Warbird Information Exchange

I was put onto this story by another party, it relates to the activities of Flt Lt G Cooper RAAF during the Vietnam War. Have a read of the following.

[i]This is the story of Flight Lieutenant Garry G. Cooper(Royal Australian Air Force assigned as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) with the USAF 19th TASS-call sign Tamale 35) who was cited by M/Gen Julian J. Ewell on 18 Aug, 1968 with a Congressional Medal of Honor as a FAC at Cai Be(near Rach Kien), Vietnam in support of the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division-MOH data below. He was riding in the command helicopter, a Raven OH-23, with the Brigade Commander Col Robert E. Archer, as the ALO directing 12TFW F-4 strikes against the VC attacking the Brigade. The pilot was hit and killed and the Brigade Commander was wounded. Lieutenant Cooper cut the aircraft power on contact with the ground and carried the wounded Brigade Commander from the aircraft and had to spend that night in no-man's land. In the process of keeping himself and the Colonel alive he killed 10 VCs until his ammo ran out. A helicopter came in the next day and picked up the two and before Lieutenant Cooper could come aboard he had to kill two more VC before he leaped in the helicopter.

Communication data on Gen Ewell and Garry Cooper are shown below. The guy was a legend in Vietnam and was in the chain of USAF command as a FAC directing air strikes of all US air resources in the area. He was directly under the control of USAF forces and they even wrote his oer. Maybe you can help out our cause in getting him a MOH because there were other foreigners who got it. Rascon in 1966 was a Mexican cxitizen and was written up for a MOH. Clinton gave it to him in Feb., 2000.

If there is anyone who has first hand knowledge of the firefight that day and the downing of the helicopter and Lieutenant Cooper saving the Brigade Commander please let me know. The name of the helicopter pilot is unknown and if anyone remembers who it was please contact me. If any of the F-4 pilots that day saw any of this action please contact me.

Gary Cooper did not get the Congressional Medal of Honor because he is not a US citizen. The Australian Government administrative procedures has prevented him from getting the Victorian Cross-their equivalent to the MOH. I am working trying to get Lieutenant Cooper recognized for this incident.

If you care to help us by using this material we will be most grateful. General Ewell is in Washington and is still interested in helping Garry get the MOH. Let me know what you think and we will provide whatever you want. [/i]

If any Wixer can assist with this research could they please go to the following link:

http://home.earthlink.net/~aircommando1/GCCongMOH1.htm

there you will find further descriptions of the actions of Cooper and the recognition he received from those within the USAF, you will also find all the necessary contact details and research acknowledgements.

Many thanks to those responsible for creating this web page on Cooper.

cheers

Digger

I'm assuming this is the same Gary Cooper who recovered the Thai Spit XIV RM797 that is now owned by Oscar Duck.

Had a chance to correspond with him back in the 80s when I was hunting Spit XII information as both of us were tracking 41 Squadron stuff at the time. I know he'd been a helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

Dan

Way back when I was playing around with "pointy nosed aluminium death tubes" Garry Cooper was a bit of a legend in the RAAF Mirage world.

Back in the mid sixties our intrepid aviator suffered a flameout (bird strike) over the Hexham swamp (west of Newcastle). As you are probably aware the delta winged Mirage glides about as well as a house brick and therefore his CO (Jim Flemming- another Mirage legend) told him to get out ASAP. Garry however wasn't going to discard the jet so quickly. He managed to dead-stick it down to an abandoned dirt WWII strip at Tomago (near the present day aluminium smelter). The jet sustained no damage and all that was required was for the guys to tow the aircraft the 16km back to Williamtown.

Several years later another young chap suffered a similar incident over Gloucester and tried to put the jet down on a gravel road but with tragic results (some say he was trying to emulate Garry).

Anyway, as I said, the guy's a bit of a legend.


Cheers

Browny

Through our mutual Spitfire interest and ownership, I have known Garry Cooper for over thirty years.

We would correspond regularly, and still do, and meet when his airline schedule bought him to London. Indeed I ended up buying his London based runabout car for my wife.

Although I knew he was in Vietnam he didn't talk about it overmuch. I was therefore staggered to read on the front page of the UK Sunday Times approximately 20 years ago - "Will Cooper get the Victoria Cross".

He had never even hinted about the episode.

I guess the Vietnam War was one Her Majesty did not sign up to.

It is the politics of war.

