Robert C. Mason is a Vietnam War veteran and author of several books, including his first, best-selling memoir: Chickenhawk . Mason piloted Huey "Slicks" in the United States Army as a Warrant Officer 1. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division for approxmiately one year . Mason spent an intense two days during the Battle of Ia Drang hovering for many hours far above the terrain, while a full colonel and two Army captains sat in the back of his helicopter, coordinating ground units by radio. Mason followed this over-extended duty with a contested night-landing to pick up wounded... troopers. Mason would also ferry supplies to an artillery unit and deliver more troops from 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry to Landing Zone X-Ray later in that battle. In repeated missions, Mason delivered more than one hundred wounded troops from the battle zone to the Division hospital tent and came under fire repeatedly, taking several hits to his helicopter. Mason believed that a maneuvering helicopter was a poor target, so he turned his aircraft back and forth when things got too hot.
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| Birthdate: | 1942 |
| Age: | 70 |
| Also known as: | Robert Caverly Mason, Robert C. Mason |