CS#62: Flying into Enemy Fire ala We Were Soldiers | DFC | Silver Star | Aviator | Diplomat | Ed Fugit

Today we hear a special Combat Story of Edward Fugit, my old man, who flew Hueys in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia just after the Tet Offensive.
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This is a special edition for me personally as long time listeners have heard me refer to my old man and his stories and our similar career paths on several occasions. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do this interview given how close it was to home and I’m so glad I did.
From a very young age I remember hearing these stories of my dad in the cockpit and vividly remember looking at his Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross on the mantle, wearing his green flight suit when I played Army, and then hugging him before I shipped out to my own war as a combat aviator.
His experiences in Vietnam will sound like something from Hollywood’s We Were Soldiers where green but determined young aviators flew into hot LZs time and again risking everything for their ground brethren.
We also touch on what it was like flying SOG into combat zones on operations nobody would hear about for decades and what it was like to be at the negotiating table as a diplomat with Kissinger at the height of the Cold War in Moscow.
I really hope you enjoy this close to home Combat Story with a real hero of mine that was then edited by his grandson.
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Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

Show Notes 

0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Guest introduction (Ed Fugit)
2:22 - Interview begins
2:59 - Growing up in NJ and early interest in political science
7:43 - A family history in the military
12:31 - When and how aviation came into the picture
20:10 - A “never quit anything” mentality
22:12 - Flight school experience
27:57 - Feelings going in to Vietnam within the units and that moment in American history
36:36 - Differences in how the Army was structured at that time vs. today
47:37 - The three kinds of missions in Vietnam
53:23 - Combat Story #1 - Silver Star operation in Vietnam
1:09:02 - Intense Special Ops missions with SOG and 1st Airmobile Division
1:31:12 - Combat Story #2 – Incident that made the front of the New York Times
1:50:08 - Combat Story #3 - DFC event
1:58:35 - Stories from time in state department
2:05:48 - Going back to Vietnam in 2017 and thoughts about sons joining the
2:13: - What did you carry into combat?
2:14:16 - Would you do it all again?
2:17:11 - Listener comments and shout outs