If you've ever seen a film clip of H-13s "square dancing" (The History Channel used to show it occasionally) - that was his outfit.
He was also featured in a film clip that became a classic training aid - his sling load was rigged too short and too tightly between the skids and the load shifted all of the way to one side. He had to hover at full power with both his main and tail rotors about six inches from the ground until somebody cut the load loose, at which point he really had his hands full!
We had a tornado rip through our area December 1st of last year. It tore our supermarket and high school gymn up pretty bad and we were without power for three (very cold) days. And all of this happened while my dad was going through a major health crisis! One encounter can give one a totally new perspective. I pray for all of those folks in Enterprise.
BTW - if there are any FReepers, friends or relatives who were connected to my Dad's outfit in Vietnam (161st Aviation Company), or the 26th Transportation Company (aka the "Blue Stripers") in Germany please FReepmail me.
It looks like Dad doesn't have too many years left - he used up many of them up fighting in the Phillipines, Okinawa, Korea and Vietnam.
He still talks about Fort Rucker as if it was heaven!
Two of our sons were born there, one at Lyster Army Hospital on Fort Rucker and the other at Flowers hospital in Enterprise. I spent two tours there besides flight school, from 1973-1977 and 1978-1982. With a tour to Korea sandwiched in between. I have many good memories of the place - met and made many good friends there. It had changed a lot when we went back for a visit a couple of years ago. I suppose the saying is true "you can never go home again".
I forgot in my other post - praying for your Dad give him my best - from one helicopter pilot to another.