Info Sheet - 1LT James B. "Jim" Starling
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I was a 1LT slick pilot (call sign Centaur 27) in the Centaurs my last 3.5 Months in RVN. My nickname was "Blackbird". I arrived in VN in May 1971 and was assigned to A Co./158 Avn. Batt./101st Airborne (Ghostriders) at Camp Evans in I Corp. In Dec. 1971 the 101st stood down and I received an in-country transfer to the Centaurs. I arrived shortly before Christmas 1971 at Lai Khe. About a month later we moved into Long Binh. I remained there until receiving orders to go home on March 28, 1972. My DD214 shows my last duty assignment to be F Troop.
Some of the guys I served with while in the Centaurs were Steve Suiter, Roger Blaha, Jackie White, Mike Hannah (Slick Platoon Leader), John Durkin, Captain Ron Radcliffe, BB (I actually picked him up when he was shot down on Jan. 30, 1972), Rodney Lacewell, James Hamrick, Dan Voner, John Thorkelson, Charles O’Connell, Greg Wilson, and others. I have photos of all of these guys and others. Additionally I have the names and photos of several other pilots that are not on your roster which I can provide.
I have 8mm film of White receiving his Silver Star. I also have some film taken while flying (LOH Left Seat) with Rodney Lacewell a couple of weeks before he was wounded in mid-February.