Episode 16 - Johnny Hubbs (Army, Vietnam Veteran) - a podcast by Tim K.

With me on this episode of the podcast is a legend of the Vietnam War who served in the United States Army’s famed 1st Cavalry Division in a position he couldn’t have even imagined for himself, an OJT Door Gunner on a Huey Gunship. Some, including Johnny, will tell you that the lifespan of a Door Gunner in Vietnam was right around six seconds. Regardless of whether or not this is the factual decided lifespan, one thing is for certain. My feelings are that Vietnam was the cauldron and the door gunner position was to be thrown into the fire under that cauldron. On top of not receiving the allotted technical flight training pre-deployment, the dangers that Johnny faced from the air varied anywhere from technical malfunctions to pilot error to enemy artillery and small arms fire. Couple that with the fact that Johnny’s missions fluctuated from mop-up duty to mail carrier for the front line troops to carrying the precious cargo of America’s infantry on night and day missions and you have an almost certain recipe for terror. The elements were constantly changing and the enemy maintained a ferocious approach but Hubbs’ dedication to his duty and fierce focus from the air served him well, and he completed his time in Vietnam only to come home to a country that was torn from within. The mere presence of Johnny served as a reminder of a tumultuous time Americans wanted to leave in the past, and they would make him feel this the instant he stepped on U.S. soil. Although we certainly did spend some time talking about combat, most of this podcast remains true to our mission and the discussion of reintegration; something that challenged Johnny mightily for decades after the war.

This is the first in a series of hopefully MANY episodes with those who served in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and I just want to say to those men, I’m proud of you. I’m thankful for your service Johnny and I’m thankful for your brothers who fought in a conflict that many ran from, and many rioted against. You answered the call of your nation even when that nation turned its back on you. We are forever in your debt and frankly, I believe that our almost “celebrity like” treatment nowadays is due to the fact that you came before us. This podcast is dedicated to all those hard chargers who endured the hellish conditions of those Vietnam jungles only to return to an ungrateful country. To those men I say, may you find peace in your hearts and souls and realize your younger brothers of the Global War on Terror love you mightily. Thank you for your service, and welcome home.

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