CS#62: Flying into Enemy Fire ala We Were Soldiers | DFC | Silver Star | Aviator | Diplomat Ed Fugit
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
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Today we hear a special Combat Story of Edward Fugit, my old man, who flew Hueys in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia just after the Tet Offensive.
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This is a special edition for me personally as long time listeners have heard me refer to my old man and his stories and our similar career paths on several occasions. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do this interview given how close it was to home and I’m so glad I did.
From a very young age I remember hearing these stories of my dad in the cockpit and vividly remember looking at his Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross on the mantle, wearing his green flight suit when I played Army, and then hugging him before I shipped out to my own war as a combat aviator.
His experiences in Vietnam will sound like something from Hollywood’s We Were Soldiers where green but determined young aviators flew into hot LZs time and again risking everything for their ground brethren.
We also touch on what it was like flying SOG into combat zones on operations nobody would hear about for decades and what it was like to be at the negotiating table as a diplomat with Kissinger at the height of the Cold War in Moscow.
I really hope you enjoy this close to home Combat Story with a real hero of mine that was then edited by his grandson.
#military #veteran #vietnam #hueys
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Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Show Notes
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Guest introduction (Ed Fugit)
2:22 - Interview begins
2:59 - Growing up in NJ and early interest in political science
7:43 - A family history in the military
12:31 - When and how aviation came into the picture
20:10 - A “never quit anything” mentality
22:12 - Flight school experience
27:57 - Feelings going in to Vietnam within the Units and that moment in American History
36:36 - Differences in how the Army was structured at that time vs. today
47:37 - The three kinds of missions in Vietnam
53:23 - Combat Story #1 - Silver Star operation in Vietnam
1:09:02 - Intense Special Ops missions with SOG and 1st Airmobile Division
1:31:12 - Combat Story #2 - Incident that made the front of the New York Times
1:50:08 - Combat Story #3 - DFC event
1:58:35 - Stories from time in State Department
2:05:48 - Going back to Vietnam in 2017 and thoughts about sons joining the military
2:13: - What did you carry into combat?
2:14:16 - Would you do it all again?
2:17:11 - Listener comments and shout outs
Your dad rocks, Ryan. Smart man. Kids without dads unite.
Great interview. I would suggest interviewing a Huey crew chief or door gunner. My father was a door gunner with the “Ghostriders”, 158th ABN, 101st Airborne Division. You get an entirely different perspective of air assault operations from the guys in the back. Helicopter crews definitely had nerves of steel, like you I grew up with the stories. God bless them
That would be some great stories to add to hueys story....
This has to be one of the best episodes for obvious reasons. I was a 2 tour Vietnam Vet serving in 67-68-69 so can relate. Your Dad's story about how the attitudes changed during 68 were exactly how I explain to people when I get asked. I was only home for 6 months between tours but in that short period it was obvious when I returned things were different. Thanks again for your videos, I watch them all and thank you for your Service!
Thank you!! Welcome home sir!!!
You two are truly blessed to have each other in your lives. Thank you both for your service.
Respect. This episode had to be done. It's unique
What a guy. Top bloke and amazing interview. Can see where Ryan gets it all from now.
Ryan, I really enjoy ur interviews. I'm a retired Navy Aviation Master Chief and I retired in 1996 and I am keenly interested in our current crop of bad guys who fight for our country. Your interviews really brings out the heroism of our special operators.
So interesting about legacy, lessons learned and doctrine. I was a E 2/13 basic graduate (Dec '90). My battalion cmdr. was a S.F. officer from Vietnam combat experience; as was his CSM (173rd Inf Bde), and my 1SG (4th ID). Later, I was stationed 2 blocks from I Corps and 9th ID HQ; 9th inactivated the same week I arrive. 1st SFG was one of my supported units in my section, who made many tactics and techniques based on those Vietnam lessons. Fascinating, hearing the evolution of Army aviation here. 👌🏻💪🏻
What an awesome episode. You never fail to deliver Ryan!
