Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans

Photo by Gary Ely

By Holly Shaffner

This fall Honor Flight San Diego will open their “Tour of Honor” flight to Vietnam veterans for the first time. Approximately 100 Vietnam veterans will travel to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built for their service and sacrifice.

Since 2010, Honor Flight San Diego has been taking senior veterans (currently WWII and Korea era veterans), and veterans from any era with terminal illnesses on the three-day trip. The trip is no cost to the veteran and nearly 1,500 veterans have flown from San Diego.

In September, history will be made as the organization starts with the Vietnam era. The organization wanted to start with an extraordinary and unique group; they selected the Navy HA(L)-3 Seawolves. If you haven’t heard of the Seawolves, they were an all-volunteer squadron in the US Navy formed in support of Naval Special Warfare operations and Mobile Riverine Forces during the Vietnam War. They served in country from July 1966 to March 1972.

Here’s a few facts about the Seawolves:

• They are the most decorated Navy Squadron in the Vietnam War, and in all of Naval Aviation History.

• They were the only rapid reaction armed helicopter squadron ever commissioned in the U.S. Navy and only Naval Unit to be commissioned and decommissioned in country during the Vietnam War. They had no U.S. home base during the war.

• They flew more day and night missions, and more combat missions than any other unit in

Vietnam. They flew over 78,000 missions, accumulated over 131,000 flight hours, and flew 1,530 medical evacuations. • Their actions saved countless lives! For their bravery, courage, and heroism, they were awarded medals at the highest levels - 5 Navy Crosses, 31 Silver Star Medals, 2 Legion of Merit Medals, 5 Navy and Marine Corps Medals, 219 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 156 Purple Hearts, 101 Bronze Star Medals, 142 Gallantry Crosses, over 16,000 Air Medals, and many more awards. • Their service came at a price - 44 Seawolves were killed in action and over 200 were wounded. • Their unit was not formally recognized until 38 years after the Vietnam War. They were finally recognized by Congress in House Resolution 1228 in July 2010.

The Seawolves were established to provide close air support for the Navy’s Game Warden River Patrol Force (a.k.a. Brown Water Navy) in South Vietnam to take control of the rivers. Navy helicopterpilots, skilled at antisubmarine warfare and search and rescue operations which required a similar all-weather capability which was better able to cope with this environment than their Army counterparts.

When units called in “Scramble Seawolves” on the radio, they were in the air within a few minutes. HAL-3 pilots flew the heavily armed helicopters and provided rapid reaction close-air support to a host of naval craft, and often provided dedicated armed reconnaissance and fire support for Navy SEAL operations. SEAL teams went in, backed by flotillas of river patrol boats (PBRs) - SEALs and SEAWOLVES became an inseparable and dominating warrior team in areas where they were co-located.

Ultimately 2,556 men - pilots, maintainers, and aircrewmen would serve as “Seawolves” in the Vietnam War. He and his brothers are already looking forward to the trip. When we asked what it means to go on his Honor Flight, he said, “Being able to stand tall with my brothers when we go back is going to be a significant part of my life.”

Honor Flight San Diego will visit the National WWII, Lincoln, Korea, Air Force, and Marine Corps Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery for Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the National Navy Museum. The most anticipated stop will be the visit to the Vietnam Wall.

There, these men will spend as much as needed to visit their 44 brothers who did not make it home. Then on Sunday, these Vietnam veterans will return to San Diego to the homecoming they should have received when they came home from Vietnam. They will get the welcome home they deserve from about 1,000 San Diegans waving American Flags and saying thank you.

Photos by Anthony Rosario

Seawolf door gunner Gary Ely helped the organization reveal the announcement. When the media asked him about serving in Vietnam, he said, “I was just doing my job.”

Walt Frazier & Gary Ely Photo by Chris Stone

Walt Frazier, a Seawolf door gunner on the Huey helicopter said to the media, “I am humbled they selected the Seawolves to go first. I’ve always wanted to go on an Honor Flight.”

There is an estimated 60,000 Vietnam Veterans in San Diego County. For the fall flight, Honor Flight San Diego is ONLY accepting Vietnam veteran applications from Navy Seawolves. Seawolves can apply at: www.honorflightsandiego.org.

The organization learned of the Seawolves story after watching a documentary called, “Scramble the Seawolves.” It was the opening night film at the GI Film Festival in 2019 and it documents the history and legacy of the historic squadron.