THE WALL OF FACES

An Award 42 years in Coming (L.A. Times, September 23, 2010)
A wartime hero in Laos receives the Medal of Honor posthumously.
During a secret mission in Laos 42 years ago, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger repeatedly braved hostile fire as he helped three wounded airmen onto a helicopter after their radar station was surrounded by North Vietnamese soldiers. Etchberger was the last to climb into the helicopter, but he was killed by ground fire as it took off. Etchberger’s heroic acts were kept secret until details about the Vietnam-era secret mission were released more than two decades later. On Tuesday, President Obama awarded Etchberger the Medal of Honor. His three sons, who were told their father had died in a helicopter crash in Vietnam, accepted the award at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. “This medal reflects the gratitude of an entire nation,” Obama told Steve, Richard and Cory Etchberger.“ Today your nation finally acknowledges and fully honors your father’s bravery. ”Etchberger was a radar technician from Hamburg, PA–one of 19 Americans handpicked to work at the remote station on one of Laos’ tallest mountains. The station, secret because it was outside the war zone, directed American pilots in the air campaign against North Vietnam. Of the 19 men selected for the mission, seven survived the attack, three as a direct result of Etchberger’s actions. “The enemy lobbed down grenade after grenade, hour after hour,” Obama said. Etchberger and his comrades spent the night kicking and throwing the grenades down the mountain. Despite being a technician with no formal combat training, Etchberger took charge during the attack and single-handedly defended the station while coordinating American airstrikes and directing rescue crews to the remote location.“ I had never seen my dad pick up a weapon,” Richard Etchberger, who was 10 when his father died, said after the ceremony. The morning after the attack, a helicopter arrived to transport the remaining men to safety. Etchberger helped three men into rescue slings. John Daniel, one of the men Etchberger helped evacuate, was present for the ceremony. Richard Etchberger said his father, who loved his job and the Air Force, would have been humbled by the award. Etchberger was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross in 1968, the highest honor the Air Force can bestow. Even then, Etchberger’s sons did not know the details of their father’s death. Catherine Etchberger, who died before her husband was awarded the Medal of Honor, knew the details of his death but was sworn to secrecy. “Our nation endures because there are patriots like Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger,” Obama said.

brPRESIDENT TO AWARD AIR FORCE MEDAL OF HONOR TO MOST HEROIC VIETNAM-ERA AIRMANbrbrAMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICEbrbrWASHINGTON, D.C. - 7 September 2010 –brbrA fallen Vietnam War-era airman will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor for heroism from President Barack Obama during a 21 September White House ceremony.brbrUnited States Air Force Chief Master Sergeant RICHARD LOY “ DICK ” ETCHBERGER was killed on 11 March 1968, in Laos, during the battle of Mount Phou Pha Thi.brbrNorth Vietnamese rangers overran a U.S. radar site where Etchberger maintained equipment in support of the U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam.brbrEtchberger, a Hamburg, Pennsylvania, native, risked his life repeatedly during the battle to ensure the safety of his troops.brbrEtchberger held off enemy fighters with an M-16 rifle while directing air strikes and air rescue from his radio.brbrHis actions saved the lives of some of his crew who were unable to hold their fighting positions, according to a White House statement.brbrHe put himself in harm’s way again when rescue helicopters arrived, exposing himself to heavy enemy fire as a decoy, allowing three wounded troops to safely board the hovering helicopter.brbrThough his actions ensured his men’s safety, Etchberger was fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the rescue helicopter, the statement said.brbrAir Force Secretary Michael B. Donley nominated Etchberger for the award after a 2008 board reviewed Etchberger’s actions.brbrThe Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military recognition, and is awarded to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.brbrEtchberger’s sons -- Cory Etchberger, Richard Etchberger and Steve Wilson -- will join President Obama at the White House to commemorate their father’s example of selfless service and sacrifice.brbrEtchberger served in the Air Force from 1951 until his death.brbrHe served in the electronics career field in Mississippi, Utah, Morocco, North Dakota, the Philippines, Illinois and South Vietnam.brbrHe was 35 years old at the time of his death.brbr====================brbrBATTLE OF LIMA SITE 85brbrDuring the Vietnam War Chief Master Sergeant RICHARD LOY ETCHBERGER was among a group of airmen hand-picked for a classified mission: manning secret radar facilities in Laos.brbrAccording to the 1962 International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos, the United States was to have no military facilities in that country.brbrAs such, the selectees would officially become civilians employed by Lockheed Aircraft.brbrEtchberger was deployed to Lima Site 85, used to direct bombing missions against targets in Laos and North Vietnam.brbrThe site was staffed by sixteen " former " airmen, including Etchberger, two CIA agents, and one forward air controller.brbrLocal guerrilla fighters were hired to protect the base.brbrBetween November 1967 and March 1968, Lima Site 85 directed 27 percent of all air strike missions in Laos and North Vietnam.brbrWhen successful strikes were launched even through heavy cloud cover, the North Vietnamese realized that a radar facility must be nearby.brbrBeginning in January 1968, North Vietnamese troops began closing in on Site 85.brbrOn 13 January, the base was strafed by two An-2 Colts, killing several of the local guerrillas.brbrPlans were made to abandon and destroy the base, but they were not implemented in time.brbrIn the early morning hours of 11 March 1968, the site came under attack from North Vietnamese soldiers who had scaled the surrounding cliffs.brbrBy 3:00 a.m., Etchberger and six others were the only surviving Americans out of the original 19.brbrEtchberger tended to the wounded and fought off the advancing North Vietnamese troops until a rescue helicopter arrived.brbrHe then helped load the wounded onto slings to be lifted into the hovering aircraft before coming aboard himself.brbrAs the helicopter headed towards an air base in Thailand, it was hit by an armor-piercing round which severely wounded Etchberger; he bled to death soon after.brbrHe is buried in Saint Johns Cemetery in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. brbrEtchberger was recommended for the Air Force Medal of Honor shortly after his death, but the nomination was rejected by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.brbrThe Lima Site mission was still classified at the time, and the United States was not supposed to have soldiers in Laos.brbrEtchberger was instead awarded the second highest decoration, the Air Force Cross which was presented to his family during a secret ceremony at the Pentagon.brbrThe Lima Site mission was declassified fourteen years after Etchberger's death.brbrIt was only then that his sons learned their father's true fate; they had previously been told that he died in a helicopter accident.brbrIn the early 2000s, veterans of the Air Force's 1st Combat Evaluation Group began requesting that Etchberger's Air Force Cross be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.brbrThe upgrade was approved by Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley in 2008, and by the U.S. Congress in 2009.brbr====================br