Much love. Thanks for the kind words.
@@CombatStory would love to get your fathers opinion on ukraine and russia
Thank you, Ryan for this incredible privilege of getting a glimpse of your Dad's mil/DOS career. Man, they don't them like your Dad anymore!
Having lost my father recently, you are so fortunate to have this recording with your father. I wish I had been able to record conversations like this with my dad. Thanks to both you & your father for your service!
Awesome interview. As a medic in the Australian army in the late 1980s and early 1990s got flight time with Hueys that were older than me.
Thank you for your service Gary. We love all veterans.
Pops Fugit is AWESOME!!! What a dude, what a serviceman! What a great interview, Ryan! The apple didn't fall far from the tree!
Your dad sounds like a man with great experience, you can feel the bond between both of you, very cool and a great video. Thanks for sharing with us.
"drawing fire" Like the Wild Weasles. Well Done Ed, DFC and silver star !!!
Amazing podcast, he seems to remember every detail like it was yesterday!
Really, that's not uncommon for a couple of reasons. My dad's 97, retired from the Army, and can remember 1944-45 in the Aleutian Islands like yesterday but he can't remember a lot of recent things without straining. It's even more typical when the occasion was under severe stress and just getting yourself and those you're responsible for to safety was seriously uncertain! With those experiences, some things will never be forgotten.
When your life is in danger ever single day of your life all day long amd you see combat you remember everything. I can tell you what happened on my first deployment back in 2001 in Afghanistan and even before that in Bosnia and Kosovo. It's hard to explain to someone how us vets can remember in great detail what we went through on deployments,,,, I very vividly remember times dates and places to us it's always there
Your dads a true badass and classic east coast guy saying “ok” more times than I can count haha. Appreciate his story, service, & your time doing these. Keep grinding and crushing this thing man 🗣💯💪🏻🇺🇸🔥
I'm 30 seconds in when I saw this comment, and I'm assuming the saying of "ok" comes across as "ehkay" lolol. That's the most north east thing I can imagine
I’m a true NEer cuz I didn’t even notice. 😁
I just met a gentleman in upstate SC that was the door gunner on the helicopter that was flown by Lt Crandall and carried Col Hal Moored. Very modest and unassuming. I simply thanked him for his service and let him enjoy his dinner with his family.
Badass pod. I've heard and enjoyed Andy Stumpf interviewing his Vietnam vet dad on his pod.
Looking forward to this as well.
I can't imagine how cool it would be to interview an accomplished aviator who is a family member.
Pretty cool man
When you say "Dad" to your father, I hear love and respect. I never new that feeling because
my father, well lets say was not so "nice". I am army vet ,
Czech Border cold war radar tech. Cudos on a great enterview with your father.
My father was a door gunner on a Huey in Vietnam. Nothing but respect for the guys that flew in Nam, those guys really had balls of steel the size of basketballs, I have no idea how they even fit them into the chopper in the first place. I love hearing from that generation, such a different time, different war, different culture in the military from what we know today and it’s always interesting hearing about it.
Very interesting. Your Dad sounds like an amazing man. Love the 3 generations working together. A good friend of mine was a gunship pilot. Shot down three times. The last one physically disabled him. Agent orange cancer finally got him.
I'm from Durban and still live here. In 1978 I was doing my 2 years conscription at 5th Infantry Battalion based in Ladysmith and in '78 I was on the Namibian(SWA) Angola border. It was fun.
You are really good at this. I spent 36 years on active duty and love listening to these war stories. Having been involved in Vietnam, Desert Storm and Afghanistan and Iraq these stories many of them strike home. Hooah
So awesome to meet the man behind the man. Great job, as always, Ryan.
