Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Marvin Francis Pixton, III Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: HMM-162 (Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron); VMO-2 (Marine Observation Squadron); HML-167 (Marine Light Helicopter Squadron); VT-1 (Training Squadron); VMA-214 (Marine Attack Squadron); VMA-311
- Location of Service:
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/55024
Marvin Pixton yearned to be a pilot from an early age and was disappointed when he failed the eye exam to become a Marine pilot. However, he retook the exam and passed it, going on to a 25-year career in the Marines. He served two tours of duty above Vietnam: one in helicopters (1967-8), the other in jets (1972-3). (His unit was the last to leave Vietnam.) He preferred the former, which allowed him closer contact with the men on the ground he was supporting. He survived several near-catastrophes, once watching a plane in front of his hit a mountain in bad weather.
Interview / Recording
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PlayVolunteered while in college for Platoon Leaders' Class, similar to Officer Candidate School; was attending University of Maryland on track scholarship; first days in service; visiting girlfriend on his first weekend in program, addressing an officer casually; picked on by drill instructor for his outfit; suit and straw hat. 00:04:28.8 - 00:08:13.7
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PlayWent to flight school to become a pilot; first job in squadron was property officer; unit had just come back from Vietnam low on equipment and about to embark on assignment in the Caribbean; he had to scramble to recover all equipment, catalogue and box it. 00:11:05.8 - 00:12:09.2
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PlayTours in Vietnam, lost 30 percent of squadron; describes nature of his duties aboard Huey gunships; did everything from escorts to running airstrikes to being lead aircraft for Army's Special Operations Group. 00:12:16.5 - 00:13:54.4
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PlayFamily might have worried about him, not knowing exactly what he was doing; once he has to write to explain that his and another craft had been shot down; on the ground for a couple of hours; no one on the second aircraft survived; did two tours of Vietnam: in helicopters, stationed at Marble Mountain, outside Da Nang, and in A-4 jets, stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base, near Saigon. 00:14:21.2 - 00:15:32.6
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PlayNot much time for entertainment; flew missions at night; keeping two aircraft airborne from dusk to sunup to watch for blasts coming in to air bases to locate origin of attacks. 00:17:43.5 - 00:18:33.5
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PlayPreferred flying helicopters as he loved supporting ground troops; trying to rescue downed Army aircraft; caught in crossfire, went into weather and flying on instructions from control center; lead helicopter hit mountain and exploded, he pulled his up and they clipped the top of the mountain and crashed; first rescue helicopter didn't have room for all of them, so he and crew chief had to wait for a second craft. 00:20:53.4 - 00:24:52.2
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PlayDropping 500 pound bombs in Cambodia; his aircraft was hit, cockpit filled with smoke; managed to make it home. 00:25:00.0 - 00:26:14.2
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PlayFascination with flying began in elementary school; in high school, lived near Pensacola, impressed with planes from nearby naval base; sees naval flying requiring more skill, landing aboard ships; failed first eye exam to become pilot; passed second and third time, the last the day after a big party where he abstained from drinking. 00:30:07.4 - 00:33:32.4
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PlayToo busy during mission to be scared; only afterwards, seeing where craft had been hit, did you wonder how you made it; close call when an incoming round lodged in the casing of a grenade canister; sense of invincibility; "it's not going to happen to you;" knew in bombing people, it was either them or him, as they were trying to shoot him down. 00:34:29.5 - 00:37:42.3
About this Item
Title
- Marvin Francis Pixton, III Collection
Names
- Pixton III, Marvin Francis
- Dolieslager, Chase Michael
- Ni River Middle School
- Short, Tracie
Home State
- Virginia
Headings
- - Pixton III, Marvin Francis
- - Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Marine Corps.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Marine Corps
- Unit of Service: HMM-162 (Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron); VMO-2 (Marine Observation Squadron); HML-167 (Marine Light Helicopter Squadron); VT-1 (Training Squadron); VMA-214 (Marine Attack Squadron); VMA-311
- Location of Service:
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Dates of Service: 1963-1988
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2007-10-07; 2007-10-07)
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2007-10-07; 2007-10-07)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/55024
Cite as
- Marvin Francis Pixton, III Collection (AFC/2001/001/55024), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
Service Unit
- Hml-167 (Marine Light Helicopter Squadron)
- Hmm-162 (Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron)
- Vma-214 (Marine Attack Squadron)
- Vma-311
- Vmo-2 (Marine Observation Squadron)
- Vt-1 (Training Squadron)