In the early years of aviation, air rescue tactics were rudimentary at best. Throughout World War II, the United States in particular had made it their mission to ensure that ditching in the sea did not have to be the death sentence it once had been. Prior to this period, there had simply been no need to develop search and rescue missions. In 1944, the first combat air rescue by helicopter took place in Northern Burma. The helicopter, a Sikorsky R-4, and its crew had rescued three men after their aircraft had gone down behind enemy lines. After this, the sophistication of air rescue would only improve and one of the main reasons for this would be the beginning of the Vietnam War.
Over the three-year course of the Korean War, the United States rescued a total of over 1,000 personnel who had gone down over hostile territory. In particular, the sophistication of helicopter technology meant that search and rescue missions were far more feasible and much less risky than previously. Then in 1961, the United States Air Force began offering training to Vietnamese pilots. It had only been a short time since the crews of United States Air Rescue Service had stopped training for combat and had instead focussed on support missions. Wit…
