Norm Knodt was one of the lucky ones.

Some 2,000 of his fellow helicopter gunship pilots never returned from the Vietnam War.

Proud to be an American and still sensitive to his memories of the Vietnam War, Knodt served as guest speaker at the Veterans Day ceremonies at the Manteca Library Friday morning.

The retired Warrant Officer-4 is now a financial advisor. He noted that some 2,000 pilots were killed in the conflict with 7,000 on the flight line and in the air at any given time.  He added that more than 1.4 million American soldiers and sailors have been killed in action keeping America free since the Revolutionary War.

The longtime Mantecan voiced concern for the younger generation now graduating from high school. 

“I would like to see them spend one week in the capital of New Guinea after high school to see what we have here in the United States and what other countries are like,” he said.

Knodt flew helicopters commercially in the forests of New Guinea after his military duty in Vietnam was completed.

“We’ve lost some of that (love of country) as a nation because we don’t really see what other countries are like.  We see things on the news, but it is not the same as actually experiencing other countries,” he said.

Knodt said he had the privilege of being at Brock Elliott School on Thursday and witnessing the Veterans’ Day program the students presented for their community.  He urged anyone who has not seen the school program to attend it next year.

“It was unbelievable in their honoring the 17 Manteca residents who were killed in Vietnam,” Knodt said. “It was a really super program.”

The former military and commercial helicopter pilot noted that his entire family has long been involved in conflicts supporting America.  Family history dates back to his great-grandfather serving in the Civil War. His father was in World War II, his grandfather got a pass, but he was in Vietnam. Knodt and his wife have two sons in the military.

Ryan was in the service for six years but was never deployed because of his special assignment.  Son Derek is currently active Army where he has been for the last 15 years having completed a tour in Iraq and in Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot.  He is now flying reconnaissance aircraft based in Germany.  Derek was promoted just last week to the grade of warrant officer-3.

Knodt said he didn’t go into the Army directly after graduating from Manteca High School in 1965.  A year later in 1966 he was attending Cal State Northridge when he got sick and had to drop two of his classes which caused him to be reclassified for the draft from student deferment to a 1-A classification. 

Two days later he got orders to report for a draft physical.  Knowing he would rather fly than get drafted, he enlisted and started the process in March of 1967. 

“I wasn’t able to get into active duty until 45 years and eight days ago,” he quipped, “the third of November 1966,” going to Fort Polk, Louisiana,  for basic training and then to Fort Walters, Texas for primary flight school.  Fort Rucker, Alabama was the site of his advanced flight training.  Knodt graduated from there December 15, 1967 and reported to Vietnam in the 1ST Calvary Division flying a Huey gunship helicopter.



Arrived in Vietnam in time for Tet Offensive

He said he got there just in time for the Tet Offensive in 1968 and was involved in the major confrontations that followed.  After that he came home and spent not quite two years as a flight instructor. Knodt recalled that there was a general consensus that helicopter pilots were pretty commonly done in over there, but in the 1961 to 1975 time frame there were just over 2,000 pilots killed from all the services, not just the Army.

“When I was an instructor, we were actually graduating just over 600 pilots a month to keep up with the turnover in a one year rotation,” he said.  “Then after that I got into the civilian world,” he said getting something good out of the military like most everyone did to some degree.

Knodt said he enjoyed the ever important team work with his fellow pilots and crew members.  Unlike high school football teams, the team work in a military situation translates into protecting each others’ lives in the air and on the ground. 

“It’s great that we are getting together to honor all the veterans today,  especially those who lost their lives providing the freedoms we have,” he said, recognizing the impact the million plus loss of life had on family members throughout the decades.

“I just hope that everyone keeps in mind that it is very important that we understand the freedoms that we have here in our country including the Wall Street occupation.  While I may not agree with what they do, it is their right to lawfully protest.”

He said he was one of the Vietnam veterans getting off the airplane in San Francisco facing a protesting crowd that was very hurtful.  At the same time he said he understood that the only reason they could do what they were doing was because of his service and the service of the other veterans who were fighting for their country and for their rights.

Knodt recalled surprising his family when they thought he was still in Vietnam.

“I remember the day I came home – I snuck home.  I got out of the country a week early and I was able to get my cousin to pick me up,” he said.   “Neither my parents or none of the immediate family knew I was home.”

“We had Knodt’s Flower Shop here in Manteca and I walked in and saw my mother.  It was the eighth of January in 1969 and then I went to the high school and my sister was in band and I walked in and she broke up more than I am right now.  That was a really great experience.  I do not regret the experience in Vietnam at all,” he said.

He said he believed in what they were doing over there. Knodt added that the History Channel special on the air right now is the most authentic representation of the conflict that he has seen to date.



Korean veterans were ‘kind of forgotten too’

“We were kind of over there doing our thing for our country and we weren’t getting a whole lot of support from back home.  I also know the Korean War vets – while they didn’t get called baby killers I don’t think when they came home like we did – they were kind of forgotten also.  So I am just really pleased to see you folks out here today.  I am really honored that you have taken the time to remember all of us.”