Jul 4, 2019
Hey folks! This is a rerelease of a Wait What If Podcast episode I recorded about 3 years ago with my co-host Marine Mike Stojic. We interviewed Mark "Pigpen" Garrison about his experiences flying Huey Gunships in Vietnam.
Mark was a Warrant Officer in the US Army during the Vietnam War and author of "Guts N' Gunships: What it was Really Like to Fly Combat Helicopters in Vietnam". Running out of college money during the mid-1960s meant he had little choice but to sign up for the Army before the Army came and got him anyways. He refused to run for the border and wanted to somewhat control his destiny, therefore he volunteered under the promise that he would become a pilot. As the sleeve of his book explains:
"Straight from college to the US Army to command pilot of a four-ton gunship with a four-man crew in Vietnam. From college chess games to a game of life and death. It was surreal, to say the least. In this book, I pour my heart out and bare my soul to tell you what that was like, from basic to Vietnam and back."
I hope you enjoy this show. It was an honor to have Mr. Garrison as a part of the WWI Podcast and now as part of 21 Gun!