[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 30 (Monday, March 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2647-S2648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER:
  S. 612. A bill to require the Secretary of the Army to award the 
Combat Medical Badge or another combat badge for Army helicopter 
medical evacuation ambulance (Medevac) pilots and crews; to the 
Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to explain 
briefly the provisions of legislation I have introduced today that 
would direct the Secretary of the Army to award the Combat Medical 
Badge (CMB), or a similar badge to be designed by the Secretary of the 
Army, to pilots and crew of the Army's helicopter medical ambulance 
units--commonly referred to by their call sign ``DUST OFF''--who have 
flown combat missions to rescue and aid wounded soldiers, sailors, 
airmen, and Marines.
  The legacy of the DUST OFF mission was brought to my attention by a 
group of Pennsylvania constituents who have been sharing the DUST OFF 
story in an attempt to persuade the Army to recognize the service and 
sacrifice DUST OFF crews made, especially during the Vietnam War, in 
saving the lives of thousands of fallen comrades by extracting the 
wounded from forward positions to bases where they would receive life-
saving medical care.
  The Army began using helicopters to evacuate wounded soldiers during 
the Korean War. However, because of their smaller size, Korean War 
helicopters were used solely as a means of transporting the wounded 
from the combat zones. It was not until the early 1960's that a group 
of Army aviators envisioned using the newer, larger, UH-1A ``Huey'' 
helicopters to serve as mobile air ambulances where a medic and crew 
could provide life-saving treatment en route to the medical aide 
station.
  The road to establish air ambulance units within the Army was rocky 
and uncertain. Combat commanders often considered the use of 
helicopters for this purpose a diversion of valuable resources. 
However, through determination, skill, and the American fighting 
spirit, air ambulance crews proved they were a valuable and reliable 
resource in providing support to the combat mission. Indeed, between 
1962 and 1973, DUST OFF crews evacuated more than 900,000 allied 
military personnel and Vietnamese civilian casualties to medical 
assistance sites.
  Captain John Temperelli, Jr. was the first commander of the 57th 
Medical Detachment, Helicopter Ambulance, who would lead the first DUST 
OFF unit in Vietnam. Army Captain Temperelli is considered the 
``pioneer'' of DUST OFF; however, it was Army Major Charles L. Kelly, 
the unit's third commander, who would establish the traditions and the 
motto that DUST OFF crews hold sacred today.
  Major Kelly, like his predecessors, believed in the mission of 
rescuing fallen comrades so much so that he gave his life to the 
mission. On July 1, 1964, Major Kelly and his crew received a call to 
evacuate a wounded soldier. When they arrived, Major Kelly was 
instructed by an American advisor on the ground to leave the area; the 
landing zone was too ``hot.'' Major Kelly responded with the phrase 
that would become the DUST OFF motto: ``When I have your wounded.'' As 
Major Kelly hovered over the battlefield, an enemy bullet struck him in 
the heart; he was killed. It was with news of Major Kelly's death and 
the story of DUST OFF's dedication to the wounded that DUST OFF earned 
its permanency in the Army.
  I received a book written by a Pennsylvania native, Army Chief 
Warrant Officer 5 Mike Novosel, titled DUSTOFF: The Memoir of an Army 
Aviator. Mr. Novosel--a Medal of Honor recipient who served two tours 
in Vietnam and was a veteran of two other wars--knows first hand the 
sacrifice, courage and dedication to duty that DUST OFF crews displayed 
in Vietnam and continue to display today. In his two tours as a DUST 
OFF pilot in Vietnam, Mr. Novosel flew 2,543 missions and extracted 
5,589 wounded. In his book, Mr. Novosel shares many amazing stories of 
landing in ``hot'' landing zones to allow his medic and crew chief, who 
were also exposed to enemy fire, to rescue and care for the wounded. 
But as Mr. Novosel has said, his experience as a DUST OFF pilot was not 
uncommon. Thousands of brave soldiers risked their lives every day by 
flying into combat zones to evacuate the wounded.
  I am honored that Mr. Novosel and others have brought the story of 
DUST OFF to my attention. It is my sincere hope that the Army will 
recognize DUST OFF pilots and crew with an appropriate badge which 
acknowledges the combat service of these brave individuals. When the 
War Department created the Combat Medical Badge (CMB) in WWII, as a 
companion to the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) it did so to recognize 
that ``medical aidmen . . . shared the same hazards and hardships of 
ground combat on a daily basis with the infantry soldier.'' DUST OFF 
pilots and crew equally shared the hazards and hardships of ground 
combat with the infantry soldier. The fact that they were not directly 
assigned or attached to a particular infantry unit a fact that, under 
current Army policy, makes them eligible to receive a CIB or CMB should 
not bar special recognition of their service, service that one author 
has characterized as ``the brightest achievement of the U.S. Army in 
Vietnam.''
  On July 29, 2003, I chaired a hearing of the Senate Committee on 
Veterans Affairs to hear testimony from DUST OFF participants about 
their experiences under fire. I gave the Army an opportunity to explain 
its position and,

[[Page S2648]]

perhaps, rethink its opposition to the awarding of an appropriate 
designation to DUST OFF crew members. Based on testimony offered by 
three Vietnam veterans--Chief Warrant Officer, Ret., Michael J. 
Novosel, M.O.H., Chief Warrant Officer, Ret., John M. Travers, and Mr. 
William Fredrick ``Fred'' Castleberry--I am now more convinced than 
ever of the worthiness of this legislation. Following the July 29, 
2003, hearing, I introduced this legislation--S. 1487 in the 108th 
Congress. The bill was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 
which has jurisdiction over this matter. Unfortunately, the bill never 
made its way out of committee which is why I am re-introducing this 
important legislation today.
  Army officials recently decided to create a ``Close Combat Badge'' 
(CCB) for non-infantry soldiers that recognizes their direct 
participation in ground combat. However, this badge will not be awarded 
to DUST OFF Medical Helicopter Evacuation Crew Members who have yet to 
be properly recognized.
  On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are etched the names of over 400 
medics, pilots, and crew that gave their lives so others might live. 
The forward thinking, enthusiasm, and dedication of DUST OFF crews in 
Vietnam are attributes seen in today's DUST OFF crews. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation which would recognize the nature 
of the service these individuals have performed, and continue to 
perform, while serving on DUST OFF crews.
                                 ______