Ed, thanks for sharing a part of your life story with us! So many people live a life that is dedicated to objectives that are centered on themselves or a very small family unit. The decisions you made to spend a lifetime serving something larger than yourself to make life better for all of us are admirable and inspiring. To have chosen a path that had you participating in the world and its history will give you and your decendents a perspective on their place in this world that so few enjoy. Thanks again and know what many of us out there appreciate your long service to our country.
The resupply / evac night operation your father described with the strobe I suspect was the operation my uncle was gravely wounded on; the unit, location & date all match, along with his description of what he remembered of the day’s events. He passed away from complications of those wounds this summer. I went on & enlisted in the Airborne Infantry when I turned 17, becoming a Jumpmaster & free fall qualified. I also served as a volunteer in Iraq in ‘06-‘07. It is my intention to represent him at his unit reunion, if at all possible. But the coincidence is astonishing. I’m grateful for your father sharing his experiences.
Great interview with your dad. I am envious of you, having the father that you have! And I am 62yrs old! He is so sharp minded, still. I'd love to sit and chat with him for a weekend. I can see how much you love, respect and appreciate him. I grew up like your father, fatherless, and my mother died when I was 10. Your father did well for himself for sure. Thats no easy task without one or both parents. Thanks for sharing!
Guys like your Dad were granite pillars in the State Department. They could lead, make hard but proper decisions, because many of them thearned those skills early in the military/combat. I remember meeting guys like your Dad when I was a kid bouncing around embassies when my parents were in the foreign service. You could always spot them, they exuded resolve. Much better days back then compared to todays State Department. Hopefully that will change as a new breed of veterans move on and in to the State Department.
Great program and episode. Cheers to your Old Man, thanks for his service. Can't wait for another episode!
To say I am a fan of this channel would be a understatement. I have watched every episode and I wished this would happen every time you mentioned your father. You can see that you are proud of your father and you can see he is proud of his son.
Thank you both for your service and thank you both for this wonderful interview!!
In 1960 I flew on one of these aircrafts from San Francisco to tachikawa Air Force Base. We stopped off and spend time in Anchorage Alaska get refueled. One thing I remember was laying down on the floor and the vibration in the humming of the engines just swept me to sleep
Just when we all that you were cool, you introduced us to your dad, The Original Fugit, a most engaging, enjoyable and interesting conversationalist! Ryan, you've been bumped off the A List for party invites!
Thanks for putting your pops on the air. I felt nostalgic for the same conversation with my own dad, with whom, like you, I also shared the same career.
Papa Fugit! This will be awesome.
My dad served with the 334th 1st platoon 'Playboys' 66-69' out of Bein Hoa. He's rarely shared any details of his time overseas. It wasn't until the 50th Anniversary of Tet before he remotely shared snippets. Thankful you're able to capture some of your dad's experiences.
Outstanding interview. It brought back many memories for this old veteran.
Great show. I would really like to hear more about the Army OH 6 Loach pilots. I was a Marine grunt in I Corp and when we needed a medivac these pilots, who were the same age as us, monitored our net and came in and picked up our wounded while the USMC pilot (probably a Lt. Col.) would ponder if it was safe, or not, to pick up our wounded. For the Corps a "hot" LZ was one that had received hostile fire within the last 24 hours. Our wounded couldn't wait that long. When I came back to the World people would ask me if I met any hero's in the Nam. My answer was, and to this day is, yes LOACH PILOTS. They were our hero's and they saved a lot of Marines. God bless them.
Serving in Chu Lai as a Crew Chief on a Huey, I greatly appreciate the stories your Dad shared. The terrain was different, but the memories were very similar. Great Interview!!
Absolutely loved this. I have total respect for all those who served in Viet Nam, I was a few years too young thankfully. Combat insertions were difficult and scary enough, however the SOG missions your Dad performed and describes so vividly....the pucker factor for those missions was completely off the charts. To say that these men, special ops soldiers and the pilots who supported them, had big balls doesn't come close to describing their courage and commitment. Thank you both for your service. Your Dad is awesome!
