Posthumous Honor
The US was not operating out of Laos in 1968. At least not officially. Laos was a neutral country during the war. Among the people and things that were not officially there at the time was the Air Force's 1043d Radar Evaluation Squadron, Detachment 1. Since there were officially no troops in Laos, the troops assigned to the 1043d wore civilian attire and were listed as employees of Lockheed.
Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger was the ground radar superintendent at Lima Site 85, which sat on Pupil Pha Thi, a 5,800 mountain in Laos. The mission? Guide B-52 bombers on their missions into North Vietnam. The site also served as a staging area for Hmong tribesmen who were helping our CIA and Special Forces personnel.
In early spring of 1968, the North Vietnamese launched a massive attack on the site. Using heavy artillery, they cut the 1043d off from infantry support, eventually breaking through the defensive perimeter entirely.
On 11 March, 1968, with precious little combat training, and only recently having been issued an M-16 rifle, Chief Etchberger's post came under intense attack from small arms fire and grenades. With everyone else at his post either killed or injured, the Chief alone held off enemy forces with his newly issued rifle, while simultaneously calling in air strikes and coordinating rescue operations from his emergency radio.
His efforts paid off as the enemy was kept at bay long enough for rescue helicopters to ingress into the fire zone. Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, Chief Etchberger lifted his wounded brothers in arms into rescue slings as they were hoisted into the chopper. Finally, it was his turn to be rescued. But as he was being lifted to safety, Chief Etchberger was shot and killed.
Yesterday, at the White House, the President of the United States presented the Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger. His sons, Steve, Richard, and Corey, received the medal on his behalf. The President read from a letter that Chief Etchberger had written shortly before his death.
"I hate to be away from home, but I believe in the job. It's the most challenging job I'll ever have in my life. I love it."
Chief Etchberger's family was not told of the details of his death for many years due to the classified nature of the mission. The details having been declassified, the American people now benefit from another story of heroism under fire. A story of a citizen who gave everything for his comrades, his family, and his country. Thank you, Chief Etchberger. God bless, and rest in peace, sir.
- Comment (14)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
May '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
Thanks for the story. Agreed, thanks and God bless.
It's easier being hopeful about America's future when I'm reminded of some of the amazing people who support it.
Aug '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
I was glad to see the Medal finally awarded, and A-men for that. But there have been many great men like him since 2002, and it's inexcusable, perhaps unforgivable, that they have been neglected by our Prince-of-Darkness-in-Chief.
Re: Posthumous Honor
The good people who serve today are made of the same stuff. Few things are as tenacious as the combined force of free people. Now if we can only muster some politicians with spines...
Jun '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
If I could give the Etchberger family the entire LBJ Ranch, to go with it, I would.
Re: Posthumous Honor
Etoiledunord, you and me both. Great thought.
Jun '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
I am very pleased when valor is recognized and I certainly don't take anything away from Chief Etchberger when I say that he would probably be embarrassed by the award. Every winner of high honors for valor that I know -- and I know several -- is vaguely puzzeled because he doesn't think that he did anything that almost everyone in his unit wouldn't have done under the circumstances. One said to me about his Distinguished Flying Cross "I probably deserve one for the time... [another instance] but, that day, I just did what I had to do." What he "just had to do" was to take his Huey back around to the LZ when the squad he had just inserted ten minutes before was jumped on by a Viet Cong company. The squad he pulled out was six living, four KIA. My point is that most heroes don't think they are that exceptional, and the glory of American service men and women is that they probably aren't.
PS A great memior of the secret war in Laos: Flying Through Midnight by John T. Halliday
Re: Posthumous Honor
Pilgrim, you are exactly right. Most recipients of awards for valor really don't believe they did anything exceptional, but were instead just doing their jobs. The sniper I had the honor of talking to a few weeks ago is a prime example. Oh, he will trade humorous stories about the military all day, but it's tough to open up about the more serious aspects of it. Most folks really wouldn't understand, and they may be better off that way. Just ordinary folks fighting for an extraordinary and, yes, exceptional country. And by the way, thank Pilgrim, for your service.
Re: Posthumous Honor
I saw that Dave; will have a reference on the WSJ show. When I was at the White House, the most moving ceremonies were for the Medal of Honor winners. Almost all died in the act that earned them their nation's highest decoration.
It seems a sign of the times that this kind of thing is barely news in America today. The rarity alone should make it big news. But we now have a class of Americans that no longer knows what the Medal of Honor means, much less have these stories put before us to inspire new generations. And only the awardee's local newspaper puts it on the front page.
May '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
Dave, does the military make records of service and specific causes for awards publicly available for regular soldiers? I didn't get many stories out of my relatives before they died. I'd love to learn more about their individual service histories.
Re: Posthumous Honor
Aaron, some, but all, of the records are still available. There used to be a large repository in St. Louis, but it caught fire years ago, and much was lost. The National Archives houses a good many personnel records. Also, depending on the branch of service your relatives served in, and assuming you know the unit to which they were assigned, the historians should be able to provide you with unit data on unit operations during the relevant time frame to give you an idea of what your relative was a part of. Let me know if you need help and I will see what I can shake loose from my old contacts.
Re: Posthumous Honor
Bill, thanks for shining a larger spotlight on this than I ever could. Approval for this medal is, rightly, an arduous process, and these heroes have earned a prominent place in our history. I share your concern that so many of our countrymen are so divorced from the reality of the sacrifices that have been made on their behalf.
Jul '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
Just MORE proof that if America fails, it will be Our Own fault.
Thank you, Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger.
R.I.P.
May '10
Re: Posthumous Honor
As the only Lao speaker (with one exception, perhaps) on Ricochet I'll make a small correction it's not "Pupil Pha Thi, a 5,800 mountain in Laos." It's Phu Pha Thi (pronounced poo pah tea in English). Phu means mountain and Pha Thi probably means "cliff place" but I can't be sure without seeing it written in Lao.
Re: Posthumous Honor
Good catch, outstripp. I'm reduced to using my smart phone, and the virtual keyboard routinely replaces unfamiliar words with other words without asking me first. I go back and change them, but I don't always catch everything. Thanks for the correction.