Captain Valerie Andre: First Woman to Pilot a Helicopter in a Combat Zone
Valerie Andre, a French neurosurgeon, was assigned in 1949 to treat injured soldiers in Indochina.
She soon realized that the hardest part of her job was finding the wounded, who were often trapped in the jungle.
So she returned to France, learned to fly a helicopter, and then flew one back to Indochina.
After that, she flew more than 65 missions into the jungle, often dodging enemy fire, to bring more than 150 wounded men to safety.
On at least two occasions, she made parachute jumps to treat men who needed immediate surgery.
In 1976, Captain Valerie Andre was promoted to the rank of General, the first French woman to obtain such a high rank.
Tags: combat, combat zone, enemy fire, first woman, fly, french woman, helicopter, indochina, injured soldiers, jungle, missions, neurosurgeon, pilot, rank captain, valerie, valerie andre
No Comments! Be The First!
Leave a Comment