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top-secret defensive position at Lima Site 85 when the base was overrun by an enemy ground force. Receiving sustained and withering heavy artillery attacks directly upon his unit's position, Chief
Etchberger's entire crew lay dead or severely wounded. Despite having received little or no combat training, Chief Etchberger single-handedly held off the enemy with an M-16, while simultaneously directing air strikes into the area and calling for air rescue. Because of his fierce defense and heroic and selfless actions, he was able to deny the enemy access to his position and save the lives of his remaining crew. With the arrival of the rescue aircraft, Chief Etchberger without hesitation repeatedly and deliberately risked his own life, exposing himself to heavy enemy fire, in order to place three surviving wounded comrades into rescue slings hanging from the hovering helicopter waiting to airlift them to safety. With his remaining crew safely aboard, Chief Etchberger finally climbed into the evacuation sling himself, only to be fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the aircraft.
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Staff Sgt. John Daniel had been shot twice in the legs and was taking shelter amidst the bodies of other casualties when
Etchberger recovered him and fitted him into the helicopter sling. Upon regaining consciousness and learning that Etchberger himself had been killed, Daniel voiced his disbelief:
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Chief
Etchberger's bravery and determination in the face of persistent enemy fire and overwhelming odds are in keeping with the highest standards of performance and traditions of military service. Chief Etchberger's gallantry, self-sacrifice, and profound concern for his fellow men, at risk of his
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Between
November 1967 and March 1968, Lima Site 85 directed 27 percent of all air strike missions in the Kingdom of Laos and North Vietnam. When successful strikes were launched even through heavy cloud cover, the North Vietnamese realized that a radar facility must be nearby. Beginning in January
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Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism on March 11, 1968, in the country of Laos. While assigned as Ground Radar
Superintendent, Detachment 1, 1043rd Radar Evaluation Squadron. On that day, Chief Etchberger and his team of technicians were manning a
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soldiers who had scaled the surrounding cliffs. By 3 a.m., Etchberger and seven others were the only surviving
Americans out of the original 19. Etchberger tended to the wounded and fought off the advancing North Vietnamese troops until a rescue helicopter arrived. He then helped load the wounded
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of
America, authorized by act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of the Congress, the Medal of Honor to Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger, United States Air Force, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty.
31:
398:, the Air Force vice chief of staff, who was the USAF approving authority for top awards. The Lima Site mission was still classified at the time, and the U.S. was not supposed to have soldiers in Laos. Etchberger was instead awarded the second highest decoration, the
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It was only after the Lima Site mission had been declassified fourteen years after
Etchberger's death that his sons learned their father's true fate; they had previously been told that he died in a helicopter accident. In the early 2000s, veterans of the Air Force's
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281:, Etchberger graduated from Hamburg High School in 1951. He joined the Air Force on August 31 of that year, and was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant on April 1, 1967.
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Etchberger was recommended for the Medal of Honor shortly after his death, but the nomination was rejected. Numerous accounts blame
President
374:, suggested: "It should have happened 42 years-plus ago, and he should have gotten a damn 55-gallon drum full of them if he wanted them."
313:. The code name for this top secret mission was "Heavy Green." The site was staffed by sixteen 'former' airmen, including Etchberger, two
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and the
Vietnam War, Etchberger was among a group of Airmen hand-picked for a classified mission: manning secret radar facilities in the
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Laotian and Hmong fighters of the "U.S. Secret Army" also defended, and heavily engaged, the base prior to, and during, the battle.
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onto slings to be lifted into the hovering aircraft before coming aboard himself. As the helicopter headed towards an air base in
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364:"Hell, he hasn't been injured, he hasn't been shot. How is he dead?" Decades later, when Etchberger was awarded the
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began requesting that Etchberger's Air Force Cross be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The upgrade was approved by
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life, above and beyond the call of duty, reflect the highest credit on himself and the United States Air Force.
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1968, North Vietnamese troops began closing in on Site 85. On January 13, the base was strafed by two
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President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to Etchberger's sons on September 21, 2010
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The Medal of Honor was presented to Etchberger's sons by President Obama at a
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In the early morning hours of March 11, 1968, the site came under attack from
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was named the CMSgt. Richard L. Etchberger Memorial Highway in his honor.
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1196:"Medal of Honor: Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger – Biography"
1052:"Veteran owes his life to Medal of Honor recipient Etchberger – News"
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biplanes, killing several of the local guerrillas. The crew of a CIA
1105:"Medal of Honor: Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger – Citation"
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Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon
261:. The medal was formally presented to his three sons by President
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into the underside of the aircraft, fatally wounding Etchberger.
