Mike Novosel

I was the Brigade S2 at his retirement ceremony (Not the real S2 but played the position) in the hot Alabama sun with over 1K in formation…Pappy’s short remarks turned into over an hour of war stories and troops were dropping like fly’s from the heat towards the end….he just kept talking…MG Parker finally shut it down…post retirement he was a fixture in the area and you could always catch up with him at the Hardies most mornings holding court. Son, Michael Jr was a hell of a man as well…and a distinguished Army Aviator…Ft Novosel has a nice ring to it but Mother Rucker will always be my reality.
 
I first met Mike early January, 1969. We were assigned to take a short class at Fort Sam Houston (home of Army Medicine). We were getting a quicky course to make us combat medics in addition to being RW pilots. Most of the class were new WO-1 pilots. Mike was going back for a second tour.
Mike drove an older Buick, Olds or Pontiac, I forget which. You know the kind with a one piece bench seat. He gave me a lift one day and that's when I realized that he was 5'4'' tall and he needed to get close to the wheel. Seat was all the way fwd. I'm 6'4" and it was painful.
Mike told me that he was assigned to Eglin AFB post WW2. Its the Armament Test Center. He flew B-29s. He told me of one project called Project Pinball. Do a search on it and try to keep from laughing.
Repeated tours at Eglin and living in USAF quarters. He and Mike Jr built identical mirror image cottages on an inlet of Santa Rosa Sound, Ft Walton, FL.
An unmentioned item from his book: He told me that he was "RIFed" out of the USAF as a LTC B-29 squadron cmdr. He flew a DC-9 JAX to HOU until his glaucoma kept him from meeting FAA CL 1 med standards. But the Army said OK. He got a quick qual as a RW pilot and flew an H-34 for the SF an a "mapping" mission in Latin America. His first RVN tour was in the delta area of I Corps, RVN flying DustOff.
Another pilot once told me of loading up with wounded, rounds hitting the AC, and Mike putting eye drops in his eyes. He said "I can see the tree line ok! Lets go." That pilot then took a round that ricocheted around the seat pan of his armored seat. The seat withstood it OK but not so much for "Hoss's" butt.
My wife and I went to his 85th birthday party at the summer place in Ft Walton. It was attended by a lot of USN retirees, former members of the "Sea Wolves". A lot of those wound up with the USN Museum at Pensacola.
That USN HAL squadron was collocated with Mike's (and Mike Jr) Dustoff unit down in the Delta. That B'day party was when I met Mike (the third) age about six months.
Mike Jr and I were fellow pilots in a 135 Heli outfit. Mike autographed a copy of his book for me. No. I do not lend it out.
 
Maxnr said:
I first met Mike early January, 1969. We were assigned to take a short class at Fort Sam Houston (home of Army Medicine). We were getting a quicky course to make us combat medics in addition to being RW pilots. Most of the class were new WO-1 pilots. Mike was going back for a second tour.
Mike drove an older Buick, Olds or Pontiac, I forget which. You know the kind with a one piece bench seat. He gave me a lift one day and that's when I realized that he was 5'4'' tall and he needed to get close to the wheel. Seat was all the way fwd. I'm 6'4" and it was painful.
Mike told me that he was assigned to Eglin AFB post WW2. Its the Armament Test Center. He flew B-29s. He told me of one project called Project Pinball. Do a search on it and try to keep from laughing.
Repeated tours at Eglin and living in USAF quarters. He and Mike Jr built identical mirror image cottages on an inlet of Santa Rosa Sound, Ft Walton, FL.
An unmentioned item from his book: He told me that he was "RIFed" out of the USAF as a LTC B-29 squadron cmdr. He flew a DC-9 JAX to HOU until his glaucoma kept him from meeting FAA CL 1 med standards. But the Army said OK. He got a quick qual as a RW pilot and flew an H-34 for the SF an a "mapping" mission in Latin America. His first RVN tour was in the delta area of I Corps, RVN flying DustOff.
Another pilot once told me of loading up with wounded, rounds hitting the AC, and Mike putting eye drops in his eyes. He said "I can see the tree line ok! Lets go." That pilot then took a round that ricocheted around the seat pan of his armored seat. The seat withstood it OK but not so much for "Hoss's" butt.
My wife and I went to his 85th birthday party at the summer place in Ft Walton. It was attended by a lot of USN retirees, former members of the "Sea Wolves". A lot of those wound up with the USN Museum at Pensacola.
That USN HAL squadron was collocated with Mike's (and Mike Jr) Dustoff unit down in the Delta. That B'day party was when I met Mike (the third) age about six months.
Mike Jr and I were fellow pilots in a 135 Heli outfit. Mike autographed a copy of his book for me. No. I do not lend it out.
Click to expand...

Yeah I met him the first time at the museum. I had his book in my hand and was thinking, well everyone says it’s a good read, maybe I’ll buy it. Just then he walked in and starting chatting with the girl at the counter. I snatched the book, went over and had him sign it. Excellent book. Chicken hawk is probably my favorite Vietnam book but his is right up there.
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There was a time in the 70's when we thought we lost Mike. Both Mikes were assigned to Ft Bragg. Jr was in that Med Bn that belonged to the 82nd. Sr was flying the Golden Knights. At that time the jump ship was a C-47. Around that time frame a lot of ex-USAF C-47s migrated to the Army. It was in all the news that the Golden Knights C-47 had an inflight break up in convective weather.
Phone calls were made. It was learned about a day later that Mike was not on board. Another pilot and crew were lost.
Mike and Mike made several trips from Bragg to Tipton AAF, Ft Meade, MD. They used their aero club PA-28 to visit Med Dept Branch located in the old War Dep bldg on Constitution Ave. I tossed them the keys to my p.u. couple of times. They parked the PA-28 at the Ft Meade Aero club. Guess who was president of the Meade Aero club.
 
Mother Rucker will always be Mother Rucker to me, but I guess it will be Pappy’s Place or “Pap’s” to the next generation of Army aviators.
 
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