Vietnam Veteran

Rollie Colby
Army
November 1965 thru November 1985
January 1967 thru January 1968 and April 1970 thru April 1971
121st Aviation Company in 1967, 355th Aviation Company Heavy Lift Helicopter in 1970 thru 1971
Was a pilot and aircraft commander in the Huey, flying the "slick" configuration in 1967. In 1970, I was a platoon leader, flying the Skycrane, heavy-lift helicopter.

In October 1967, as the aircraft commander of the #2 Huey in a flight of 10 Hueys on a combat assault taking ground troops into a "hot" landing zone, my Huey was shot down. My pilot and I were wounded. I was able to auto-rotate to a bog in the Mekong river without crashing the Huey.

Rollie with a Blue Tiger Huey
Gunner Hare, Crew-chief Ake and Rollie with the Incredible Hulk Huey
Long Ways From Home