CW4 Bender, L.W.

NAME: L.W. Bender
NICKNAME: Bud
RANK: Chief Warrant Officer Four
BRANCH: Army
STATUS: Retired
SERVICE: 36 years
DOB: 23 March 1923

SERVICE INFORMATION

HOURS FLOWN: 12000
COMBAT HOURS: 1500
FLT/NCO CLASS: 9-43
SCHOOL: Naval Aviation Cadet
MILITARY SCHOOL: Naval Flight Program
AVN DESIGNATION: Naval Aviator

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

C-47 (Army) H-19 (USMC/Army) H-34 (Army) P-2V (Army)
T-42 (Army) UH-1 (Army) AD (USMC) F4U (USMC)

COMBAT EXPERIENCE

Korea 1952-1953
Vietnam 1964-1965
Vietnam 1967-1968
Vietnam 1970

UNIT ASSIGNMENTS

1943-1945 Instructor Pilot, Corpus Christi, TX
1945-1946 Carrier Group, El Toro, TX
1952 Aircraft Carrier, Korea
1955-1956 Helicopter School
1971-1978 U.S. Army Safety Center

POSITIONS HELD

Operations Officer
Safety Officer
Flight Instructor
Check Pilot

DECORATIONS

Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal
Joint-Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

July 1956 - Transferred from USMC to USA with no break in service, going from Major (USMC) to CW2 (USA), when Army was in need of experienced helicopter pilots.