Mostek earns 14 Air Medals

Receiving 14 Air Medals and one for Heroism is something to be proud of and that is exactly what Bill Mostek of Bonners Ferry did.

Dedicated Unhesitating Service To Our Fighting Forces (DUSTOFF) is what Mostek provided to wounded soldiers while serving in Vietnam at the tender age of 19.

Mostek was sent to Vietnam after he was drafted into the Army. He arrived in Vietnam in January 1969 and was assigned to the 4th Platoon, 45th Medical Company Air Ambulance, 44th Medical Brigade, 68th Medical Group. 

Mostek was assigned as crew chief for a UH-1H medical evacuation helicopter.  But this medivac helicopter was not like most.  Medivacs were different they had guns on them and DUSTOFF crews went into harms way unarmed.

Statistics for serving as a a DUSTOFF crew member in Vietnam showed a one-third loss ratio of aircraft and crews.

These men flew in heavy gun fire, all kinds of weather, over all types of terrain, they often were sitting ducks as they would hoist up the wounded when unable to land, all day and night and  unarmed.

“This way we could pack out more patients if need be,” Mostek said. “If you put two guns on board then you have two extra guys on board and more weight and that didn’t leave room for all the patients we had to haul.”

“I flew about 1450 missions and evacuated over 2,000 patients,” said Mostek.

Not only did these servicemen and Mostek pick up the United States wounded but  they would pick up and deliver the enemy wounded as well.

“It didn’t matter who you were if you were wounded we would pick you up,” Mostek said.

Mostek, although it is very difficult to talk about, said there were times they picked eight Americans at a time and take them to hospitals. 

The crews would have to land at hospitals remove the dead and wounded and then get ready to go back out after cleaning mud and blood off the helicopter. They painted the floor black instead of gray because the blood didn’t show up as well.

This is bad enough during the day but nighttime and severe weather made everything that much more risky and complex.

“The memories, they are just hard,” said Mostek.

Mostek was wounded while on a mission with shrapnel in his wrist.  A medic on board patched him up and then the crew received a call for another mission. He didn’t have time to seek medical attention for himself and the wound was never recorded therefore he did not receive a Purple Heart for being wounded in action.

“I mean my gosh this guy just came in with no legs and no hands, and I’ve got shrapnel in my wrist, I didn’t feel like I deserved it at the time,” Mostek said.  “I was just doing my job.”

Air Medals were awarded for 25 hours of combat time, 50 hours of non-combat time and 100 hours of mission support. Mostek accumilated 700 to 1000 hours of flying time in combat according to Lt. Colonel Steven Varmillion, who served with Mostek in Vietnam.

In addition to receiving 14 Air Medals, Mostek received four Bronze Stars, A National Defense Medal,  his wings, a Medal of Merit and an Expert Rifle Medal.

“I am proud of what I did but 47 years later I am still trying to recover,” Mostek said.