The Fort Wolters Trumpet (Fort Wolters, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, November 24, 1967 Page: 2 of 14
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Page 2-A, F~rt Wolters Trumpet, Friday, November 24, 1967
19 Aviators Receive DFC--
(Continued from Page 1)
vibrations, reads his citation,
"Captain Hodges calmly and
skillfully flew his aircraft back
to the base camp without fur-
ther damage." He received the
first oak leaf cluster to the
DFC for this action.
CPT WALTER KARPINIA
CPT Walter Karpinia was
awarded the first oak leaf clus-
ter to the DFC for his service
as commander of a team of
armed helicopters supporting
the pacification of a Vietnamese
village, Ap Dong Soc. While
providing cover for friendly
troops advancing towards the
village, he detected numerous
Viet Cong maneuvering through
the thick underbrush. As he cir-
cled at treetop level to observe
them more closely, his aircraft
received intensive automatic
weapons and small arms fire.
He instructed his pilot to make
low level firing passes while he
engaged the insurgent positions
with rocket and cannon fire.
After expending his heavy ord-
nance, Captain Karpinia had his
pilot circle directly over the
Viet Cong positions to enable the
door gunners to sweep the area
with machine gun fire. He con-
tinued making firing passes un-
til the Viet Cong were routed
completely and the friendly
troops could advance safely.
CPT ELDON V. FREEMAN
CPT Eldon V. Freeman dis-
tinguished himself while serv-
ing as aircraft commander of a
helicopter ambulance on a res-
cue mission near Due Pho, Viet-
nam. As he flew above the battle
area, he saw another dustoff
helicopter critically damaged
by hostile grenade fire. He
guided his craft through the
heavy fire toward the lights sig-
nalling him from the ground.
Despite the darkness and heavy
damage inflicted to his heli-
copter by grenades and small
m
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arms fire, he landed in the
midst of the firefight and super-
vised the loading of the casual-
ties. He soon became the main
target of the enemy grenadiers,
but he refused to leave the area
until the casualties were loaded.
Taking off through a hail of
enemy fire, he checked the dam-
age to his plane and skillfully
nursed it back to base.
CPT ROLLA M. BREED
CPT Rolla M. Breed receiv-
ed the first oak leaf cluster to
the DFC. His award was for ser-
vice as commander of a "Huey"
helicopter involved in hazard-
ous resupply of a forward artil-
lery base of the 3rd Bn., 4th
Inf. Div., in Vietnam.
The situation was considered
a tactical emergency because
the Viet Cong were attacking in
human waves with mortars and
automatic weapons. Their at-
tack with superior numbers of
more than five to one, was rap-
idly depleting the supply of am-
munition in the American de-
fensive positions. The 116th.
Assault Helicopter Company
was called upon to perform the
emergency resupply of the be-
leaguered unit. "Captain Breed
showed superb flying skill, ex-
treme devotion to duty, and un-
common discipline in the face of
intense enemy fire throughout
this encounter," his citation
reads. "He flew his aire raft into
and out of the landing zone heav-
ily loaded with ammunition and
casualties. During this time the
landing zone was under contin-
uous attack. Only through Cap-
tain Breed's skillful maneuver-
ing and professional accomp-
lishment was this mission suc-
cessfully completed."
CPT JAMES B. TATKO
CPT James B. Tatko distin-
guished himself while serving
as leader of a light fire team in
a recovery operation near Phu
Cong, Vietnam. The aircraft
which they were to recover had
crashed in a swampy area and
was completely surrounded by a
Viet Cong force armed with au-
tomatic weapons. A large re-
coilless rifle had destroyed one
aircraft and damaged another.
In order to place effective sup-
pressive fire on the enemy po-
sitions Captain Tatko led his
fire team in repeated low level
attacks against the heavily for-
tified positions.
CPT DURWARD M„ RUSH FORTH
CPT Durward M. Rushforth
distinguished himself while
serving as the leader of a fire
team of armed helicopters on
standby alert at Phu Loi Air-
field. The camp was suddenly
subjected to an intense mortar
barrage. Although mortar
rounds were falling all around
him, Captain Rushforth ran to
The Fort Wolters Trumpet
Published in the interest of
the military and civilian per-
sonnel at Fort Wolters, Texas,
every Friday by the Weather-
ford Democrat, Weatherford,
Texas. Policies and statements
reflected in the news and edi-
torial comments represent
views of the individual writers
and under no circumstances
are to be considered those of
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Advertisements _in this publi-
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vices advertised. All news
matter for publication should
be sent to the Information Of-
fice, THE WOLTERS TRUM-
PET, Fort Wolters, telephone
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Distribution: One copy per
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Advertising copy should be
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Subscription off post, $6.00 per
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Distribution on post, free0
his aircraft and began preparing
it for flight. Despite the short-
age of gunners, he led his fire
team in the direction from which
the fire was coming. When he
spotted flashes from the Viet
Cong mortar tubes, he deploy-
ed the aircraft to engage the
insurgent positions. He con-
tinued directing fire on the Viet
Cong until the mortar attack
had ceased. On his way back to
the airstrip, he received word
that a friendly Vietnamese ham-
let nearby was under Viet Cong
attack. He immediately led his
fire team to the scene of the
battle and began deploying them
to engage the insurgents. Des-
pite the intensive hostile fire
directed at his craft, he con-
tinued to direct his team's fire
against the Viet Cong until they
were completely routed.
