Scope and Contents

The collection consists of images and personal recollections documenting Wes Sims' service as a helicopter pilot with the 3rd Brigade Task Force, 25th Infantry Division (and later 4th Infantry Division) in Vietnam from November 1966 to November 1967. Also included are slides documenting Wes Sims' service as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam during 1966-1967.

Biographical / Historical

Lieutenant Colonel Wes Sims was born in 1935 in Nineveh, Kentucky. He volunteered for the U.S. Army Infantry in 1957. He served for a total of 22 years, one of which he served in Southeast Asia. He served with the 3rd Brigade Task Force - first with the 25th Infantry Division from November 1966 until July 1967 and then (when the unit's flag changed) with the 4th Infantry Division from July to November 1967.

During the Vietnam War, he held the following positions: FW/RW Pilot, Scout Pilot, Brigade Aviation Officer, and Airfield Commander stationed at Duc Pho and Pleiku. He held a rank of Major during his service in Southeast Asia. He received the Air Medal for service in Vietnam.

After his military service in Vietnam, Lieutenant Colonel Sims worked as a Systems Staff Officer at Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) where he worked with various helicopters including the Black Hawk (1976), the Apache (1976-1977), and the Hellfire (1976-1977). He retired from the U.s. Army in 1979. After his military service, he worked as a Computer Programmer and an Adjunct Professor and Computer Services Manager at the University of Washington in Seattle.