Sun Lakes resident George Abernathy will talk about his experiences as a helicopter gunner in Vietnam during the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, Feb. 16, at the Cottonwood Country Club Lecture Hall.
Gary Vacin
A Sun Lakes resident, who, as a 19-year-old, logged 625 combat hours as a helicopter torque (scout-door gunner) during the Vietnam conflict, will be the featured speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, Feb. 16, at the Cottonwood Country Club Lecture Hall.
The event begins with fellowship at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
George Abernathy entered the U.S. Army at age 17. After turning 18, he was sent to Vung Tau, Vietnam, where he eventually became a scout-door gunner in a Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopter.
Abernathy said the unit’s primary mission was to fly slow, right-hand circles at tree-top level with the intention of drawing enemy fire, hopefully baiting the enemy into a fight. Abernathy’s helicopter flew in coordination with a Cobra gunship, with the pair referred to as a “Hunter-Killer Team,” among the most hazardous of the Vietnam War. Cobras flew circles 1,500 feet above the scouts, waiting to pounce on whatever the scout found.
Within 18 hours of Abernathy’s last mission, he was processed out of the country. Three days later, he was back in the U.S. and was honorably discharged as a civilian at the ripe old age of 19-1/2.
Abernathy’s presentation is the fourth in a series at monthly Sun Lakes Aero Club gatherings. The events are scheduled for the third Monday of each month, November through March. The next presentation will be on March 16 by Jim Schear, retired rear admiral, U. S. Navy.
For more information on the club, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857 or Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017, or visit the club’s website at www.sunlakesaeroclub.org.