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Dave Oliver

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Rescue and recovery pilot Dave Oliver would often have to orbit off the coast of North Vietnam, waiting for a possible call during air strikes. His observations of these operations led him to question the intelligence and motivation of those leading the war effort. (3:14)

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The Air Force rescue crews flying the big helicopters known as the Jolly Green Giants began to get respect among the pilots of other services because they excelled at retrieving downed airmen. Pilot Dave Oliver was on one such mission, which was going badly, when the commander asked if was he willing to go in without waiting for backup. The situation was dire for the men on the ground so the answer was affirmative. He would be awarded the Silver Star for this action. (10:49)

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Air rescue pilot Dave Oliver recalls a mission which could have easily been fatal due to a shoulder fired rocket. On another, he had to land in North Vietnam and break out the M-16 to engage in a little ground combat. (4:20)

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In Vietnam, helicopter pilot Dave Oliver and his roommate suspected that the mama-san who was cleaning their room was relieving them of some of their cash. They weren't wrong. (1:32)

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The war was getting hotter, but Dave Oliver's Vietnam tour was over and he headed to a plum post in Hawaii. The rescue and recovery pilot spent the next seven years there retrieving satellite film canisters, among other things. He finished up his Air Force career in the Philippines, where he'd served at the beginning. (6:06)

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Helicopter pilot Dave Oliver was decorated in Vietnam but some things he heard from higher ups while there, and that he heard in documentaries later on, convinced him that the leadership had been badly flawed. (2:27)

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For Dave Oliver, it was a great career in the Air Force. He encourages everyone to spend some time serving their country. When he took his first trip to Washington after the War, he did not anticipate the emotional experience that visiting the Vietnam Memorial would be. Then he saw a friend's name. (2:56)

Dave Vogel

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Dave Vogel remembers the circumstances that led to him joining the military from New York City. Being a city kid, certain aspects of the military were a big change that took some getting used to. (4:26)

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Dave Vogel remembers his Army training as he travelled around the country doing various training exercises. On his way over to the Pacific, he stopped on a number of islands in the Pacific for landing in Guam. (4:47)

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While stationed in Guam, Vogel and his company looked out for Japanese enemies while on guard duty. After his time there, he returned home and felt relieved to finally back in the United States. (5:45)