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United States Air Force Master Maintenance & Munitions Badge
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received the United States military's highest decoration, the
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Detachment 1, 1043rd Radar Evaluation Squadron (Lima Site 85)
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United States Air Force personnel killed in the Vietnam War
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in 2009, spearheaded by the leadership of U.S. Congressman
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1180:"Medal of Honor: Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. Etchberger"
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The text of Etchberger's Medal of Honor citation reads:
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List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
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US Air Force NCO Medal of Honor recipient (1933-1968)
890:"New Vietnam-era Medal of Honor recipient announced"
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1020:Smith, Philip, (2 October 2004), Washington, D.C.,
913:"President To Award Medal Of Honor To Berks Native"
1272:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United States)
1267:United States Air Force Medal of Honor recipients
1262:United States Air Force non-commissioned officers
299:International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos
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850:, Etchberger is featured in Season 1, Episode 7
436:Etchberger is buried in Saint John's Cemetery,
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888:Shaughnessy, Larry (September 3, 2010).
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1154:"Pease Airmen remember a hero's legacy"
1006:. Springfield, Virginia. Archived from
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966:. New York: Columbia University Press.
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996:Hoffman, Michael (November 3, 2008).
778:Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
773:Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
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943:. My Fox New York. September 3, 2010
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762:with three bronze oak leaf clusters
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1022:http://www.laoveteransofamerica.org
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1257:People from Hamburg, Pennsylvania
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1084:AIR FORCE Magazine, November 2010
759:Air Force Longevity Service Award
291:North Vietnamese invasion of Laos
911:Roth, Matt (September 3, 2010).
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808:President of the United States
737:National Defense Service Medal
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1152:Rowe, Erica (June 14, 2016).
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723:with bronze oak leaf cluster
305:. Etchberger was deployed to
253:, for his actions during the
1077:"Etchberger, Medal of Honor"
720:Air Force Good Conduct Medal
714:and bronze oak leaf cluster
697:Air Force Commendation Medal
35:Etchberger in Southeast Asia
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962:Castle, Timothy N. (1999).
915:. Allentown, Pennsylvania:
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412:1st Combat Evaluation Group
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449:Berks County, Pennsylvania
416:Secretary of the Air Force
1287:Deaths by firearm in Laos
1201:. United States Air Force
1182:. United States Air Force
1110:. United States Air Force
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297:. According to the 1962
115:United States of America
1277:Burials in Pennsylvania
1133:Proietti, Matt (2015).
859:Lao Veterans of America
791:Medal of Honor citation
727:Army Good Conduct Medal
431:Lao Veterans of America
269:on September 21, 2010.
243:United States Air Force
135:United States Air Force
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783:Vietnam Campaign Medal
455:Awards and decorations
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319:forward air controller
285:Battle of Lima Site 85
255:Battle of Lima Site 85
239:Richard Loy Etchberger
184:Battle of Lima Site 85
94:Saint Johns Cemetery,
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749:Vietnam Service Medal
438:Hamburg, Pennsylvania
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279:Hamburg, Pennsylvania
158:Chief Master Sergeant
141:Years of service
96:Hamburg, Pennsylvania
62:Hamburg, Pennsylvania
23:Richard L. Etchberger
1215:"Richard Etchberger"
1010:on January 16, 2013.
433:in Washington, D.C.
421:in 2008, and by the
1033:An Air Combat First
752:with three bronze
732:good conduct loops
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83:Houaphanh Province
1158:157arw.ang.af.mil
973:978-0-231-10317-6
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419:Michael B. Donley
396:Gen. John D. Ryan
392:Lyndon B. Johnson
371:Stars and Stripes
303:Lockheed Aircraft
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1135:At All Costs
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1112:. Retrieved
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1008:the original
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920:. Retrieved
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894:. Retrieved
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742:service star
700:with bronze
692:Purple Heart
442:
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404:the Pentagon
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307:Lima Site 85
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277:A native of
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263:Barack Obama
247:posthumously
238:
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231:Purple Heart
189:
172:Battles/wars
79:Lima Site 85
74:(1968-03-11)
1252:1968 deaths
1247:1933 births
797:White House
730:with three
335:Air America
289:During the
267:White House
259:Vietnam War
179:Vietnam War
41:Nickname(s)
1241:Categories
1061:2012-08-14
875:References
712:"V" device
427:Tim Holden
103:Allegiance
55:1933-03-05
1163:March 26,
331:An-2 Colt
323:guerrilla
144:1951–1968
1089:16 March
824:See also
354:Thailand
121:Service/
1056:Stripes
917:WFMZ-TV
257:in the
190:†
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378:Legacy
203:Awards
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123:branch
112:
85:, Laos
44:"Dick"
1199:(PDF)
1108:(PDF)
1080:(PDF)
1035:, CIA
892:. CNN
740:with
710:with
358:AK-47
342:AK-47
338:UH-1H
1230:2010
1207:2010
1188:2010
1165:2019
1139:ISBN
1116:2010
1091:2011
968:ISBN
949:2010
924:2010
898:2010
806:The
245:who
164:Unit
149:Rank
69:Died
64:, US
49:Born
447:in
315:CIA
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
