The Distinguished Flying Cross
Terry Crump earned six of these prestigious medals, with a seventh offered. Plus a Bronze Star. What does it take, and what does such an award say about a person?
I’ve known Terry Crump, a little, for many years. Probably 15 or more years ago I heard a bit more about him through a mutual friend, Jim Thompson. Jim told me Terry had something like seven Distinguished Flying Crosses in Vietnam. He also told me a bit about Terry’s dad, “Wild Bill” Crump.
The elder Crump was quite a character it seems. Google “Jeep Coyote” and you will come across the story of Wild Bill’s pet coyote named Jeep after the Popeye cartoon character (sorry younger readers, look it up). He found and domesticated him in training, took him with him to England, and Jeep flew with Bill in five combat missions in his P-51 Mustang. Jeep’s burial marker at the base in England where they flew from suggests he was a member of the military. More on that later and in the book –– this story is about Terry.
When I heard about Terry’s many DFCs I was a bit blown away. One is an amazing accomplishment. A quick side story. I wrote the biography of WW2 P-38 pilot Joe Moser, from Ferndale, WA (A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald). One of the quietest, most humble men I’ve ever known. In researching his story from his squadron’s history I discovered he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross.
Where’s your DFC, Joe? I asked. I never got it, he said. What? His daughters had tried for years to get it. Turns out it was issued in June 1945 for his effective and heroic action in July 1944 but by June he had just gotten released from POW camp and was on his way back home. Somehow, it never caught up with him.
A friend had a former Command Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force (that’s a big deal I understand) working for him and mentioned it to him. He immediately called a four star in the Pentagon who did some research, confirmed the award, and got us the citation. The long lost DFC was mailed to us.
Joe knew nothing about this. We contacted McCord Air Force Base and asked if they could present it. The Wing Commander was thrilled. They were about to hold their annual awards banquet with about 300 Air Force personnel where they would present the awards earned that year. The Wing Commander himself would present it to Joe. To make it more special, we flew in two of Joe’s remaining squadron mates, one from Southern California and one from Colorado.
That was a most special day. We were treated like big shot VIPs. I got to fly the amazing C-17 simulator, and it was capped off at the banquet. At the very end, after all the year’s awards were presented, the Wing Commander called Rick Arnold, the former Master Sergeant who had gotten the award, who called Joe and his squadron mates forward. Then, on bended knee with hardly a dry eye in the house, Arnold presented Joe his DFC about 64 years late. Talk about a Tardy Salute! (I still get tears in my eyes thinking about that special man and that special moment).
Terry earned six of them. (There was a seventh but that story will have to wait). And a Bronze Star. I wish I could arrange to make as special of a presentation to Terry as we did to Joe, but it wasn’t easy even getting the DFC certificates from Terry. They sit now on my desk.
I will provide you one of the citations in full (all of them will be in the book). Please take the time to honor these men by taking the few minutes out of your busy life to read it. This was his fifth DFC (Fourth Oak Leaf Cluster). It happened on January 11, 1971. It led to an incident that will be told in the first chapter of the book. The complete story of the action that day will be told later as well. The citation reads:
“For heroism while participating in aerial flight evidenced by voluntary actions above and beyond the call of duty; Warrant Office Crump distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions while flying as air mission commander and aircraft commander of a helicopter gunship while in support of an Allied reconnaissance team. After the reconnaissance team had become heavily engaged by a superior enemy force, their controlling agency requested that the assigned air assets extract the reconnaissance team. Realizing that the area was entirely enemy controlled and that anti-aircraft guns were in the immediate area, Warrant Officer Crump unhesitatingly led the air assets to the area. When he arrived over the area, he was advised of his team’s situation and set up his gun pattern around the reconnaissance team to aid in protecting them. Voluntarily drawing fire away from the inbound lift helicopters, Warrant Office Crump covered the first lift ship safely in and out of the landing zone, picking up the first half of the team. When the second lift ship was inbound to the landing zone it lost sight of the landing zone and overflew it. Warrant Officer Crump, recognizing the vulnerability of the lift ship as it came into the line of the enemy’s anti-aircraft weapons, screened the helicopter from the fire and laid down devastating fire on the enemy positions. While screening the lift ship, Warrant Officer Crump’s aircraft took a direct hit from an enemy anti-aircraft gun. Although the aircraft was severely damaged, Warrant Office Crump courageously continued to fly it until the reconnaissance team was safely extracted. His outstanding flying ability was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit on himself, his unit and the United States Army.”
Terry, a tardy salute!