VIETNAM US ARMY 1ST AVIATION BDE VINTAGE LAPEL PIN

1st Aviation Brigade On the frontless war in Vietnam, more than 2000 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft from the 1st Aviation Brigade give ground commanders an "extra edge" in closing with the enemy and defeating him. Never before in military history has a ground commander had such capability with which to find the enemy, conduct route and area reconnaissance, deploy infantrymen to the enemy's location, deliver sustatained firepower and supplies, control the ground battle from the air, adjust artillery and air strikes and evacuate the wounded soldiers. Since its establishment in May 1966, the 1st Aviation Brigade has consistently allowed ground commanders to keep pressure on the enemy, maintain contact in fluid situations, cut off the enemy's withdrawal and complete the destruction or capture of his forces. Flying in support of U.S. and Allied forces, the brigade has been on all types of missions, including tactical combat assualts, direct fire support, aerial reconnaissance, medevac, troop lift, cargo hauling, evacuation of South Vietnamese civilians from battle areas and actions in support of the rural development program. In 1970, the brigade significantly increased their mission in support of the Army of the Republicas of Vietnam (ARVN) and Republic of Korea (ROK) forces, and carried more than 11.5 million U.S. and Allied troops in more than seven million sorties, flying more than four million hours to accomplish their monumental mission.