1LT ALBERT W0 BURNETT
1LT Albert W. Burnett dis-
tinguished himself while pilot-
ing a utility helicopter carry-
ing men and supplies in support
of ground operations during Op-
eration Junction City.
When a friendly battalion,
which was receiving mortar
fire and ground assaults from a
Viet Cong regiment, requested
resupply of ammunition, Lieu-
tenant Burnett and his crew vol-
unteered for the mission. They
flew 24 resupply missions.
On several descents into the
landing zone, the helicopter re-
ceived heavy insurgent small
arms, automatic weapons and
mortar fire. Despite the danger,
Lieutenant Burnett calmly and
skillfully maneuvered his air-
craft through the hostile fire and
delivered the supplies. On sev-
eral occasions when the fire
was particularly intense, he
circled the area while his door-
gunner suppressed the insur-
gent fire, thus allowing the air-
craft to land.
CW2 RONALD G. JONES
CW2 Ronald G„ Jones distin-
guished himself while serving
as aircraft commander on a
mission supporting along range
reconnaissance patrol. He re-
ceived a call for an emergency
extraction of a patrol which had
made heavy contact with an
enemy force. Entering the area,
his aircraft became the target
of hostile fire. He directed his
ship into the landing zone, brav-
ing the intense enemy fire, and
demonstrating superior flying
skill. "His personal feelings for
his fellow fighting men per-
mitted the successful extract-
ion of the besieged patrol,"
reads his citation.
CW2 STEPHEN F. HAFNER
CW2 Stephen F. Hafner re-
ceived the first oak leaf cluster
to the Distinguished Flying
Cross for service as aircraft
commander of a "Huey" during
a combat support mission near
Bong Son, Vietnam. An infantry
unit became engaged with an
enemy force and requested
aerial fire support. Flying his
helicopter over the enemy posi-
tions, he drew hostile fire to
himself, relieving the pressure
on the ground unit. When a
medivae helicopter landed,
Chief Warrant Officer Hafner
continued to fly cover, drawing
enemy fire away from the res-
cue craft. Again exposing him-
self to the hostile fire he ac-
curately dropped smoke bombs
on the hostile emplacements.
CW2 STERLING J. ESSEN-
MACHER
CW2 Sterling J. Essenmacher
distinguished himself while
serving as aircraft commander
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of a command and control neli-
copter transporting key staff
officers to the Special Forces
Camp at Con Thien, Vietnam.
The camp had been under seige
by a numerically superior
enemy force when he volunteer-
ed to attempt to land at the camp
and assist with the extraction of
the wounded. Immediately upon
entering the area his aircraft
became the target of hostile
fire. He made four trips into
the hostile zone in order to aid
the beleaguered camp.
CW2 JOHN G. TEMEYER
CW2 John G. Temeyer dis-
tinguished himself while per-
forming an emergency extrac-
tion of a reconnaissance patrol
which was in danger of anni-
hilation by a superior Viet Cong
force. "Exhibiting superb flying
ability," his citation reads, "he
extracted two members of the
patrol by lowering 120 foot
ropes through the dense jungle-
and vertically extracting the
men. His actions, accomplish-
ed under hostile fire,prevented
the capture and possibly saved
the lives of the small patrol."
CW2 JAMES D. BURCHETT
CW2 James D. Burchett dis-
tinguished himself while serv-
ing as flight leader of rocket
artillery helicopters during an
emergency extraction of a Viet-
namese Ranger Patrol near
Bong Son, Vietnam.
Although weather conditions
were rapidly deteriorating,
Warrant Officer Burchett rush-
ed to the aid of the element.
Despite intense enemy ground
fire, Warrant Officer Burchett
ordered his section to the
attack. Even though they were
under intense enemy fire, and
the target was obscured by a
cloud layer, they were able to
place devastating fire on the
enemy positions.
