I flew two tours as a helicopter pilot with the 48th Assault Helicopter Company. We were based out of Ninh Hoa, along the coast, just north of Cam Ranh Bay Air Force Base in Vietnam. I was drafted at 18, just out of high school, and completed the Army Helicopter Pilot program. I ended up being only 19 years of age flying armed helicopter gunships in Vietnam. My call sign was "Joker 70." I was born in Compton, California, and now reside in Lahaina-Maui, Hawaii. I'm retired today and still fly model airplanes. My AMA number is 15016.
