A Turning Point

By early 1968 the basic techniques of aeromedical evacuation developed during the Vietnam War had been perfected. The helicopters, rescue equipment, and operating procedures were now ready for a full test of their utility. Their first trial came in February 1968 when the enemy launched a coordinated assault on allied bases and population centers throughout the country. With little warning the Dust Off system had to cope with thousands of casualties in all four Corps Zones. The enemy offensive resulted in more helicopter ambulances being shipped to South Vietnam, and by January 1969 the system was only one platoon short of its peak strength. That year Dust Off carried more patients than in any other year of the war. Although the fighting then began to wane for U.S. forces, the Dust Off system still had to face two more ordeals: large operations in Cambodia and Laos. The final years of Dust Off in Vietnam proved to be the most difficult, and they earned helicopter evacuation a lasting place in modern medical technology.