Episode 3151 –  Air Force Vietnam Vet Lois Gay Served as a Nurse and Pilot

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Lois Gay [Courtesy Photo]

Episode 3151 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Lois Gay who served in the Air Force as both a nurse and a pilot. The featured story is titled A flight nurse remembers the Vietnam War. It appeared in the Fairfax County Times website. It was submitted by Kristin Johnson / Farifax County Times.

Johnson reported that Lois Gay’s story offers a powerful window into the courage, skill, and unwavering commitment of Air Force Vietnam Veterans—men and women whose service often unfolded far from the spotlight but was indispensable to saving lives. Gay entered the Air Force in 1966 hoping to work in pediatrics, and her first assignment at Maxwell Air Force Base allowed her to fulfill that wish while forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. After flight school, she deployed to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, beginning a remarkable two-year mission that highlighted the extraordinary professionalism of Air Force medical evacuation teams.

As a flight nurse with the 6485th, Gay logged more than 1,000 flight hours while shuttling wounded service members—including U.S. Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Korean troops, and even Vietnamese POWs—through a network of bases spanning Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Operating from rugged four-engine propeller aircraft, Gay’s team could reach locations off-limits to larger planes, demonstrating the adaptability and resolve that defined Air Force crews in the Vietnam era. Despite clearly marked Red Cross symbols, their aircraft still came under occasional fire, a reminder that medical personnel faced real danger while carrying out their lifesaving missions.

Gay’s stories show the ingenuity and compassion that Air Force veterans brought to the war. Whether improvising feeding tools from tongue blades or comforting devastated patients, she and her fellow Air Force personnel embodied resourcefulness under pressure. After returning to the United States, Gay served two more years, began a family, and remained deeply connected to her Air Force roots through the Society of Air Force Nurses. Her participation in memorial tributes and the Women’s Memorial dedication speaks to her enduring pride—pride shared by all who recognize the greatness of Air Force Vietnam Veterans, whose service, sacrifice, and humanity continue to inspire.

Listen to Episode 3151 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Lois Gay who served in the Air Force as both a nurse and a pilot.