Can already hear the emotion in your voice during the intro. This is going to be great!
Ryan, as a Vietnam vet, I think you have done a great job of bringing the human face to the conflict that did much to divide our country. As your dad said there are many parallels to the operation in Afghanistan. That is the truth. Keep up the great work👍
I hope you are even more pleased that you did this interview almost a year later. Wish I had spent more time this way with my Dad. We were stationed at Tan Son Nhut AFB and gone long before your Dad arrived in theater. I only learned of what my Dad did after he was gone via stories from his colleagues.
Great interview, your dad seems like a very cool dude and as always your program is top notch and the editor did great as well. As a civilian I had the privilege to apprentice under a retired career army mechanic as well as work along side a few other career army vets for a number of years, your channel offers a great in site into what the guys went through in the past and up to the most recent conflicts in the Middle East. Keep up the good work, we all appreciate it.
I'm a South African and live in Durban, I've been listening to your podcast for awhile but so cool to hear your Dad mention my home town at the end of the podcast. Highly rate your channel Ryan! Thank you.
Hello Ryan I’m a huge fan of your CZcams, I really enjoy listening to all the stories. I’m not to sure if you have seen this before but there is a documentary called “ Scramble the Seawolves “ it’s awesome and I’m sure your father would love it. My father is a retired naval helicopter pilot and he currently works for Naval Helicopter Association and he told me about the movie. I think it’s something your father, you and the viewer’s would definitely be interested in. Keep up the videos I enjoy watching your channel during my dialysis treatments 👍🏻
Absolutely fascinating! I remember watching W.Cronkite on the nightly news w/ my parents. Thank you for your service Mr Fugit.
Live 20 min from FT. Rucker. Nice seeing your dad! My pops was in Nam when he was w The Corps, Mike 3/5 up north. His stories sound a lot like his, especially the nets and dumping bodies and morale after Ter
Wow Ryan! Your father sounds like a very interesting & highly experienced combat pilot! His story is amazing! Thank you for both for this very amazing podcast! And thank you both for your service to our country! Keep up the great work with your channel and thank you for preserving the history and stories of your guest! You are doing very important work here! God bless you both and god bless America ! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Really liked your Dad’s story! What a special memory made and preserved forever!
Love this Ryan. Thank you to both of you for sharing
Another great interview. Love it!
This makes me miss my dad even more. He was an amazing dad too! This was fun to watch. Can see the admiration from a son.
I’m 5 minutes in and I already love your old man. What a kick ass guy. Not to mention he still looks great.
I was hoping for this interview! Good stuff 👍
Oh wow just finished work for the day and spotted this gem! Can't wait to listen to this one after hearing all of Ryan's anecdotes and previous comments/short stories regarding his dad! Woohoo! 🙏👍
Keep up the great work. Awesome stories, thanks for serving and sharing some of your stories.
Thank you for your service and for sharing these stories!
Really enjoyed your Dads story. He sure seems like a special guy. Get as much as you can from him. I only have a short little video of my Dad. Wish I had more there were so many stories that I only remember bits and pieces of.
wow ! some large shoes to fill !! my dad was a Korean war and Vietnam war aircraft mechanic, i always felt myself and my generation, will never compare to these men.
Definitely one of my favorite interviews so far!
Awesome awesome awesome!!! Glad you did this one with the old man! Super cool!!!
Awesome interview. My favorite so far!
My man!! You and pops are legendary. Thank you so much for sharing and God Bless!
Fantastic episode Ryan, well done!
That was excellent Ryan. Its a rare thing you have , its a rare thing that you just did. Great job and you had the best upbringing to be had. Thanks
Awesome interview - what a family. As you go forward, this interview will be exceptionally special to your family. Thank you for sharing ~
Really enjoy your interview, Ryan. Thank you. Your dad's story is very interesting. Currently 15 mins in and love it!
