"Headhunter Callsign"

"Headhunter Callsign"
​Submitted by - 1Lt Jim Voelzer, HH 10 ('65-'66)

Derivation of the “Headhunter Call Sign” (as my memory, tempered by these many years, recalls). 

I arrived at Pleiku in early July 1965 fresh from an “interrupted” stint as a Test Pilot at Sharpe Army Depot; Lathrop, CA.  Initially, our call sign was simply “Army 321”, but shortly, due to the many Army aircraft flying out of Pleiku, it was changed to Hershey.  That term cobbled up any number of snide comments from other units, not the least of which was “candy ass” which got old very quick.  We learned that we could apply for a new call sign and after discussing it amongst the pilots, agreed on Blackjack.  We applied and received the new call sign.  I don’t remember how many weeks we had Blackjack, but inasmuch as it was the nickname of General John J. Pershing, it wasn’t long before some “Brass” appropriated it and we were assigned the Headhunter name.  A couple of the pilots actually appropriated human (purportedly VC) sculls from the battle of PleiMe for their desk display and painted their call sign on the forehead.  As one might imagine, it wasn’t very long before that practice was terminated.  Our Unit patch in ’65-’66 was round and depicted an armed Bird Dog in a 45 degree dive.  It was a beautifully constructed and colorful patch and I haven’t seen it depicted on the website.  When I departed Pleiku for discharge in April ’66 we still called ourselves the 219th; not Headhunters.