brPRESIDENT TO AWARD AIR FORCE MEDAL OF HONOR TO MOST HEROIC VIETNAM-ERA AIRMANbrbrAMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICEbrbrWASHINGTON, D.C. - 7 September 2010 –brbrA fallen Vietnam War-era airman will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor for heroism from President Barack Obama during a 21 September White House ceremony.brbrUnited States Air Force Chief Master Sergeant RICHARD LOY “ DICK ” ETCHBERGER was killed on 11 March 1968, in Laos, during the battle of Mount Phou Pha Thi.brbrNorth Vietnamese rangers overran a U.S. radar site where Etchberger maintained equipment in support of the U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam.brbrEtchberger, a Hamburg, Pennsylvania, native, risked his life repeatedly during the battle to ensure the safety of his troops.brbrEtchberger held off enemy fighters with an M-16 rifle while directing air strikes and air rescue from his radio.brbrHis actions saved the lives of some of his crew who were unable to hold their fighting positions, according to a White House statement.brbrHe put himself in harm’s way again when rescue helicopters arrived, exposing himself to heavy enemy fire as a decoy, allowing three wounded troops to safely board the hovering helicopter.brbrThough his actions ensured his men’s safety, Etchberger was fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the rescue helicopter, the statement said.brbrAir Force Secretary Michael B. Donley nominated Etchberger for the award after a 2008 board reviewed Etchberger’s actions.brbrThe Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military recognition, and is awarded to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.brbrEtchberger’s sons -- Cory Etchberger, Richard Etchberger and Steve Wilson -- will join President Obama at the White House to commemorate their father’s example of selfless service and sacrifice.brbrEtchberger served in the Air Force from 1951 until his death.brbrHe served in the electronics career field in Mississippi, Utah, Morocco, North Dakota, the Philippines, Illinois and South Vietnam.brbrHe was 35 years old at the time of his death.brbr====================brbrBATTLE OF LIMA SITE 85brbrDuring the Vietnam War Chief Master Sergeant RICHARD LOY ETCHBERGER was among a group of airmen hand-picked for a classified mission: manning secret radar facilities in Laos.brbrAccording to the 1962 International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos, the United States was to have no military facilities in that country.brbrAs such, the selectees would officially become civilians employed by Lockheed Aircraft.brbrEtchberger was deployed to Lima Site 85, used to direct bombing missions against targets in Laos and North Vietnam.brbrThe site was staffed by sixteen " former " airmen, including Etchberger, two CIA agents, and one forward air controller.brbrLocal guerrilla fighters were hired to protect the base.brbrBetween November 1967 and March 1968, Lima Site 85 directed 27 percent of all air strike missions in Laos and North Vietnam.brbrWhen successful strikes were launched even through heavy cloud cover, the North Vietnamese realized that a radar facility must be nearby.brbrBeginning in January 1968, North Vietnamese troops began closing in on Site 85.brbrOn 13 January, the base was strafed by two An-2 Colts, killing several of the local guerrillas.brbrPlans were made to abandon and destroy the base, but they were not implemented in time.brbrIn the early morning hours of 11 March 1968, the site came under attack from North Vietnamese soldiers who had scaled the surrounding cliffs.brbrBy 3:00 a.m., Etchberger and six others were the only surviving Americans out of the original 19.brbrEtchberger tended to the wounded and fought off the advancing North Vietnamese troops until a rescue helicopter arrived.brbrHe then helped load the wounded onto slings to be lifted into the hovering aircraft before coming aboard himself.brbrAs the helicopter headed towards an air base in Thailand, it was hit by an armor-piercing round which severely wounded Etchberger; he bled to death soon after.brbrHe is buried in Saint Johns Cemetery in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. brbrEtchberger was recommended for the Air Force Medal of Honor shortly after his death, but the nomination was rejected by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.brbrThe Lima Site mission was still classified at the time, and the United States was not supposed to have soldiers in Laos.brbrEtchberger was instead awarded the second highest decoration, the Air Force Cross which was presented to his family during a secret ceremony at the Pentagon.brbrThe Lima Site mission was declassified fourteen years after Etchberger's death.brbrIt was only then that his sons learned their father's true fate; they had previously been told that he died in a helicopter accident.brbrIn the early 2000s, veterans of the Air Force's 1st Combat Evaluation Group began requesting that Etchberger's Air Force Cross be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.brbrThe upgrade was approved by Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley in 2008, and by the U.S. Congress in 2009.brbr====================br

