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Jack Leininger - Vietnam War

Jack Leininger served as a Army aviator/Warrant Officer during the Vietnam War, flying Medivac missions from June 1967 to June 1968. He spent the first several months in southern South Vietnam with the 45th Air Ambulance Company. In January 1968 he was transferred to Quang Tri province and was assigned to the 571st Air Ambulance Detachment. He was there during the Tet Offensive, flying Medivac missions into Hue during the battle for that city, and into Khe Sanh during the siege of the Marine base. During Jack’s year in Vietnam he flew 1,227 Medivac missions, delivering over 2,700 casualties to aid stations and hospitals.

Interview Links

Feature Excerpt

Becoming a decoy

Abstract

Interview Session 1 - Audio

Early life, basic training, officer candidate school, and flight school

Interview Session 2 - Audio

Flying Medivacs in Vietnam from July 1967 to July 1968

Interview Session 3 - Audio

Reflections of service in Vietnam, coming home and a life in IL Army National Guard


Photos

Caption:
The 67-1 class photo for Jack Leininger’s Warrant Officer Course, Company B-1 at Ft. Wolters, Texas.  Leininger is in the top row, third from left.  He graduated in April 1967.

Where:
Ft. Wolters, Texas

When:
April 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Warrant Officer 1 Leininger stands next to a Medivac helicopter on September 5, 1967 (Huey) when his unit was based in Long Binh, South Vietnam.

Where:
Long Binh, South Vietnam

When:
September 5, 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
This baby photo of Jack Leininger’s son Jeff was taken in September 1967 while Jack was in Vietnam. His wife Jackie took the photo while living with her parents.

Where:
Illinois

When:
September 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Maj Salmon and Jack stand underneath a propeller blade after a tree strike in September 1967. The unit was stationed at Long Binh at the time.

Where:
Long Binh, South Vietnam

When:
September 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
This Otter (a fixed wing prop driven aircraft) crashed on an airfield that was still under construction airfield at Long Binh in November 1967.  Leininger’s platoon leader was flying new arrivals to their assigned base camp.  All but the pilot died in the crash. Leininger flew him to a hospital at Long Binh and a couple hours later to Saigon, where a C-141 was waiting to transport him to Japan.

Where:
Long Binh, South Vietnam

When:
November 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Jack was rail thin when this photo was taken in Hawaii while he was on R & R. He lost a lot of weight during the first few months of 1968, months that coincided with the Tet Offensive.  

Where:
Hawaii

When:
December 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
A unit party in Quang Tri province.  Leininger was the only one wearing a uniform. “Duty calls.” All but four of those in the photo arrived in country less than two months before, in December 1967.  They were traded to the 571st to become aircraft commanders while the new arrivals went to Long Binh.

Where:
Long Binh, South Vietnam

When:
December 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Vietnamese villagers are approaching the Medivac in the village of Quan Loi, circa 1967.

Where:
Quan Loi, South Vietnam

When:
Circa 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Medivac crewmen with the 45th Medical Company at Long Binh in 1967.

Where:
Long Binh, South Vietnam

When:
Circa 1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Jack is at the Long Binh base camp with several Vietnamese friends. Sang, on the left, was 21 years old at the time the photo was taken in the fall of 1967. The girl in black was 19 years old while the short girl was 15 years old.

Where:
Long Binh, South Vietnam

When:
1967

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Leininger was in the process of relocating from Nah Trang north to I Corps sector in Quang Tri province in early January 1968. Everything he owned at the time fit into the Sea bag.

Where:
Nha Trang, South Vietnam

When:
January 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Jack, Bill Elliott and Gene Fisher’s home, a French Villa, in Nha Trang for three weeks in January 1968, prior to the beginning of the Tet Offensive. It helped make them happy to “get your hind end up to I Corps.”

Where:
Nha Trang, South Vietnam

When:
January 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
North Vietnamese casualties hit by U.S. fire in February 1968 during the height of the Tet Offensive.  This photo was taken at the Rock Pile, north of Khe Sanh. It was not uncommon for the Medivacs to transport enemy combatants as well as civilians, ARVN and U.S. troops.

Where:
Rock Pile, north of Khe Sanh

When:
February 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Bill Elliott, Gene Fisher, and Jack were relaxing on the beach across the street from their villa at Nha Trang on Feb 1, 1968. They were enjoying some rare down time from the demands of the war.

Where:
Nha Trang, South Vietnam

When:
Feb 1, 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
The bunkers used to protect the Medivac helicopters while at Phu Bai were built by U.S. Navy Sea Bees. Jack stands next to his aircraft in early February 1968, just days after the Tet Offensive began.

Where:
Phu Bai, central Vietnam

When:
February 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Unloading South Vietnamese soldiers at the U.S. aid station at Dong Ha in February 1968.

Where:
February 1968

When:
Dong Ha

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
The Citadel and Hue in March 1968, during the Tet Offensive.  Leininger’s crew supported operations there as well as Khe Sanh and other I Corps sites.

Where:
Hue , central Vietnam

When:
March 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Vietnamese civilians carry a litter with other civilians hit by ‘friendly’ artillery fire in March 1968. Jack’s unit was supporting ground operations in the I Corps region in northern South Vietnam.

Where:
Northern South Vietnam

When:
March 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
South Vietnamese (Army of Vietnam-ARVN) and a U.S. soldier carry a South Vietnamese child hit by ARVN unit's artillery round.

Where:
South Vietnam

When:
Circa 1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Leininger’s Medivac was picking up civilian to take to aid station south of Phu Bai after they were wounded by friendly forces in 1968. They would usually haul the entire family to the aid station, and often family members would get sick in the back during the flight. 

Where:
Phu Bai, central Vietnam

When:
1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Dean Petersen and Jack Leininger flew a wounded Marine out to the hospital ship USS Repose and were met by the ship's crew, waiting to celebrate the 7,000th landing on the Repose at midnight in early 1968. It was a bit warm, as is evidenced by the frosting melting.  The two other pilots flew the aircraft back to our base camp, while Dean and Jack remained overnight.

Where:
Unknown

When:
1968

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
American troops were issued Military Payment Currency (MPC) in lieu of U.S. or Vietnamese currency. Jack brought the 1968 version home for future show and tells.

Where:
Unknown

When:
1968

Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.

Caption:
The back side of the Military Payment Currency (MPC) issued by the U.S. Army in 1968. Jack brought the 1968 version home for future show and tells.

Where:
Unknown

When:
1968

Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.

Caption:
Jack stands in front of a bunker along with the son of one of the hooch maids who kept the G.I.s living quarters clean.

Where:
Unknown

When:
Unknown

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
The hooch maid’s whole family joins Jack in front of his bunker. There was no shortage of Vietnamese peasants who were eager to work for the Americans in order to earn a living.

Where:
Unknown

When:
Unknown

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
During a night mission in very low wet weather conditions while flying Medivac missions in 25th Infantry Divisions area of Operations, this 45th Med Co aircraft crashed, with four KIAs (Killed In Action).

Where:
Unknown

When:
Unknown

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
When landing on a tight LZ (landing zone), Leininger’s Medivac “used the tail rotor for a chain saw. He flew the aircraft an additional 3.5 hours with hot refueling.

Where:
Unknown

When:
Unknown

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Jack found this poem “A Dustoff Medic” in an edition of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association newsletter.

Where:
Unknown

When:
Unknown

Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.

Caption:
Jack Leininger with Colonel Randy Harrison (Plans, Operations and Training Officer for the Illinois Army National Guard) while the two were on deployment in Panama in April 1992.

Where:
Panama

When:
April 1992

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo



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