Terry Wilund Biography
I joined the Army in January 1966 and completed Warrant Officer Flight Training (Class 66-23/67-1) in March 1967. I served in Vietnam from October 1967 to October 1968 initially flying UH-1 “slicks” for the 195th AHC (Sky Chiefs) and then flying “slicks” for the 191st AHC (Boomerangs). During my one year tour, I flew 1,234 combat hours, received the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with numeral 36.
Upon my return from Vietnam I was assigned as an instructor pilot for the Department of Tactics at the U.S. Army Helicopter Training Center at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. In December 1969 I left active duty and returned to St. Louis.
In January 1970 I returned to college; that same month I joined the Missouri Army National Guard in order to continue flying helicopters. I flew the OH-23, the OH-58, and the UH-1 with the Missouri National Guard. In 1988 I retired as a Chief Warrant Officer CW4, Master Army Aviator.
On the civilian side of my life, in October 1971 I became a police officer with the St. Louis County Police Department. In August 1972 I was assigned to the department’s Bureau of Flight Operations as a helicopter pilot. I flew Bell-47 and MD-500 helicopters for the police as a patrol pilot and as the department’s instructor pilot until I left the police department in May 1989. While I was with the St. Louis County Police Department, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Northeast Missouri (Truman) State University.
From May 1989 until my retirement in June 2008 I flew medical helicopters for ARCH Air Medical Services in St. Louis. While with ARCH, I flew 5,200 emergency medical flights.
I hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate with a helicopter rating and an instrument rating. During my 42 year flying career, I have flown a total of 18,600 accident-free helicopter hours.
