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Aaron Cox

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Returning to the States after his first tour was relieving but difficult for Aaron Cox as he acclimated back to the U.S. climate. After time in North Carolina, he shipped back off to Afghanistan and found quite a few major changes between there and Iraq. (6:01)

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Aaron Cox remembers the measures they took to protect themselves at their base in Afghanistan. They always made sure to take precautions to prevent as much enemy fire as they could. (5:40)

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Aaron Cox remembers his last few days in Afghanistan and remembers feeling like it was the most dangerous for him and his battalion. When it finally came time to re-enlist after returning home, he decided not to. (3:16)

Aaron Watkins

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He was from Memphis and he went to Tuskegee University determined to fly. Aaron Watkins was already familiar with military life through ROTC and he suggested a flight program for the Army cadets to go with the Air Force program. The chief instructor was one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. (6:09)

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After graduating from Tuskegee University and ROTC, Aaron Watkins reported to Signal Corp school, then what he anxious for, flight school. At a meet and greet, the chief instructor walked up to him and said something that unnerved him. That made him even more determined and he was recognized by his peers as someone special. (7:28)

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Since by then he'd learned to fly, advanced training came easy to helicopter pilot Aaron Watkins. As he neared the end of the training, he married his high school sweetheart and was chosen for Chinook school. This was almost unheard of at his level of experience. His friends said that thing is a bigger target, no thanks. He said it's faster, let me at it. (5:32)

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When he got there, the smell of Vietnam hit him hard. On his first day, a rocket attack hit the air base where he landed and he injured himself running into the bunker. Then, Aaron Watkins flew his first mission, which turned into an epic. (6:11)

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Chinook pilot Aaron Watkins recalls some of the nerve wracking action on his missions in Vietnam, including getting shot at on the ground. That was a bad feeling because you're just there. You can't maneuver. He also reveals a very effective tactic, screaming in right above the trees. (4:59)

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When you came to Vietnam as a Chinook pilot, you started as a co-pilot. Aaron Watkins moved on to Aircraft Commander and Platoon Leader, taking on more responsibility. He recalls a mission with a rookie partner which resulted in an update to their procedures after they almost crashed. (4:18)

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As a Chinook pilot, Aaron Watkins had some of the best living quarters in Vietnam. The pilots had their own club and chow, but he had to learn to like rice, which he did. Some of his missions involved transporting Vietnamese civilians and on one of these, he found out just how much weight his aircraft could lift. (5:10)