"Arlie Deaton & My Wife Ruth"

"Arlie Deaton  & My Wife Ruth"
Submitted by -1LT Robert Brewster, Headhunter 37, 1st PLT Pleiku Sep '70-Oct '71

All is fair in Love & War! From April to October 1970, my then finance’ Ruth Holbook, was an Army nurse assigned to 71st Evac Hospital in Pleiku. We had become engaged while I was still in flight school at Ft. Stewart Georgia and she was still assigned to the hospital at Ft. Gordon, GA.. When I was in the tactics phase at Ft. Rucker, I flew Bird Dogs and shared this information with Ruth. She told me there was a Birddog unit in Pleiku at Camp Holloway called the 219th Aviation Company. (At that time, we used the MARS radio system to talk with each other). I asked if she could meet the unit commander and find out if I could get assigned to the company if I received orders for Vietnam. Arlie Deaton was the 219th's company commander. The next thing I know I receive a letter from Ruth. In it is a list of names and units for the people in Vietnam who I would need to talk to when I arrived in country. They would help me get to Pleiku and the 219th.  Armed with this information and before graduating flight school at Ft. Rucker I called the Officer Personnel Branch in Washington, D.C. My request was that I did not want any more schooling, no aircraft transitions, and no assignments to Germany, South Korea or anywhere in the states. I wanted to go straight to Vietnam! The officer I spoke to asked my name again. He stated "Well, Lt. Brewster do you know how many calls I am getting like this?" I answer back "No, sir I don't ". He then told me "None!" then asked me if I wanted to go straight to Vietnam or have some leave before I went. This was mid-September 1970.  Two weeks later I was in South Vietnam.

Upon landing in Saigon, I pulled out my list of names provided by Arlie to Ruth. It worked like a charm. Only one officer questioned me by saying “Lt Brewster, we are supposed to assign you to a unit, you are not suppose to assign yourself”. I answered back quickly by saying “Sir, it must be important that I get to this unit, otherwise how would I have your name?” Without another word he stamped my orders and off I went to the next stop. Arlie arranged a flight for Ruth from Pleiku to meet me in Qui Nhon. It was in either a Beaver or an Otter. We both flew back to Pleiku in it. The date was September 29, 1970. Arlie Deaton’s assignment with the 219th ended on October 1 when he headed home to the states. We knew each other for only two days but he had changed my life forever.  That was Arlie!

In early December, Ruth and I were both reassigned from Pleiku to Qui Nhon where I joined the Headhunter's 3rd platoon and she went to the 67th Evac Hospital. In February 1971, we were married in Hawaii while on RR .  We have been happily married 42 years. This would not have been possible without Arlie Deaton, the greatest Headhunter of all. God bless Arlie!!