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A soldier who “went rogue” in Vietnam
Posted by Michael Putzel • November 27, 2020
Army Staff Sergeant Ed Keith was supposed to be tending a secure, intelligence communications link during the U.S. and South Vietnamese 
invasion of Laos in 1971. Instead, he managed to get himself aboard a legendary cavalry commander’s helicopter and flew numerous dangerous reconnaissance missions until a 51-caliber machine gun bullet pierced the chopper’s skin and tore off his leg.
Keith suffered for decades from “phantom limb pain,” the sensation that the lost limb still hurt, sometimes severely and indefinitely. Ed never expressed regret about his ill-fated mission, but the drugs he was given for his pain took their own toll. My story about Ed Keith’s war and lifelong struggle is told in “Going Rogue“ in the December issue of Vietnam magazine published by Historynet.com.
3 thoughts on “A soldier who “went rogue” in Vietnam”
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Rings a faint bell; I’ll be delving.
A terrible, sad story from 50 years ago. Not ancient history to those who lived through it.
Ed Keith’s sacrifice cannot be overstated. Michael does an excellent job describing this soldier who marched to a different drum beat. Also Doug Bonnot’s leadership and ingenuity in the field come through in this article. It was an honor to have served with both men during Lam Son 719.