On this Veterans Day, the Helicopter Association International pauses to extend its thanks and appreciation to the men and women who have piloted helicopters and other rotorcraft in service of their country.

From the earliest combat rescue missions late in World War II, through the Korean and Vietnam Wars when basic military helicopter doctrine was formulated, to the Gulf War and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, all branches of America’s military have come to depend heavily on the bravery of their rotorcraft pilots and the incredible versatility of those aircraft.

Along the way, military helicopter pilots have played vital roles in stemming humanitarian crises around the world, ferrying relief supplies to areas hard-hit by natural disasters. They fly rescue missions no one else would dare. And they played a vital role during America’s race to the moon, recovering NASA’s astronauts every time they returned from space.

So it is with gratitude that HAI, on behalf of its staff and members, marks this Veterans Day by paying tribute to all who have served their country with one hand on the cyclic and the other on the collective.