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The 872nd Medical Detachment started as an
Optical Repair unit in 1942. It was deployed to Vietnam and reassigned to
the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1974 it was reactivated and assigned to New
Iberia, Louisiana as the 872nd Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance).
Over the years, the unit became part of the local culture and the
emergency medical service, and became known as "Cajun Medevac".
Being the only Army Reserve unit to participate in the MAST system, it was
unique. The expertise of the crewmembers was not matched, by active duty
units or others.
The unit personnel came from many different backgrounds. Most were
active duty veterans that found civilian jobs more wanting. Several were
veterans from the Vietnam era. What would encourage a person to remain in
the service after the way the country treated them, I'll never really
know. It was their skill, knowledge and dedication that helped to form the
back bone of the unit. Here are some of the major items that the unit, and
it's members, can claim:
- Almost all of the units pilots flew full time, during the non-drill
days, as pilots for large aviation companies. Many had "thousands
of hours" while their active duty counterparts had
"hundreds".
- Most of the mechanics and maintenance personnel worked for the same
companies tearing apart and repairing the aircraft they knew. Many
were school trained and/or air frame/power plant certified.
- Many of the medical personnel worked in either pre-hospital or
hospital care. While active duty units were happy to get 1 or 2 Basic
EMT's, all of this units medics were EMT's, Paramedics or Registered Nurses.
- Cajun Medevac was the ONLY Reserve unit to
participate in the MAST program. That is the Military
Assistance to Safety and Traffic that is the forerunner of the current
air ambulance industry. Out of 13 units in the U.S. Army, only the
872nd was from the Reserves.
- The unit flew over 500 MAST missions. Patients were
transported from Colorado to Florida: Arkansas to Honduras. All
provided free of service.
- The unit was mobilized for Desert Shield. Within 96 hours of
call-up, the unit was performing post support for Fort Polk.
- After mobilization to Saudi Arabia, the unit performed Dustoff
operations throughout the Persian Gulf. Over 300 patients, mostly
Iraqi EPOW's, were transported.
- The unit flew missions from 1974 to 1996 without the loss of an
aircraft, crew, or to anyone's knowledge: a single patient.
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Constituted 6 December 1944 in the Army of the United
States as the 872nd Medical Optical Repair Detachment
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Activated 25 January 1945 at Camp Barkeley, Texas
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Inactivated 6 December 1945 in Hawaii
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Redesignated 1 June 1966 as the 872nd Medical
Detachment, allotted to the Regular Army, and activated at Fort Sam
Houston, Texas
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Inactivated 26 December 1971 in the Republic of
Vietnam
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Withdrawn from the Regular Army, allotted to the Army
Reserve and activated at New Iberia, Louisiana as a Helicopter
Ambulance unit
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Relocated to Lafayette, Louisiana 15 December 1988
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Ordered to active military service 20 September 1990
at Lafayette, Louisiana; released from active duty military service 27
April 1991 and reverted to reserve status
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Reorganized and redesignated 18 September 1992 as the
872nd Medical Company (helicopter Ambulance)
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Inactivated 1 September 1996
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Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase II
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Counteroffensive, Phase III
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Tet Counteroffensive
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Counteroffensive, Phase IV
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Counteroffensive, Phase V
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Counteroffensive, Phase VI
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Tet 69 Counteroffensive
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Counteroffensive, Phase VII
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Consolidation I
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Consolidation II
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Defense of Saudi Arabia
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Desert Shield
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Desert Storm
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Liberation of Kuwait
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Desert Calm
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