On Silver Wings
They Flew The Skies
These Brave Young Men
Who Fought And Died
When Duty Called
They Went So Brave
Now families Mourn
Beside Their Grave
Who Can Forget
What Courage They Had
Some Have,Some Did
And That's So Sad

CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT


RICHARD LOY ETCHBERGER


was a posthumous recipient of the



AIR FORCE CROSS


PURPLE HEART



On 11 March 1968, Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger was manning a defensive position when the base was overrun by an enemy ground force.

The enemy was able to deliver sustained and withering fire upon this position from higher ground.

With his entire crew dead or wounded, Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger continued to return the enemy's fire thus denying them access to the position.

During this entire period, Chief Master Sergeant continued to direct air strikes and call for air rescue on his emergency radio, thereby enabling the air evacuation force to locate the surrounded friendly element.

When air rescue arrived, Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades in the rescue slings permitting them to be airlifted to safety.

As Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger was finally being rescued, he was fatally wounded by enemy ground fire.

His fierce defense, which culminated with the supreme sacrifice of his life, saved not only the lives of his three comrades but provided for the successful evacuation of the remaining survivors of the base.



*******************************************************************************



*ETCHBERGER, RICHARD LOY

Chief Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force

Date of Action: 11 March 1968

CITATION FOR POSTHUMOUS AWARD OF THE

AIR FORCE CROSS


The Air Force Cross is presented to Richard Loy Etchberger, Chief Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States. On 11 March 1968, Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger was manning a defensive position when the base was overrun by an enemy ground force. The enemy was able to deliver sustained and withering fire directly upon this position from higher ground. His entire crew dead or wounded, Chief Etchberger continued to return the enemy's fire thus denying them access to the position. During this entire period, Chief Etchberger continued to direct air strikes and call for air rescue on his emergency radio, thereby enabling the air evacuation force to locate the surrounded friendly element. When air rescue arrived, Chief Etchberger deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades in the rescuer slings permitting them to be airlifted to safety. As Chief Etchberger was finally being rescued, he was fatally wounded, by enemy ground fire. His fierce defense which culminated in the supreme sacrifice of his life, saved not only the lives of his three comrades but provided for the successful evacuation of the remaining survivors of the base. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE




14 February 1999