A Broad View by Jerry Hogan: Some Things Should Never be Forgotten.

Rockwall, TX (April 18, 2023) – A couple of stories from long ago that should never go away and never be forgotten.

In November of 1965, a US Army Battalion of about 450 Soldiers were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the La Trang Valley of South Vietnam. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese regular troops and over the next four days one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War raged. 234 US Soldiers were killed and over 1,000 North Vietnamese lost their lives.

As the battle developed, US forces fought courageously, outnumbered over 4 to 1 on the battlefield, their only source of resupply being the helicopters that flew into their location through the constant enemy fire.

Finally, the landing zone became so “hot” with enemy attacks that the Infantry Battalion Commander in the battle had to close the area to any future flights.

The Soldiers were now trapped with no way of being resupplied and, just as important, no way to evacuate their wounded to hospital facilities.

And then Captain Ed “Too Tall” Freeman and Major Bruce Crandall, two Army pilots flying “Huey” troop helicopters who had taken in the initial loads of Soldiers to the area, decided they couldn’t leave these Soldiers to die.

Braving enemy fire, they continued to fly into “The Valley of Death” to provide ammunition, water, and medical supplies to the forces on the ground. While not their mission, they also started evacuating wounded Soldiers out of the area and back to hospital facilities.

A total of 70 wounded men were evacuated by these two men. They both had more than one of their helicopters so badly damaged by enemy gun fire they had to get another fresh helicopter to continue their flights. Both had Soldiers on their helicopters killed by enemy fire during their continued flights.

Both were landing their helicopters under severe enemy fire from forces located 100-200 yards from their landing point on the battlefield.

Both pilots were awarded the Medal of Honor, our nations highest award, for their actions during this battle.

Most of us outside the Army have never even heard their names after what they did and the lives they saved!

Another story from our war in Iraq. This story was actually written initially by the father of a young Soldier, and it tells a gripping tale.

As the father says, “ Whatever  your political view on our involvement in Iraq, nothing can alter it more than having a loved one in the midst of it. Nor is anyone’s current perspective balanced until they hear at least some things from a Soldiers point of view.

My wife and I flew to Fort Hood to see our son deploy for a 15-month tour in Iraq. Again, one’s perspective is limited until one attends a deploying ceremony for a unit of Soldiers. Spouses, children, parents, siblings, and friends, all crowding a gym, all clinging closely to their treasures in uniform, accompanied by flags, prayers, cheers, and tears.

Our son had joined a “Band of Brothers” who would be waiting at home. Both those going and those left behind, carry the war on terror in a personal way.

Arriving in Iraq, our son was stationed outside a city on the Tigris River. One day he accompanied his Colonel into town as part of a security detail while the Colonel talked with the local sheik. While standing guard, he noticed a woman approaching from behind and cautiously turned in her direction, his rifle at the ready.

An interpreter told him it was OK as the woman just wanted to touch the Soldier. Still uneasy, he stood still while the woman reached out her hand and touched his face, tears in her eyes.

Looking to the interpreter for meaning, our son was told that the woman simply wanted to touch ‘the face of grace’. It seemed this trembling woman, like most of the people in her town, looked upon our Soldiers as angels of grace, sent by God to protect her from the violence and oppression her people had come to know until then.

Learning this, our son squeezed and kissed the woman’s hand and she left weeping.”

A very different perspective of our Soldiers from what we often read about in the National news.

And if you were to ask the people of Europe in 1945, South Korea in 1953, South Vietnam in 1974, Kuwait in 1990, and Afghanistan in 2002, you might just get a lot of similar reactions.

Makes you really think, doesn’t it!!

Jerry Hogan is a former Rockwall County Judge and Retired US Army Lieutenant that volunteers to write these articles. He can be contacted at jerryhogan@sbcglobal.net or 214-394-4033

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