"Dustoff" is the radio callsign specific to U.S. Army first Aeromedical helicopter evacuation unit in Vietnam, the 57th Medical Detachment in 1962. Though other call signs regularly changed, both ground and aviation units refused to refer to these evacuations helicopters by any other call sign. By adopting "DUSTOFF", in those early stages of the Vietnam war, the legend was born. The call sign "DUSTOFF", now synonymous with life-saving aeromedical evacuation, has taken on added meaning with the application of the motto: Dedicated Unhesitated Service To Our Fighting Forces.
Major Charles Kelly took over command of the 5th Medical detacenter in January of 1964. He quickly transformed the unit into an aggressive life saving unit, installing a phone by his bed so that he would always take the first call. He instituted night flying and directly saved over 500 lives. On July 1st, 1964 he was coming in to pickup a wounded American advisor. As he approached he was told to leave as there was small arms fire. He replied that he would leave "when I have your wounded". He was the first to die in t g email history of Medevac and that is their motto this day. He was my dad.