PeterA

Digger,
I've always been interested in awards and decorations so was really interested in this story. I contacted my friend George Chandler to ask for his advice and assistance. George was a p-38 ace in WWII and founder of the Second Yamamoto Mission Association which has worked at getting both john Mitchell and Rex Barber the Medal of honor. Here is his response:

Friend Jack:
After receiving your email, I asked advice of my good friend Bob Manhan in the Washington, DC VFW office.
I forward herewith Bob’s response which I think is well done, as he always does in his analysis/perspective of veterans affairs.
Best regards,
George

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Manhan

Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 3:14 PM
To: George Chandler
Subject: FLIGHT LIEUTENANT COOPER, RAAF



Good Afternoon George:

First, I wish you and yours another year of continuing good health and good fortune.
The key to this issue is the fact Cooper was never a member of any branch of the US armed forces. During WW II members of the US Merchant Marines were recommender for military awards for acts of extraordinary heroism. In all cases these awards were denied by DOD because during WW II the Merchant Marines were not part of the armed forces. Their pay, sailing orders and decorations were the responsibility of the Merchant Marine Shipping Administration, or an agency with a very similar title. By the way, this Merchant Marine Administration was commander by an active duty US navy admiral.
To date from 1863 forward, no one who was not in the US armed forces has ever received a MOH.
None of the provided documentation shows what the final disposition of General Ewell’s Army recommendation to the Air Force is.
My best guess is that at HQ CINCPAC any further Air Force endorsements were returned for cause with a suggestion that General Ewell, as an Army Division Commander has the authority himself to award the Silver Start Medal. In fact this same award is often made for our own soldiers as an interim award, going back to WW II times .pending receipt of a MOH.
Another fact is that Cooper was Attached to the USAF ,never assigned. I make this reasonable assumption because he remained on the RAAF payroll. That means his promotions were controlled by his own government. These are the legal niceties of the case, as I understand the material that has been passed to you based on a thirty seven year old act of heroism, performed by an allied military person.
Mechanically we would need some member of the US Congress to introduce a bill much as we’ve done in the Barber case. Who would do this? Maybe General Ewell? But once the congressperson had his legal staffer try to draft the language he/she is going to be made aware of the non-US military member status and that will result in a letter of regret from the member of congress.
On a more positive note I could suggest that an American with first had knowledge and/or documentation make an appointment to meet with the Australian Military Attache, assigned to his country’s Embassy here in Washington, DC and discuss the case with the recommendation that the Australian Government consider an appropriate award. There is also the possibility to ask General Ewell to consider using his own Pentagon contacts to make a retroactive award of the Silver Star Medal to Cooper. This would be strictly an internal Army matter requiring no DOD or congressional action.
George, I do apologize for going into this level of detail. I was aware of an action more than forty years ago to make a retroactive military ward to Mr. Marcos, who was at that point just elected as President of the Philippines, and a WWII Filipino guerrilla leader. This had White House support. After DOD got involved Marcos ended up with a Silver Star Medal, nice US media coverage and the issue/incident is now history.
I have no qualms if you forward this e-mail to whomever you wish. I must add the proviso that in all due respect I certainly do not want to become any one’s pen pal or a party to this very interesting case. I’m sure you can understand.

With my warmest regards and deepest personal respect for all you continue to do on behalf of others, sincerely, Bob
Bob Manhan

Director, National Security & Foreign Affairs

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.

Me again........It would be interesting to know what US awards Cooper did receive during his tour. I know many SAAF/RCAF/RAAF received awards while flying F-51s and F-86s with US units during the Korean War.
I hope that this helps in some way.......JACK

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Thanks Jack for that very informative feedback. I can, to a degree understand the US approach to this, but for the life of me I don't understand why our own Australian Govt has done nothing? Our Govt is so lame its not funny.

I will pass this information back to the source that put me onto it.

Its truly an amazing story, would make a great movie too.

cheers

Digger

Hi Guys, I am doing some research on the Gawler Airfield in South Australia and the Air Training Corps (as it was before 2001) activities through the 1950's & 1960's. I know Garry did do his glider training in the area and was wondering whether anybody knows the details or can put me in direct contact him.

Cheers.
Murph62

PM me re Garry Cooper contact.

By the way the other reference to Garry dead-sticking his Mirage also refers to an accident involving Flg Off Stan Groom crashing near Gloucester NSW. He was not trying to force land after an engine issue but trying to head back to the Williamtown RAAF Base. He crashed and was killed. I should know as I was the air traffic controller talking to him and guiding him back to base. RIP Stan...40 years ago..