HONORED ON PANEL 22W, LINE 57 OF THE WALL
MARK DENNIS CLOTFELTER
WALL NAME
MARK D CLOTFELTER
PANEL / LINE
22W/57
DATE OF BIRTH
CASUALTY PROVINCE
DATE OF CASUALTY
HOME OF RECORD
COUNTY OF RECORD
STATE
BRANCH OF SERVICE
RANK
REMEMBRANCES
LEFT FOR MARK DENNIS CLOTFELTER
POSTED ON 4.28.2004
POSTED BY: Ron Pariseau, A Viet Nam Vet 67-69
NOT JUST A NAME, DEAR SISTER
I did not know your Brother, but as a Viet Nam Combat Vet, I can tell you that he is NOT just a name on the wall. He is my Brother, he was my Protector in Nam. He is NOT JUST A NAME ON THE WALL, HE IS MY BROTHER!
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POSTED ON 7.18.2000
POSTED BY: Susan Clotfelter Blaker
The Cobra
Suddenly last September, my Father passed away. I realized there were so many things I forgot to ask, forgot to say. Now it was too late. I thought about Mark, my brother killed in Vietnam when I was 14. He wasn't suppose to die! He was suppose to come home like he did when he went to Ft. Polk and Ft. Rucker.
27 years later I had a lot of unanswered questions about him and what he did those last nine months of his life. I had pictures and slides. I decided to begin there, to find someone Mark flew with in Vietnam. I tried to locate 3 different men through the phone book listings on the Internet.
After several weeks I found one man, Marks commanding officer at the time he was KIA.
Letters that I had sent out all over the country came trickling in for several more weeks. I posted an request on the VHFCN guest book on April 19 and that very day I heard from Jack Taber. His Army issued number was very close to Marks and in fact they were at flight school together. We corresponded daily. I told my oldest sister what I was doing and she joined in the search.
Encouraging notes came from Julie Kink, Art Cline and from people I still don't know where they got my address from. I sent Jack a couple of photos I had made from slides to see if he could I.D. a patch on someone. He writes BINGO! He recognized another guy from Ft Rucker that went to VN with Mark! Bob Whitford was the connection to the rest of the Pink Panthers.
That day, May 12th . . . less than a month after the first contact with Jack Taber......I was in touch with 3 Pink Panthers. I am convinced without computers, VHFCN and Jack Taber I would still be searching. They invited my sister and me to the VHPA reunion in Florida as their guests.
Orlando was very emotional, fun and brought me full circle with my quest for information about Mark.
To get to know a brother better, 28 years later. I sat in a Cobra . . . one of 3 helicopters at the banquet. A feeling I had to put into words for these 2 very special guys who were there with me from start to finish.
Written for Jack Taber and Bob Whitford
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Reunion
July 6, 1997
by Susan Clotfelter Blaker
27 years later I had a lot of unanswered questions about him and what he did those last nine months of his life. I had pictures and slides. I decided to begin there, to find someone Mark flew with in Vietnam. I tried to locate 3 different men through the phone book listings on the Internet.
After several weeks I found one man, Marks commanding officer at the time he was KIA.
Letters that I had sent out all over the country came trickling in for several more weeks. I posted an request on the VHFCN guest book on April 19 and that very day I heard from Jack Taber. His Army issued number was very close to Marks and in fact they were at flight school together. We corresponded daily. I told my oldest sister what I was doing and she joined in the search.
Encouraging notes came from Julie Kink, Art Cline and from people I still don't know where they got my address from. I sent Jack a couple of photos I had made from slides to see if he could I.D. a patch on someone. He writes BINGO! He recognized another guy from Ft Rucker that went to VN with Mark! Bob Whitford was the connection to the rest of the Pink Panthers.
That day, May 12th . . . less than a month after the first contact with Jack Taber......I was in touch with 3 Pink Panthers. I am convinced without computers, VHFCN and Jack Taber I would still be searching. They invited my sister and me to the VHPA reunion in Florida as their guests.
Orlando was very emotional, fun and brought me full circle with my quest for information about Mark.
To get to know a brother better, 28 years later. I sat in a Cobra . . . one of 3 helicopters at the banquet. A feeling I had to put into words for these 2 very special guys who were there with me from start to finish.
Written for Jack Taber and Bob Whitford
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Reunion
July 6, 1997
by Susan Clotfelter Blaker
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POSTED ON 11.30.1999
POSTED BY: Susan Clotfelter Blaker
Our Brother Is Not Just A Name On The Wall:
Mark loved sports cars, the Beach Boys, photography, Jan and Dean, The Ventures, Sherry, playing chess and
flying. Mark was our only brother, and we hope you see that he is not just a name on The Wall..........he was a son,
a brother, a friend, a cousin, a nephew, an uncle, a brother-in-law, and a fine pilot.
Mark began his tour in Vietnam on September 25,1968. He was assigned to the 361st Aviation Company Escort,
The Pink Panthers, stationed at Camp Holloway in the Central Highlands. This unit primarily flew support for SOG
(Studies and Observations Group) a joint service, highly classified, unconventional and clandestine operation. These
missions were dangerous and demanding for both the ground elements and the supporting air assets. The 361st flew
support for teams being inserted along the Cambodian and Loatian borders. These teams were from the 5th Special
Forces based at Kontum.
Mark flew the AH-1G Cobra Helicopter for 9 months. During this time he was shot down twice, before being
Killed in Action. On a mission not normally flown by the 361st, Mark as aircraft commander and Warrant Officer
Michael Mahowald as pilot, on June 16, 1969, were shot down by hostile fire while scouting a remote highway for a
convoy.
During his brief military career Mark was awarded the Army Aviator Badge, the Distinguished Flying Cross with
two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" for Valor, the Air Medal with 21
oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Vietnam Merit Medal with
one bronze service star, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Mark's name appears on Panel 22 West, Line 57 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was
22 years old. He was the 22nd person to be Killed In Action from our hometown of Hialeah, Florida.
Submitted and Remembered by:
Proud Sisters
Susan Clotfelter Blaker
Nida Dee Dubel
Redina Miller
Linda Waldron
flying. Mark was our only brother, and we hope you see that he is not just a name on The Wall..........he was a son,
a brother, a friend, a cousin, a nephew, an uncle, a brother-in-law, and a fine pilot.
Mark began his tour in Vietnam on September 25,1968. He was assigned to the 361st Aviation Company Escort,
The Pink Panthers, stationed at Camp Holloway in the Central Highlands. This unit primarily flew support for SOG
(Studies and Observations Group) a joint service, highly classified, unconventional and clandestine operation. These
missions were dangerous and demanding for both the ground elements and the supporting air assets. The 361st flew
support for teams being inserted along the Cambodian and Loatian borders. These teams were from the 5th Special
Forces based at Kontum.
Mark flew the AH-1G Cobra Helicopter for 9 months. During this time he was shot down twice, before being
Killed in Action. On a mission not normally flown by the 361st, Mark as aircraft commander and Warrant Officer
Michael Mahowald as pilot, on June 16, 1969, were shot down by hostile fire while scouting a remote highway for a
convoy.
During his brief military career Mark was awarded the Army Aviator Badge, the Distinguished Flying Cross with
two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" for Valor, the Air Medal with 21
oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Vietnam Merit Medal with
one bronze service star, and the National Defense Service Medal.
Mark's name appears on Panel 22 West, Line 57 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was
22 years old. He was the 22nd person to be Killed In Action from our hometown of Hialeah, Florida.
Submitted and Remembered by:
Proud Sisters
Susan Clotfelter Blaker
Nida Dee Dubel
Redina Miller
Linda Waldron
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