THE WALL OF FACES

Synopsis:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Ralph D. Storm, Jr., Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company L, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on 27 July 1969.
Home Town: Union City, California

Corporal Ralph Dorman Storm Jr., Served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Third Marine Amphibious Force.

At 1530 hours [3:30 PM] on July 27, 1969, a U.S. Marine Corps CH-46A helicopter (#154018), YT-10, from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (HMM 364), was on an emergency medevac mission 17 miles southwest of Da Nang, Quang Nam Province, RVN, when it was hit by hostile small arms and automatic weapons fire as it departed a pick-up zone. Disabled by the fire, YT-10 was observed by another Marine helicopter crew to attempt a landing on a plateau on top of a hill. Radio transmissions from the pilot of YT-10 indicated that he was loaded with medevacs and was suffering a hydraulic failure and flight control problems. The second crew observed YT-10 approach the hillside and abruptly drop below the rim and fly directly into the hillside. The aircraft rolled to bottom of a ravine and burst into flames. The other helicopter attempted to lower a crewman on a hoist to pick up survivors, however, burning jet fuel and ammo cooking off forced the rescue aircraft away. YT-10 completely burned in a matter of minutes. No survivors were recovered and eleven lives were lost in the incident. The lost crew of YT-10 included pilot 1LT Robert W. Armenio, co-pilot 1LT Daunt B. Sanders, crew chief CPL John T. McDaniel, gunners CPL John H. Harris Jr., GSGT Raymond Gibel, and LCPL Michael F. Gramlick, and corpsman HM1 Charles H. Hackworth. The five lost passengers were LCPL Leon R. Barickman, PFC Ronald J. Scharf, PFC Paul M. Du Charm, CPL Ralph D. Storm, and a wounded NVA soldier being transported for interrogation. CPL Storm's body was being evacuated after he was shot and killed while making a rescue attempt when the point man of his patrol was gunned down and killed. Storm received a Silver Star for his actions. LCPL Barickman was suffering from a severe leg infection and was taking the medevac back to the rear for treatment. He and PFC Du Charm were tasked with escorting the NVA prisoner on the flight. [Taken from popasmoke.com and vhpa.org]

I was with Lima 3/5 on the 27 of July 1969, a day I play over in my mind all these years later. After our point man was shot an killed, Ralph put himself directly in harms way to try and see if he could get to the downed Marine, unfortunately the rest is history, and Ralph never got to live out what I' m positive would have been a life in the service of our great country. The medevac chopper that came into retrieve our brave Marines took on the two KIA's the POW his escort, Marines rotating out and some going on R&R never made it either. As the chopper attempted to take off it was met by intense small arms fire from NVA soldiers all souls including the air crew were lost. May Ralph and all the brave Marines who died that day rest in peace. You are not forgotten each and every one of you are the best of the best this country has to offer. Semper Fi