Tune in to “Military Tales” for a powerful episode, “Low Level History,” featuring a rare discussion with three Vietnam War Aero Scouts: Gary Worthy, Bruce Huffman, and Hugh Mills. Hear their incredible, often-untold stories of flying dangerously low and slow in the OH-6 Loach helicopter to reconnoiter enemy forces and manage combat resources on the battlefield. Gary Worthy recounts being shot down in his Loach, surviving a severe wound thanks to his body armor and the helicopter’s resilience, an event that motivated him to preserve this history. Bruce Huffman describes the vital teamwork within the cockpit and shares the harrowing mission that earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross. Hugh Mills details the unique skills of being an aerial “combat tracker,” flying just feet off the ground, and shares reflections on his poignant meeting with the North Vietnamese soldiers he once fought. This episode offers insightful, candid perspectives on the challenges, skills, and lasting impact of these vital but often overlooked Vietnam veterans, emphasizing the importance of understanding their sacrifice and legacy.
Low Level History: Unpacking the Unsung Stories of Vietnam Aero Scouts
Recently, the American Flight Museum hosted a special event at Ferris Aviation in Topeka, Kansas, bringing together a group of veterans from the Vietnam War whose story, according to the host, “isn’t very much but after you get here you’re gonna wonder why”. This was a rare opportunity to hear directly from three incredible **Aero Scouts**: Gary Worthy, Bruce Huffman, and Hugh Mills.
These were the helicopter pilots and crew who flew low and slow over the jungles of Vietnam, often in the vulnerable **OH-6 Loach** helicopter. Their critical mission? **Reconnaissance** โ to sniff out, find, and determine the size and strength of the enemy forces facing American soldiers on the ground. Bruce Huffman described their job simply as “sniff out find the in simplest charge yes yes”. They would fly first and last light missions around infantry positions, checking if the enemy had closed in during the night.
More than just observers, the Aero Scouts were effectively **resource managers** in combat. Once they located the enemy, they directed indirect fires from artillery (from 105mm up to 175mm), called in tactical aircraft from the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy via forward air controllers, and coordinated infantry reinforcements. They were the “eyes and the first is maybe the first contact with the interview”.
The discussion offered profound personal insights into this dangerous role. **Gary Worthy**, an Aero Scout in 1968 with the 1st Infantry Division (“Big Red One”), shared a harrowing experience. Likening their missions to a pheasant hunt, with helicopters acting as “bird dogs” out front of the infantry “walking in line”, Gary recounted being shot down. While hovering and observing, enemy soldiers jumped out and opened fire. A bullet, ricocheting off his “chicken plate” body armor, struck him in the chest before going up through his jaw and into his head. Though severely wounded and bleeding heavily, he remained conscious and flying the damaged OH-6, which was later found to have 67 bullet holes, including through the engine and blades. Gary landed the helicopter, was medevaced, and eventually recovered. This near-death experience profoundly impacted him, leading him to purchase and keep flying an OH-6 Loach “solely for the purpose of making sure that the history of the aeroscout and the vietnam war stay alive”. He credits both his body armor and the resilient Loach helicopter for saving his life that day.
**Bruce Huffman**, who flew with the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, described the team effort in the cockpit. An OH-6 crew typically consisted of a pilot, an observer (often an experienced infantryman skilled in map reading and radio communication), and a door gunner armed with an M60 machine gun. They had to multitask constantly, managing multiple radios (UHF for air-to-air, VHF for troop communication, and FM for ground communication) while flying and tracking their location. Bruce earned a **Distinguished Flying Cross** for a mission where his crew resupplied a cut-off infantry platoon under intense fire and then engaged the attacking North Vietnamese forces, enabling the infantry to break contact.
**Hugh Mills**, highly decorated and author of the book “Low-Level Hell,” explained what made a good Aero Scout pilot. Having started as an enlisted infantryman before becoming a pilot, Hugh emphasized that scouts were essentially **”combat trackers” from the air**. They flew incredibly low โ “four to six feet off the highest terrain” โ and close enough to the enemy to “see the whites of their eyes,” see their expressions, and even smell them. The key skill was the ability to see “that which god did not put there” โ unnatural signs like right angles, glint, movement, or mismatched camouflage. This required both learned skills in reading sign and innate instinct. Initially, the enemy would shoot, prompting gunship (Cobra) response, but after the OH-6s were armed with miniguns, the enemy largely stopped firing and focused on hiding. Hugh shared a powerful story of meeting with 17 survivors of the North Vietnamese unit he fought against in 1972. He found no animosity, noting they were simply “warriors soldiers doing for our country what our country expected of us”.
The conversation also touched on other unique missions, including using “people sniffers” (though Hugh noted they often just killed monkeys), performing battle damage assessments after B-52 strikes, and working with Vietnamese police.
As the veterans reflected on their service, they shared heartfelt thoughts on their **legacy**. Gary Worthy hopes future generations will recognize the sacrifice of Vietnam servicemen and appreciate America as a great country. Bruce Huffman stressed the importance of the nation’s leaders ensuring the political will exists to support soldiers in combat through to a victorious outcome, calling the lack of support in Vietnam a “national shame” but acknowledging improved support for later generations. Hugh Mills expressed confidence that Americans will always “rise to the moment” to defend the country, directing his message to the younger generation present, urging them to pay attention and do well.
This event, while powerful, was described as “just scratching the surface on an incredible story”. The history of the Aero Scouts, often overlooked, is a critical part of understanding the Vietnam War. As the host concluded, “history is nutritious and when you meet these old veterans these old guys dig in”.