caliber gun and 2.75 inch rocket. Despite its stunning payload, the Huey helicopter's presence was most deeply felt in its role as a means for effective medical transportation.
Ranging from severe gunshot wounds to blown off limbs, the Huey helicopter saw the horrific aftermath of the battlefield. Flying through the air with as many as ten wounded stored in the tubes attached to the side of the helicopter, pilots would shuffle back and forth from the MUST unit, Medical Unit Self Contained, evacuating nearly 90% of casualties from the fight (9). Of the estimated 1.8 million people transported by these helicopters, over 30% were combat casualties(9). Its speed and ability to land virtually anywhere helped to increase the mortality rate to 97% of those who landed at a MUST unit alive (10). This also allowed surgeons to be airlifted into the fight and preform trauma care within minutes of the soldier being wounded. More importantly, the valuable time that the Huey provided doctors with their patients, enabled them to develop the new techniques and surgeries that I discussed earlier. For this first time in War history, nearly every soldier sent to a MUST unit survived and the subsequent fatality rate for abdominal injuries fell to 4.8% and amputee survival rate rose by 10% from the Korea War (11).
As a testament to the Huey's effectiveness, they proved to be almost unstoppable. In particular, the Viking Surprise took over 136 bullets while passing over the battlefield thirteen times. However, this helicopter's durable and powerful legacy was not limited to war, as the Science Museum of the United Kingdom argues, "Trauma care for the civilian population was influenced by medical advancements: in particular the use of the Huey." (12). In the wake of the Vietnam War, American hospitals adopted an almost identical strategy to that of the medicine in the war. With newly constructed Helipads on the roofs of the hospitals, injured civilians could be airlifted to hospital and receive treatment within hours.
Ranging from severe gunshot wounds to blown off limbs, the Huey helicopter saw the horrific aftermath of the battlefield. Flying through the air with as many as ten wounded stored in the tubes attached to the side of the helicopter, pilots would shuffle back and forth from the MUST unit, Medical Unit Self Contained, evacuating nearly 90% of casualties from the fight (9). Of the estimated 1.8 million people transported by these helicopters, over 30% were combat casualties(9). Its speed and ability to land virtually anywhere helped to increase the mortality rate to 97% of those who landed at a MUST unit alive (10). This also allowed surgeons to be airlifted into the fight and preform trauma care within minutes of the soldier being wounded. More importantly, the valuable time that the Huey provided doctors with their patients, enabled them to develop the new techniques and surgeries that I discussed earlier. For this first time in War history, nearly every soldier sent to a MUST unit survived and the subsequent fatality rate for abdominal injuries fell to 4.8% and amputee survival rate rose by 10% from the Korea War (11).
As a testament to the Huey's effectiveness, they proved to be almost unstoppable. In particular, the Viking Surprise took over 136 bullets while passing over the battlefield thirteen times. However, this helicopter's durable and powerful legacy was not limited to war, as the Science Museum of the United Kingdom argues, "Trauma care for the civilian population was influenced by medical advancements: in particular the use of the Huey." (12). In the wake of the Vietnam War, American hospitals adopted an almost identical strategy to that of the medicine in the war. With newly constructed Helipads on the roofs of the hospitals, injured civilians could be airlifted to hospital and receive treatment within hours.