Earning a DFC
The more I learn about what it takes to earn a Distinguished Flying Cross, the more I am awed by the seven earned by our Cobra pilot, Terry Crump. You will be too, I think.
(Intro Note for those new here: I’m writing a book titled “It Was My Turn” about Terry Crump, a Vietnam Cobra pilot who earned a nearly unprecedented seven DFCs, (eight actually but he turned that one down). The Tardy Salute is an accompanying newsletter capturing some of what I am learning and interesting tidbits from my research–some of which may appear in Terry’s book in different form.)
Terry Crump’s seven DFCs is what caught my attention. I’ve known Terry for many years but when I found out about that number of DFCs, I wanted to hear his story. A mutual friend, Don, encouraged me to contact him, and then I ran into Terry at The Fork restaurant and the rest is, one might say, emerging history.
Getting a DFC is a big deal to me. When I wrote the story about WW2 P-38 pilot Joe Moser I stumbled across his DFC recognition in his squadron history. Humble Joe hadn’t told me about it. Where was it, I asked? He never received it. Somehow it got lost from the time of the award to his returning from POW after his nightmare stay in Buchenwald. But, through various channels we were able to get his citation from the Pentagon, and surprise him with a presentation by the Air Force Wing Commander at McChord Air Force Base with two of his elderly squadron mates standing next to him. He got his DFC about 65 years late. The former Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, who was the one to dig up his citation, presented it to him on bended knee. There were about 300 Air Force service personnel at that awards banquet and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. Talk about a tardy salute!
A bit of research dug up the fact that the most DFCs earned by any airman was 13 presented to Francis Gabreski. If you know anything about WW2 air history, you know about Gabreski. He was one of the most famous fighter pilots in US history with 28 confirmed kills in Europe, the most of any American fighter pilot. Then he added to this total flying jets in Korea where he was also an ace ending with 34.5 kills in both wars. Gabby was more than impressive.
What about Vietnam? I haven’t been able to find out the maximum number of DFCs awarded to any pilot in Vietnam. I do know that General Robin Olds, one of the most famous fighter pilots in both WW2 and Vietnam, ended his career with six from the US and one from the UK. Olds ended up with 17 kills in both wars but perhaps is most famous for taking over a struggling US fighter command in the Vietnam war flying out of Ubon, Thailand flying F-4 Phantoms. In Operation Bolo which he meticulously planned, he successfully lured North Vietnamese MIG 21s to come after the F-4s which through his ruse they thought were bombers instead. His group, which he personally led as he led almost every mission, shot down seven MIGs without any losses. This turned around the losses the USAF was experiencing prior to his arrival. Olds flew over 152 combat missions, with 105 recorded over Vietnam, but he actually flew more like 200 as he kept his name off the mission board as the higher ups would require him to stop flying. The North Vietnamese put a $25,000 reward on his head––that’s about a quarter of a million in today’s dollars.
It’s one thing for a super famous fighter pilot like Robin Olds to get a DFC or a few, but what about the ordinary pilots flying the jets, Skyraiders, Bird Dogs, Hueys or Cobras? Once again, former SOG One-Zero and SOG historian John Plaster helps provide the answer. In his book Secret Commandos we hear of RT Arkansas on a mission in Laos on July 17, 1969. There were two teams on the ground and in deep trouble, RT Hawaii and RT Arkansas led by Staff Sergeant Ralph Rodd. I had read about Rodd’s leadership of RT Arkansas in SOG Medic Joe Parner’s book. Joe had been a medic on some of Rodd’s missions.
Rodd’s team was in trouble with his One-One Sam Barras taking a shot between the eyes that was bleeding profusely but didn’t kill him. Rodd had two other Americans with him, including a volunteer, Captain Richard Moss. They were attacked and aside for Barras’ wound, had killed or wounded all ten of the NVA that attacked them. They formed a defensive perimeter and called for an emergency extraction. But, the monsoon weather had socked in and an extraction was impossible, and now they found they were surrounded by a much bigger group of NVA. Covey, the team of a pilot flying a light observation craft along with a seasoned SOG leader as observer told them to “stay high and dry,” meaning they should stay hidden and not move. They had to stay overnight with the enemy nearby and knowing where they were. They couldn’t escape stealthily because of Barras’ severe wound.
The second day the rain poured on them with no break in the weather in sight. They could hear the NVA talking and coughing. Air Force Captain Don Fulton was the Covey pilot flying above the clouds and team and he decided something had to be done to get the guys out. He studied his map carefully for there was nothing but steep hills and deep valleys below. He flew below the clouds and found a gap of about 1000 feet above the valley floor with the clouds covering the nearby ridges. But, he was above the team. There were two A-1 Skyraiders flying nearby above the clouds in case they could drop ordnance on the enemy. Fulton did something crazy. He radioed the Skyraiders to watch where he popped out of the clouds and go straight in there. He said:
“Watch where I break through; that’s the center of the valley. Dive right where you see me climb out and you’ll break through.”
