The last of the many

It seems that the last pilot still on active service to fly UH-1 "Huey" helicopters in the Vietnam War retired from flying yesterday.

Lawrence Castagneto wiped tears from his eyes today as he walked away from the Huey helicopter.

It was his last flight as an active-duty military man and quite possibly his last Huey helicopter flight ever.

Castagneto, a chief warrant officer 4 stationed at Fort Polk, is one of two remaining Vietnam-era aviators on full-time active duty, and the only one flying the Huey. He took the Vietnam War icon Huey helicopter up for his last flight today, Sept. 9.




“I didn’t think it would be that hard to walk away from it,” Castagneto said following his flight and retirement celebration.

Going up in the helicopter was like any other flight, but then again it wasn’t.

Castagneto flew a little before maneuvering the Huey through a wall of water rainbowed out from a fire truck on the ground.

Flying through the water is an old aviation tradition that marks the end of a career for a pilot.




Castagneto said it has been a 39-year love affair with the Huey, but it is time to go.

He first fell in love with the helicopter as a child, telling his father that one day he would fly one.

Castagneto joined the military in August 1969 and was at Fort Polk for basic training before going to Fort Rucker in Alabama for flight training.

One of his greatest days came when he finally got the chance to fly a Huey helicopter.

“I am going to miss her and y’all,” he told those gathered for his celebration at Fort Polk.

Castagneto said to be a military aviator someone has to love to do it as there are good times and bad times.

But he stressed that at all times, especially in combat, it is “all about each other.”

He said it is important to watch out for those serving with you, and he told those gathered that it had been an honor to serve with them.

Castagneto is moving on to a desk job at Fort Rucker, he said, before his official retirement date.

He described Tuesday as “a hard, sad day for me.”

There's a video clip of CW4 Castagneto's final flight at the linked article.

Congratulations, Warrant Officer Castagneto, and thank you for your service to our country. We'll remember you, and those like you: and we're grateful.

Peter