Page 17 - Issue 35

What caught my eye from
down the lane was the windsock.
It belonged to an incredible 1936
Chevrolet Pickup. I say incredible
because it was perfect -- the body
was patina’d, but otherwise the
all steel body was original. .... that
aannnndddd the fact that it had a
vintage T-53-L-9 helicopter turbine
sitting in the bed. Those things
were in the crazy HH-53 Huskies,
early AH-1 Cobras, iconic UH-1
Iroquois.... and my favorite USArmy
Aviation plane, the OV-1 Mohawk.
Come to fi nd out that Kevin is one
of America's more accomplished
aviator heroes, and got that turbine
with the truck.
Kevin Dietze is a third generation
soldier who was literally born into
the Department of the Army.... it
says so right on his birth certifi cate.
In 1985 he joined the medical corps,
and was immediately smitten
with an old MEDEVAC Huey at Ft.
Sam Houston. A few promotions,
schools, and attempts later, he
was selected to attend a yearlong
rotary fl ight school at Ft. Rutger.
Afterwards he fl ew UH-1H Hueys
with the 1st CAVALRY for a few
years, ONLY the most decorated
combat division in the history of the
armed forces. Kevin deployed to
Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm,
Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm,
then was selected for a UH-60
then was selected for a UH-60
course before going to
course before going to
Korea. That Black Hawk
Korea. That Black Hawk
is lovingly airbrushed
is lovingly airbrushed
on the dashboard in
on the dashboard in
tribute. Kevin says
tribute. Kevin says
he fl ew a "very
rewarding MEDEVAC
rewarding MEDEVAC
mission" in Korea,
mission" in Korea,
which puts him
in a special group
in a special group
of aviators. (He is
of aviators. (He is
the guy who takes
the guy who takes
a whirling ball of
a whirling ball of
spinning blades and
spinning blades and
RATRODMAGAZINE.COM RAT ROD MAGAZINE 17
16x20 Pork Report.indd 17 12/21/15 12:58 PM