Absolutely awesome episode. The opportunity to do an interview like this, I can't even imagine.
Ty guys for service ty ed my brother was 65 67 third herd he always talked so highly of you pilots god bless both of you
Wow what a great interview! This guy is a treasure
Best episode yet!!! Love your dad!! He sounds totally awesome
The best interview yet, Thanks
Wow what a interesting interview completely enjoyed it. Great job 🇺🇸
Well done Ryan! I really enjoyed this interview and learning more about your dad. What a career!
It should not be obscured or downplayed that our own government at the highest levels knew the Vietnam conflict was, ultimately, unwinnable. For the generations that came along later, read the history of the Pentagon Papers and Daniel Elsberg. While honoring those who served, dead and alive, we must learn not to spend lives and material resources in places, and for causes, not in our vital national interest. Iraq and Afghanistan were the same kind of failures. And the vital difference is why Ukraine and Putin's westward salient ARE a fight we may have to fight. And only the ignorant think it may provoke World War III. The Russian General Staff is neither crazy, stupid, nor suicidal.
This was great,it was awesome to hear your fathers story and see the dynamic between the two of you! Your father is a great man,the apple doesn't fall far! Thank you both for your service!
Another great interview! You’re lucky to have such a dad!
That was by far the best military story I have listened to in a podcast form. The historical value is unparalleled in comparison to many that I have listened to or read. God bless you and your family for their military and civil service to our country, and May God keep y'all safe.
I am only 60 but share the same feeling in outcome of Vietnam and Afghanistan. I feel like In both American incursions, even though fighting for America, we ultimately end up fighting for the people we go to battle with. Our outcomes will stain our military doctrine in regards to ending results.
one of the best stories yet. Awesome that it was you Dad
Great interview!
Very cool. Good info guys.
Amazing.
Wow what a man. What an American hero. Amazing life!! You too Ryan for sure humble sir!
Hard to put words to this. I can’t imigine how proud yall must be. What a legacy.
My absolute Respects to both of you Sir! What a great Interview. Already an alltime Classic. Father Son and Grandson unite in one Episode - thats epic. Keep it Going Ryan and stay healthy and the great Character you absolutely are Ed.
Really great podcast! Never give up!
Thank you Ed and Ryan for your services!! Special family!!!
That was was really well done. I’m impressed by the relationship that you and your Father have. Great interview.
Semper Fi
Just got round to watching this!
Amazing episode and could listen to your old man all day! What a life he has led and great to see the bond you guys have together too, can see why you are proud of each other. Good job as always.
‘The Irishman’s Letter’ made me laugh. 👌🏻☘️
Excellent interview, Father snd son veterans, pilots, doesn’t get better than this! Thank you for this Gem of an interview!
Ryan- Just came across this interview and what to thank you for interviewing your Dad. Listening to your inciteful questions and Ed"s recount of the events was pure therapy. Hope you are liking the Bay Area! Jeff C
And finally made it to your interview with you and your dad. Amazing I love it. I wish I was there to watch it when it first came out.❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you very much for your service.
Dude! Whhhhhat... this is so cool man. I LOVE this channel.
HAHA! Appreciate it!
Listened or watched some of the episodes on this channel, this one with your dad is by far my favorite, he is such great story teller, he had great memory for some small details, quite amazing considering how many year passed since it all happen.
Good stuff
God bless them all. Northern New Hampshire loves all our veterans.
Great tribute to your Dad Ryan. Such a great and important interview. Much respect. You have a new subscriber.
What a great episode. You should be very proud to have a father like Ed.
Phenomenal tape thanks for sharing.
Great interview, great stories. 1996 marks the beginning of my involvement with Vietnam, after graduating high school in 1969.
I'm so glad you did this.
"In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king." Well said, Papa Fugit!
RESPECT to your dad. Sadly a lot of veterans take their stories to the grave. Keep up the good work