Charles L. Kelly

Charles L. Kelly was a United States Army helicopter pilot during The Vietnam War. Major Kelly was the Commanding Officer of the 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) from 11 January 1964 until he was killed in action on 1 July of the same year while trying to evacuate a wounded American advisor along with several ARVN wounded. He is considered the founder of Dustoff.

1 July 1964

Kelly was KIA on 1 July 1964 when, after being warned out of a "Hot" LZ, he replied with his famous last words, "When I have your wounded." After he was shot down, his men landed at the site of his crash and attempted to revive him to no avail. Ernie Sylvester, who was trained by Kelly, right out of flight school, flew his body to an aid station in hopes of a miracle. A lone bullet from a sniper had pierced his heart and lodged in the frame of the aircraft. The following day, a Commander tossed the bullet on his desk in front of Lt. Patrick Henry Brady and asked if they were going to stop flying so aggressively. Brady picked up the bullet and replied, "we are going to keep flying exactly the way Kelly taught us to fly, without hesitation, anytime, anywhere." This determination to continue the mission as envisioned by Kelly was upheld throughout the Vietnam War and continues to this day. Brady served two tours in Vietnam as a medical evacuation pilot and on his second tour in 1968 was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Awards and Decorations

Kelly was posthumously awarded the US Army's Distinguished Service Cross. He was also awarded South Vietnam's Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and the National Order of Vietnam, Fifth Class, South Vietnam's highest award.

References

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External links

• Page on Kelly on The Virtual Wall