Info Sheet - CPT Stephen R. Pullen
……………………………....................…comments from his daughter Stephanie………………………………………………………………
Steve Pullen was born on Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico, where his father was serving at the time. His family eventually settled in Florida, where he finished high school and started college, but his status changed and he was drafted into the Army in 1968.
He opted for officer training, and then trained to fly Cobra attack helicopters. Sent to Vietnam in 1970, he was assigned to lead an aerorifle platoon in the 2/17 Cavalry in the 101st Airborne Division. He did this between May and September, 1970, and participated in the Ripcord campaign.
He then became a scout helicopter pilot for another six months, participating in the Lam Son 719 operation in Laos in 1971.
He returned for a second tour in 1972, again as a scout helicopter pilot, and was there during the 1972 offensive, and served with F Troop of the 4th Cavalry until he was wounded. He spent another thirty years in the Army, including twenty in the Special Forces, and served in Grenada, Bosnia, Somalia and Iraq. Retired as a Full Colonel.
I'm Stephanie and Steve is my father. I now answer his emails. He no longer has long term memory and his short term memory gets worse with each passing day. He has more bad days than good. I do know he was in F Troop for a very short time before being badly wounded. This happened before I was born.
Many years ago at a VHPA reunion in Florida we ran into a F Troop pilot that picked him up when he was shot down. I don't remember his full name but my father introduced him to me as "Pappy." They went into a hotel room just the two of them, closed the door and talked for almost an hour.
His daughter Stephanie: My father left Vietnam after his first tour in May 1971. He got into some trouble at Ft. Bragg and his commander worked some deal and my father was sent back to Vietnam in February 1972 to the same unit he left in May 1971. Upon arrival he was informed the 101st Division was leaving Vietnam and going to a base in either Kentucky or Tennessee. He thought he would immediately be going back to the states. So he called my mother and told her so. Shortly after making that call my father and several other pilots were reassigned to other aviation units remaining in Vietnam.
When I was growing up he never talked about his Vietnam experiences except at reunions. After each reunion he was basically a basket case and eventually stopped going. I think he has survivor guilt. Vietnam must have been a terrifying experience for all of you.
Thanks for reaching out and contacting him. I learned more from his taped interview than I ever knew. I wish my mother could have seen it. I think I have a better understanding now why he did not want to talk about his Vietnam experiences. I showed him your web page but got no response.
Bruce thanks for your military service and for keeping the veteran's of F Troop connected. May god bless you.
Stephanie Jan 2025