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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES 13 January 27, 2011 An extraordinary partnership, forged in the bonds of survival BY ANN SKARBAN 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs P ETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — At first glance, Bill McPherson appears to be a simple, outgoing, southern Colorado community leader with a deep appreciation for local military members. But it's only after you get to know this highlydecorated Army veteran who retired as a colonel after 30 years of service and his story of being shot down in Vietnam that you learn just how close he is to the 302nd Airlift Wing's Air Force Reserve aeromedical unit. In October 2008, McPherson, city administrator for the small mining town of Cripple Creek, Colo., was invited to participate in an Air Force Reserve Community Relations Tour to McChord Air Force Base, Wash., sponsored by the 302nd Airlift Wing. The tour, which allows Air Force organizations to reach out to local civic leaders, took McPherson, who's now known by the wing as "Colonel McPherson," and 24 other Colorado Springs and Denverbased leaders to the Northwest where they learned more about the AF Reserve. It was during the two-day tour that then-302nd AW commander, Col. James Muscatell Jr., learned about McPherson's military career, including his experience as a combat helicopter pilot and the rescue and transport by Air Force aeromeds who played an important part in saving his life in Vietnam. Combat mission 197 On June 24, 1966, then-Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bill McPherson, a seasoned UH-1 (M) "Huey" helicopter gunship pilot on his 197th combat mission, was flying a close air support mission to assist U.S. special forces whose camp was under attack by North Vietnamese Army regulars and was being overrun. "(The special forces) called for support, so I went in fully armed and provided close ground support to the camp," McPherson recalled. "All of the sudden, enemy fire was directed at me so my aircraft received several hits of ground fire. I received three wounds in the abdomen. The rounds from the ground fire badly damaged the aircraft, and as a result, I was shot down." McPherson then remembered how the 8,000 pound-helicopter crashed inside the special forces compound, the impact tearing the transmission from its fasteners, killing Chief McPherson's copilot. "My crew chief saved me by pulling me out of the aircraft as it started to burn," McPherson added. The rescue McPherson was then loaded onto another helicopter evacuating the special forces from the remote camp. A flight medic provided emergency ANN SKARBAN/U.S. Air Force Army Col. (Ret.) Bill McPherson is the honorary commander for the 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. McPherson proudly displayed and gave tours of his restored UH-1 (M) "Huey" to 302nd Airlift Wing families during the wing's Family Day at Peterson Air Force Base at the August Unit Training Assembly. treatment to his wounds until he reached the Ar- my's 93rd Evacuation Hospital based at the town of Long Binh. There, he received emergency surgery for spinal injuries and the bullet wounds to his abdomen. As soon as he was stabilized, the warrant officer was whisked away to an awaiting Air Force C-141 Starlifter at nearby Ton Sun Nhut Air Base. "There were several nurses and medical technicians on the aircraft. They were hovering over me throughout the whole flight. They were angels of mercy," McPherson said of the aeromedical evacuation flight nurses who took him from Vietnam to an Army hospital at Camp Ho Zama, Japan. "For a service member who is critically injured, it is the aeromed who may be their last thought," McPherson explained. "The aeromed could remind them of their mother, wife or daughter — they are in their thoughts during their last moments of life. I was saved by U.S. Air Force aeromeds." chance to meet him." Two years later, McPherson has proven to be an incredible match for the 34th AES. "Colonel McPherson is one of the most patriotic and committed men I have ever met. At 76, he has more energy and passion than most 40 year-olds. He has sacrificed so much for our great country over the years, yet he is humble and non-assuming," Flarity said. And for McPherson, his record of participation with the 34th AES has been flawless. The mentorship "I've missed only one (unit training assembly) in the two years I have been the honorary commander," he said. "I'm a mentor." The colonel routinely See PARTNERSHIP I page 14 Mon.-Fri. 7:00 am-6:00 pm Open Saturdays An extraordinary partnership Recalling his conversation with Col. Muscatell, McPherson said the former commander suggested he become an honorary commander with the 302nd AW's 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. Less than six months old, the newly-formed 34th AES was in need of a civilian counterpart to participate in the 302nd AW's honorary commander program which pairs subordinate organizations with local civic leaders. "As the first commander of the new aeromedical evacuation squadron, I had several recommendations for an honorary commander, but none were the ideal fit," said Lt. Col. Kathleen Flarity, 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron commander. "When Colonel Muscatell shared his experience of meeting Colonel Bill McPherson, I jumped at the a• ... ''' ¥ 1 Military and Veterans a • Americans Abroai FAMILY: David Babcock • Jennifer Brown ' Darren Wible PEDIATRICS: Lee Powell • Wade Arkoudas ORTHODONTIST: Leland Pack HYGIENISTS: Melodee Bagley • Kristin Balls . Dannette Barr Complete Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 0=it e 1gtht3351ca? 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