Dartmouth Vietnam Project

Oral History Interview with Ernest Paul (Rusty) Sachs

Sachs, Ernest Paul (Rusty)

Ernest Paul (Rusty)

Sachs

Brandyn Humberstone

Ernest Paul "Rusty" Sachs was born 7 May 1944 in St. Louis, Missouri. Rusty's father was in the Army and served in Normandy as a battalion surgeon. After Rusty's father left the Army in 1946, his family spent time in Normandy and France before returning to the United States. The majority of his childhood was spent growing up in Norwich, Vermont, where he graduated from Hanover High School. In 1961, Rusty moved to Gernoble, France after being waitlisted at Harvard. He attended L'Externat Notre-Dame, Université de Grenoble until he was accepted at Harvard the following year. After two years, Rusty left Harvard and joined the United States Marine Corps. He made his way into the Marine Aviation Cadet Program (MARCAD), a unique program where enlisted Marines with two years of college experience could become pilots and earn a commission as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Rusty was sent to Vietnam in July of 1966 as a replacement pilot and was assigned to H-34 helicopter squadron HHM-362, which at the time was based out of Ky Ha. During Rusty's time in Vietnam, he flew 725 combat missions with his primary role being the medical evacuation of wounded soldiers and Marines. After returning from Vietnam, Rusty went back to Harvard to finish his bachelor's degree. He became involved with the group known as Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) as a speaker and organizer. In 1974, Rusty returned to Norwich, Vermont, and attended Vermont Law School in 1975. After one term in the Vermont House of Representatives, Rusty practiced law until 1999. Once he stopped practicing law, he returned to training flight instructors. He served as the Executive Director of the National Association of Flight Instructors until 2007. Rusty and Marlene Sachs are now retired and live in Norwich, Vermont.

May 4, 2023 and May 8, 2023

Military Service (Marines)

Political Participation

Protest/Antiwar Activism

Upper Valley Resident

Vietnam Veteran

English

//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/sachs_rusty/sachs_rusty.mp3