Kent County Veterans Memorial Park in Dover in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
"So Others May Live."
The radio call sign "Dustoff" originated as the call sign for helicopter units dedicated to evacuating wounded from the battlefield by 1966 there were several Dustoff Units in various locations in Vietnam. A Dustoff Mission was three times more dangerous than any other helicopter mission during 11 years of conflict. 211 crewmen died. If asked to pull back under fire, their response was "when we have your wounded."
From 1962 - 1973 a total of 496,573 missions were flown carrying more than 900,000 patients.
Dustoff crews were virtually unarmed as they attempted to land in some of the tightest and most difficult terrain, often under enemy fire and sometimes in weather that would ground most aircraft crews when no LZ (Landing Zone) was available. Dustoff would hover at treetop level and hoist wounded from the ground. Creating an easy target for the enemy ground troops held Dustoff in very high esteem because they knew the "Dustoff Boys" would always come for them.
"No hesitation, no rationalization, no compromise - fly the mission."
Erected by Vietnam Veterans of America.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space
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Location. 39° 9.405′ N, 75° 30.401′ W. Marker is in Dover, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in Kent County Veterans Memorial Park. Marker is on Levy Court Lane near South Little Creek Road (County Road 67). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 810 Little Creek Rd, Dover DE 19901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. War Dog Memorial (here, next to this marker); Bell UH-1 Iroquois Helicopter (here, next to this marker); POW ★ MIA (a few steps from this marker); Middle East Conflict Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Gold Star Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Korean War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); In Tribute to Dover VFW Memorial Post 9962 (a few steps from this marker); Vietnam Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dover.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 158 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
