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Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel MOH
Enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1941, Michael Novosel saw combat in the Pacific flying B29s out of Tinian against Japan, and was called up to active service again during the Korean War, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Again requesting active duty during the Vietnam War, he was informed that the Air Force was over strength in senior officers, so he promptly accepted an appointment as a Warrant Officer Aviator with the US Army. Flying two tours on Hueys in Vietnam as a 'Dustoff Pilot', he was assigned first to the 283rd Medical Detachment, and for his second tour the 82nd where, on 2nd October 1969 in Kien Tuong Province, he saved the lives of 29 wounded soldiers in 15 extremely hazardous extractions under withering enemy fire. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honour. During his tours in Vietnam, he evacuated a total of 5589 wounded soldiers. When he retired in 1985 after 42 years service and 2038 hours combat flight time, he was the last active duty military aviator on flight status who had flown combat during World War II. Sadly, Michael Novosel died 2nd April 2006.
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| Medal of Honor |
| Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel MOH - Signed Aviation Art |
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Ride of the Valkyries by Simon Atack No aircraft came to symbolize the war in Vietnam more than the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known to the men who flew, and fought from this aircraft - and to those who were to owe it their survival, by just one never to be forgotten name - the Huey. Ideally suited to the terrain of South Vietnam - formidable mountain peaks, dense jungle, almost every other acre of land under water, and the fact that large tracts of the countryside were controlled by the Vietcong and impassable, the Huey became one of the US Armys most effective weapons of the war. With the ability to carry eight fully equipped troops, the Huey was also ideal for use as Medevac flying ambulances, which were to create their own legend. By the end of the conflict the Hueys had notched up a staggering 34 million combat sorties flown! In July 1965 the 1st Air Cavalry, equipped with 500 Hueys arrived in South Vietnam to begin what became the longest tour of duty in American combat history. Under the command of the flamboyant Colonel John Stockton, the 1st Air Cavalry went on the immediate offensive, swiftly creating a devastating impact on the enemy, bringing them to battle wherever they could be found. |
DZ 9.00am by Ivan Berryman. A trio of Bell Huey UH-1s deliver ARVN Rangers to a drop zone in the central Highlands of Vietnam during 1970. The ubiquitous Huey saw action in an enormous variety of roles, Vietnam being the first true helicopter war, and it will perhaps be remembered by many a grateful GI for its (and its crews) part in many hundreds of daring rescues amid the unyielding and unfamiliar terrain of south east Asia. |
Clipped Signature - Michael J Novosel. Flew the B-29 Superfortress in the Pacific in World War Two and served in the Korean War before flying two tours as a Huey helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving 29 soldiers in 15 extraactions under withering enemy fire, in total he evacuated over 5000 wounded men. He died in 2006. |
Medal of Honor Citation :
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. CWO Novosel, 82d Medical Detachment, distinguished himself while serving as commander of a medical evacuation helicopter. He unhesitatingly maneuvered his helicopter into a heavily fortified and defended enemy training area where a group of wounded Vietnamese soldiers were pinned down by a large enemy force. Flying without gunship or other cover and exposed to intense machinegun fire, CWO Novosel was able to locate and rescue a wounded soldier. Since all communications with the beleaguered troops had been lost, he repeatedly circled the battle area, flying at low level under continuous heavy fire, to attract the attention of the scattered friendly troops. This display of courage visibly raised their morale, as they recognized this as a signal to assemble for evacuation. On 6 occasions he and his crew were forced out of the battle area by the intense enemy fire, only to circle and return from another direction to land and extract additional troops. Near the end of the mission, a wounded soldier was spotted close to an enemy bunker. Fully realizing that he would attract a hail of enemy fire, CWO Novosel nevertheless attempted the extraction by hovering the helicopter backward. As the man was pulled on aboard, enemy automatic weapons opened fire at close range, damaged the aircraft and wounded CWO Novosel. He momentarily lost control of the aircraft, but quickly recovered and departed under the withering enemy fire. In all, 15 extremely hazardous extractions were performed in order to remove wounded personnel. As a direct result of his selfless conduct, the lives of 29 soldiers were saved. The extraordinary heroism displayed by CWO Novosel was an inspiration to his comrades in arms and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
| Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel MOH Aircraft details |
 Huey | Huey No profile available |
 Superfortress | Superfortress The largest and most powerful bomber of WW II, the Boeing B-29 Super Fortress, played a major role in bringing about the defeat of Japan. In addition to accelerating Japans surrender following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, thousands of B-29 crews flew tens of thousands of bombing missions against Japan from bases in China, India, and later in the War from recaptured islands in the Pacific. B-29s entered service in 1943 following a lengthy, problem-filled, development process of three years in response to the governments request for a long range strategic bomber. Only Boeing and Douglas (the B-32 Dominator) responded to the governments requests, and the B-32 had even greater development problems than the B-29. Powered by four giant Wright R-3350-23 radial engines generating a total horsepower of 8,924, the Super Fortresses typically carried crews of ten. They were capable of a top speed of 357-MPH, and at slower cruising speeds had a range of more than 3,200 miles. The B-29 was a large aircraft for its time with a wingspan in excess of 140 feet and a length of just under 100 feet. The Super Forts also had pressurized forward and aft hulls, which made the long distance missions a bit more comfortable for the flight crews. B-29s typically carried defensive armament which included ten machine guns and a single tail-mounted canon. Because of the pressurized hull, the guns were operated by remote control. The first operational B-29 wing was the 58th which flew out of the China-Burma-India theater. On March 9, 1945 General Curtis LeMay ordered an unusual low altitude attack on Tokyo by hundreds of B-29s carrying incendiary bombs. Five such low level missions were scheduled over a ten-day period, and the combined destruction of these missions exceeded that of either of the atomic bomb missions. B-29s were also effectively used to mine Japanese ports and shipping lanes. |
| Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel MOH Squadron details |
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