He climbed through the heavy clouds and rain and in a few moments his push-pull Cessna Skymaster popped through, the Skyraiders dove and Rodd and his RT Arkansas team watched in amazement as the Skyraiders unloaded on the nearby enemy. Then Fulton met the Kingbees flown by the incredible pilots of the Vietnam Air Force’s 219th Helicopter Squadron, showed them a rabbit hole in the clouds and the Kingbees dropped through. The NVA, perhaps in amazement that they were facing the firepower of these machines in these weather conditions had pulled back and Rodd and team were extracted without another shot fired. Barras was flown to Japan and then to the US for surgery. Captain Fulton was awarded the DFC for his bravery and flying skill.
He would earn another about a month later. This involved RT New York (for those new here, SOG’s recon teams out of Kontum where Terry flew were named after states. Those from other Forward Operating Bases used snakes like RT Mocassin or tools like RT File for their team names). The team was sent in to do a prisoner snatch, one of the most difficult and deadly missions and which seldom succeeded. RT New York was led by John St. Martin, with his One-One Ed Wolcoff and his One-Two John Blaauw, along with five ‘Yards. They searched around, spotted some NVA around a cooking fire, but then saw they had come across a base, probably of road engineers tending the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
They radioed in the location of the base and rather than allowing them to silently attack and try to snatch a prisoner, the higher ups said wait until an airstrike came in first. That ended the element of surprise. St. Martin was shot multiple times in the ankle, thigh and stomach––his intestines were hanging out. Wolcoff secured his stomach by tucking his jungle shirt into his pants, then dragged him back. But he knew these injuries would likely be fatal. The Covey rider above, a SOG leader named Karate Davis called in Pink Panthers, the Cobras of Terry’s unit (about 9 months before Terry arrived), but they would get there in 25 minutes. F4 Phantoms, “fast movers,” were still 10 minutes out and the NVA were closing in.
Captain Fulton was flying that Cessna Skymaster, an 0-2 to the military, and it was unarmed. But he did have a few “whiskey pete” rockets. These were white phosphorus rockets used to mark target locations. But, it was all he had so he unloaded them on the enemy going down low. Karate Davis opened his window and unloaded his SOG CAR-15 on them. Another Covey Forward Air Controller was flying nearby and he sent his whiskey petes toward the NVA as well. For twelve minutes the fragile spotter planes flew against the anti-aircraft and small arms fire from the ground. Then the fast movers arrived and hit them with their 20 millimeter cannons, and soon after the Cobras arrived. Now the NVA had to really keep their heads down.
St. Martin had closed his eyes in pain and agreed to let go and die. He hardly noticed the nearby explosions of the American air power. Wolcoff helped St. Martin with his rescue harness and in near darkness and a light rain, a Huey Slick arrived. He had to turn on his landing lights in the dark and that drew enemy ground fire. Wolcoff cinched St. Martin’s pistol belt tight around him to hold his intestines in snapped him in the harness and waved off the Slick. A Yard was lifted along side him, and banged into him, causing intense pain in his shot thigh. There he dangled 100 feet below the helicopter back to Dak To, about 30 minutes away. But Dak To was socked in, so they had to continue on in this way to Pleiku, another 25 minutes or so. They got him to the emergency room. He had lost six pints of blood. He survived but his Army career was over.
Wolcoff had proved his mettle in this battle and was awarded with the One-Zero leadership of RT New York. A Hatchet team, SOG Green Berets in company strength, went back into that location and found the base RT New York found was likely a regimental headquarters. They secured valuable intelligence and an anti-aircraft gun. Captain Fulton had returned with his Cessna with bullet holes and empty of fuel. He earned his second DFC.
My purpose in this, other than to honor these men in these incredible missions, is to give some context to the seven DFCs awarded Terry Crump. The more I learn about what went on there, and what it took to earn not only the DFCs and Air Medals, but also a Bronze Star which Terry also earned, the more in awe I am of what he did for our soldiers and our country. I hope you feel the same.
(A post-script: one of the most delightful things that has happened since I started working on Terry’s book and this Tardy Salute, is the contacts made with a number of other heroes, Vietnam vets from our own little part of the world, northwest Washington State. Today, another showed up, a man I had known well for many years as I ran his political campaigns as he served as a state representative. (Mostly successfully). I had forgotten he was in Vietnam. I’m eager to hear more about his story and mostly about what he is doing now in building friendships and remarkable restoration of relationships between the once terrible enemies. More to come.
If you know of anyone interested in these stories, please do add them to the list or suggest they subscribe. I see the numbers of readers climbing and it makes me feel good knowing that more are interested in recognizing and giving a long-awaited and tardy salute to these men.)
IMPORTANT UPDATE: In my research I came across a YouTube and social media channel run by a young researcher, Bud Gibson. It has a great number of interviews with SOG veterans. I was amazed to come across an hour and half long interview with Pink Panther Cobra pilot Woody Woodward, who flew with Terry and mentioned early on the near shoot down of Terry from anti-aircraft fire with the new Company commander in the front seat as Terry’s co-pilot.
Then, remarkably, I found this interview with none other than Captain (later Major) Don Fulton, the subject of this post. You can view it here: