Vietnam Purple Heart Search

[Diamondrichlb]

Aloha,

I'm not sure this is the correct forum to post this into, but during a record search at home in regard to another issue I found a letter from a Captain to a Commanding General, United States Army Vietnam requesting I be awarded a Purple Heart for wounds suffered while flying a mission in the Vietnam Theater of Operations. I also have a copy of the treatment records from the emergency room. I remember the incident and going to the emergency room. I don't remember the application for the Purple Heart. The date of the letter requesting the Award was dated after my return from Vietnam. The Captain who took me to the emergency room has since died.

I requested a full records search from the National Personnel Records Center. When going thru the records they provided a couple months later, I do not see a request for the award of the PH, award of the PH, nor denial of the request for award of the PH. The letter from NPRC which came with the copy of my records states that since the PH is not shown as an awarded medal the request was turned down. It seems to me if the request was turned down there should be a record of the request and subsequent denial.

There is the issue that the mission I was flying was Top Secret. I don't know if it still is. That's way beyond my pay grade. Would that complicate the matter?

Can anyone suggest what my next step(s) should be?

Thanks for your help.

[Berta]

At this site ( I must leave soon) it has this award listed  for 225th AViation Company ( Surveillance Airplane)

( 1 May 1967 through 30 Sept, 1971:

Vietnam Unit Award:

Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Gold Star 

( Page 10- https://www.fold3.com/image/269871123)

More there but will check later.   and the citation is on page 4.

That is a Unit award! Congratulations!  But maybe that is already on your DD 214.???

 

 

 

[Berta]

“Retired Lt. Col. Alex Paruti had hundreds of flying hours in the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk when he joined the 225th Aviation Company “Phantom Hawks” at Phu Hiep, near the new U.S. airfield at Tuy Hoa, South Vietnam.”

"Paruti said the Mohawk’s job in Vietnam could be summarized by two kinds of surveillance missions – radar, using SLAR (OV-10B, D) and infrared, using an IR sensor (OV-10C). “The OV-10B’s SLAR looked out of both sides of the aircraft up to a distance of 45 kilometers and was really good at picking up moving targets. It could catch anything that moved at a speed greater than three kilometers per hour. We got very good at picking up North Vietnamese vehicles on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.” The Mohawk typically flew SLAR missions at a height of 7,000 feet (2,160 meters)."

 

From:

https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-ov-1-mohawk-remembered-firsthand-piloting-the-mohawk-in-vietnam/

I found a lot more but need to narrow it all down.....

 

 

[Berta]

By the 131st, do you mean the SPUDS?

131st Night hawks MICO (AS)

I saw your post at https://www.ov-1mohawkassociation.org/home/where

 

"01 Aug 2019.  I was TDY to Thailand in 1971 as a pilot for the 225th SAC. As the war shut down we handed off the mission to the 73rd I have been told. I am looking for a pilot from the 73rd SAC who was TDY to Thailand in December of 1971. I wish I knew his name. He was a 1st LT at the time.

He flew with me one night as a right seater as I helped him learn the mission. On December 1, 1971 we took some enemy fire with one round coming into the cockpit and hitting the oxygen regulator causing some shrapnel to embed into my lower leg. I’d like to touch base with this gentleman if anyone has any idea who it might have been. Thank you. Rich Bockhaus" 

I didnt add your email her but this post was a good idea!

Maybe I misunderstood your thread here---I thought you were in Vietnam ( Tuy Hoa )boots on ground...(at the base) but understand your ops came out of Udorn, Thailand.

"The units parenthetical identification was changed from (Aerial Surveillance) to (Surveillance Airplane) effective 15 May 1969.

Authority: General Order 379, US Army, Pacific, 9 May 1969


The unit was reduced to zero strength and departed Vietnam for United States Army, Europe on 28 April 1972

Authority: LOI DAAG-PAP-A(M), 18 February 1972
DAMO-ODT, 25 February 1972


The 73d Aviation Company was redesignated as the 73d Military Intelligence Company effective 30 June 1973.

Authority: General Order 487, US Army, Europe and Seventh Army, 15 February 1974"

https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=PublicUnitProfile&type=Unit&ID=56459

Do you recognize anyone here:

http://www.73rdaviationcompany.org/guestbook/guestbook.php

 

 

[Diamondrichlb]

Yes, I was in Vietnam. I flew Birddogs for a month out of Kontum, then was assigned to the 225th in Phu Hiep. I flew the Mohawk using SLAR and then IR out of that base.

I flew the Mohawk out of Phu Hiep then Tuy Hoa. Then, we picked up the TDY mission operating out of Thailand. The 131st, I think they were the Spuds, had the mission immediately before us, as I remember. This mission was a 6 month assignment. As I remember, I was assigned to Thailand after I volunteered for my second posting to Vietnam. I was ordered out of Vietnam after the first 6 months of my second year. From there I was assigned to Helicopter Qualification Course. I believe that is when and where the request for the Purple Heart originated. The incident was on December 1, 1971 while flying over Laos.

When I left Vietnam in January of '72 another Mohawk unit was going to take over from us in Thailand. I have been told by my roommate in Thailand at the time, that the 73rd was taking over. The night I was injured I was training a new 1st. Lt pilot. He was operating the IR equipment in the right seat and because it was a full moon and we were only about 500 above ground level, he saw the guys on the ground that hit our aircraft. I have been looking for that 1st Lt. as a witness to the event. Even though I have the letter from a Captain Reynolds requesting the Purple Heart be awarded, and the 600 medical report, I thought another witness would be good to have.

I appreciate your help. Let me know if you need any other info.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Diamondrichlb

[Berta]

Thanks again---I was going to ask if you had any good documented medical evidence and you do!

You mentioned that you felt the BCMR would be the best place to determine if you should have received the Purple Heart-instead of filing a DD 149.

You certainly have enough evidence for them to check that out.

It is heartbreaking to me to know that many veterans did not get their proper awards on their DD 214s.

I am so glad my husband did, via the DD 149, before he died.

I will continue to search for more info on your unit.....

You said the Captain who sent the letter to the General had died...have you googled the Commanding General's name? 

My daughter ( USAF INTEL) helped 5 Vietnam vets not only get their proper VA compensation, but also get more medals, decorations then they ever knew they had been awarded.One of them got the Distinguished Flying Cross. They had been involved in a horrific fire fight. Sometime after that, one of them found a piece of paper on the ground that contained their Names and Service numbers and everything else was in Vietnamese, and he thought it was a hit list.

My daughter was a Vietnamese linquist.She translated the document carefully , and added her credentials, and found that it was from a prominent S. Vietnam General and after each name there was a description of the fire fight and how these men ,individually , had saved many lives that day.

My point is that nothing is impossible and details are everything.This was from a vet from the older hadit board who contacted me- maybe around 2002 ? and  it  had taken  them all some time to find each other , by using the internet ( more limited in those days than now) but they did succeed, and unfortunately a 6th member at this firefight, they learned, was deceased. (Time is our enemy)

One of the vets already had a PTSD rating from VA and was willing to share  his award with the other veterans because it involved the exact same incident and told them to use it to support their claims. My daughter only had the document to go by.That vet's "buddy statement" along with his award fully supported the information in the document, that my daughter translated.I dont know if any of the vet's used the vet's SC award for their claims. They didnt need it with the professional translation she did for them.

Is there anything here that might help?

such as :

loyd Kohman, e-mail, 04.08.2017 04:46

Was at Tuy Hoa in 71 . Seen lots of Mohawks taking off and landing . They were great to see and be around. I was in the 225 th. SAC. Worked with Larry Moody in the shop

Or

James Fulwood, e-mail, 06.06.2017 03:28

73rd Av Co 10/69 10/70. 11/70 73 293rd Ft Hood Tx.

Survived the move from Vung Tau in early 70. 
or

Floyd Kohman, e-mail, 31.05.2016 00:28

Was with the 225 th Avn. Company in Tuy Hoa , Vietnam Nam in 1971. We had a great CO and lot of good pilots.Happy Memorial Day !!!

http://www.aviastar.org/comments/comments.php?aircraft=0479

 

 

Edited September 23, 2019 by Berta

[Diamondrichlb]

It's great that your daughter has been able to help so many. For those of us having never dealt with the military mumbo jumbo it's really helpful to have folks like you offer a path forward.

I'll see if any of those emails work and if there is any helpful info on the other end.

Thanks again.