Photo By Sgt. Maj. Nathan Hoskins | Benavides, Texas, native Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rolando Sanchez, an AH-64D Apache...... read more read more
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By Spc. Nathan Hoskins
1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Apache helicopter pilots see action just about every day. They are the scorn of the enemy. When an attack helicopter from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division is within sight, it's usually too late for the bad guys, but sometimes they get lucky.
Luck for the enemy sometimes has horrible consequences for Soldiers, but other times it means some scars, memories and a Purple Heart.
In this particular case it was the latter for Benavides, Texas, native Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rolando Sanchez, an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter pilot for Company C, 1st "Attack" Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, who was awarded the Purple Heart in a ceremony June 28.
Sanchez and his co-pilot, Enterprise, Ala., native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Patrick Braman, were headed in to a fire fight between insurgents and coalition forces when their aircraft was engaged by small arms fire, said Sanchez.
"We had been searching for the enemy for about 45 minutes when we saw them and made a pass; that's when we got hit," he said.
Their aircraft took a total of nine rounds; some going through the cockpit, said Sanchez.
Braman, who was flying in the back seat, watched as the bullets passed through the front of the cockpit.
"On the initial pass I just saw stuff bouncing around and sparks in the front seat," said Braman.
That was when Sanchez reported that he was hit and they immediately turned the aircraft around and headed home, he said.
"The main thing I was worried about was (Sanchez's) safety," said Braman.
"When the bullets came through the (cockpit) there was an adrenaline rush – I was concerned with about a thousand things all at once," said Sanchez.
Sanchez received wounds to his right arm and another one just above his left eye, he said.
"There are no words to describe (getting hit)," said Sanchez. "Instincts just kick in, and you just do your job."
Not only was Sanchez wounded, but their aircraft was leaking fuel and one of their rocket pods was on fire, said Braman.
"We had to get back home ... I didn't want to become a human fireball," said Braman.
Fortunately, both returned to base in one piece, albeit a little beaten and bruised.
In attendance June 28 to present the Purple Heart Medal, was Las Vegas, Nev., native Lt. Col. Christopher Walach, commander of 1-227th.
"This award represents the valiant actions under enemy fire to save lives and to provide the close air support to our ground unit and brothers in war," said Walach.
Now that the engagement is over and the wounds on Sanchez are healed, Braman – who knows Sanchez's family well – was concerned about a different sort of engagement.
"I just hope that when we get home that Rolo's mom won't have anything bad to say to me," he joked.
Also during the ceremony, Harker Heights, Texas, native Maj. Glen Heape, the operations officer for 1-227th, received the Combat Action Badge for his involvement in numerous engagements since the deployment began for the battalion.
"Our pilots are either getting shot at or engaging the enemy every day and that's to serve one purpose – that's to save lives on the ground," Walach told the crowd of aviators.
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2007 10:53 |
| Story ID: | 11263 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 624 |
| Downloads: | 407 |
This work, A Pilot with a (Purple) Heart, by SGM Nathan Hoskins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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