CW2 MATTHEW GRITLEFELD
CW2 Matthew L. Gritlefeld
distinguished himself while
serving as pilot of a "Huey"
sent to Phung Hiep to support
elements of the 21st Vietnamese
Division engaged in abattlewith
two battalions of Viet Cong.
During the battle the trapped
insurgents had counter-attack-
ed, and fire support was urgent-
ly needed. Immediately, he be-
gan to engage the aggressor
lines placing accurate machine
gun fire upon them. On each
firing pass his ship received
intense hostile fire. Ignoring
this danger, he continued to
strike the enemy positions.
Realizing that his craft had sus-
tained damage, he elected to re-
main on station throughout the
night. By dawn the attack was
broken and his fire team was
given credit for more than 70
dead.
WOl MICHAEL R.BANKS
WOl Michael R. Banks dis-
tinguished himself as com-
mander of a helicopter assign-
ed the mission of extracting a
long range reconnaissance pa-
trol that was surrounded by a
20-man Viet Cong force north-
west of Dau Tieng. Warrant
Officer Banks maneuvered his
aircraft along treetop level to
gain the maximum element of
surprise. However, communi-
cations failed and he had to rely
on memory from aprevious re-
covery mission. He skillfully
performed the low-level navi-
gation, and made a vertical des-
cent into the surrounded landing
zone under constant enemy fire.
Warrant Officer Banks kept his
craft on the ground until the
patrol was loaded and then suc-
cessfully piloted the ship out of
the zone. <rWarrant Officer
Bank's judgement under diffi-
cult circumstances was highly
instrumental in saving the lives
of the five-man patrol," his
citation reads.
WOl JOHN A. BEYERS DO RF
WOl John A. Beyersdorf dis-
tinguished himself while serv-
ing as an aircraft commander
of an armed helicopter.
While on standby alert, the
Phu Loi Airfield received an
intensive mortar barrage. Al-
though mortars were falling all
around him, he prepared his
ship for take-off. Despite hav-
ing only one gunner, he directed
his pilot to fly in the direction
of the mortar fire. When he
spotted flashes from the Viet
Cong mortar tubes, he instruct-
ed his pilot to make low level
passes while he directed his
craft's armament at the insur-
gent positions and silenced
them.
While returning to the air-
field, he received word that a
nearby hamlet was under Viet
Cong ground attack. He immed-
iately flew his craft to the ham-
let and began making firing
passes. Despite intensive
ground fire directed at his ship,
he continued directing the ship's
weapons against the Viet Cong
until they were routed.
WOl HARVEY M.MULLIS
WOl Harvey M. Mullis was
awarded the first oak leaf clus-
ter to the DFC for service as
aircraft commander of a utili-
ty helicopter. He was assigned
the mission of picking up a
long range reconnaissance pa-
trol that had been spotted by
the Viet Cong. While approach-
ing the location of the patrol, he
saw that the dry grass in the
landing zone had caught fire.
"Despite the danger to him-
self and his aircraft," reads his
citation, "he calmly and skill-
fully guided the helicopter
through the smoke into the
clearing. He received heavy in-
surgent fire almost immediate-
ly. With complete disregard for
his personal safety, he remain-
ed in the clearing, directing
his doorgunners to fire on the
Viet Cong and calling for close-
in gunship support. When the
patrol members had threaded
their way through the burning
grass and boarded the aircraft,
he assisted the pilot in skill-
fully executing a vertical take-
off. This was necessary to avoid
being hit by the friendly gun-
ships firing around the edges of
the clearing. His courage and
determination were directly re-
sponsible for extracting the long
range reconnaissance patrol
unharmed from the Viet Cong
infested jungle and enabling
them to deliver their valuable
information to higher head-
quarters."
WOl GARY J. HABOVICK
WOl Gary J. Habovick dis-
tinguished himself while serv-
ing as commander of an air-
craft engaged in combat as-
sault operations near Due Pho,
Vietnam. On the initial approach
to the landing zone, the entire
formation of helicopters was
taken under a tremendous vol-
ume of hostile fire, resulting in
one downed helicopter. After
discharging his passengers, he
directed his pilot to take off,
circle the area, then attempt to
rescue the downed crew by set-
ting down in the exposed landing
zone. Even though the craft was
drawing intense enemy fire, he
ordered the craft to land. The
crew of the downed craft was
unable to reach the ship because
of the suppressive fire. Two
more times, Warrant Officer
Habovick landed and took-off
trying to get the crew. On the
fourth attempt, the crew was
able to reach the rescue ship.
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The Fort Wolters Trumpet (Fort Wolters, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, November 24, 1967, newspaper, November 24, 1967; Weatherford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth476252/m1/2/?q=war: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boyce Ditto Public Library.