Air Force hero's actions in Laos finally recognized after 42 years(Medal of Honor)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

President Obama will award the Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for bravery, to Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger for his valor in saving the lives of three wounded comrades at a then-secret base in Laos in 1968, the White House announced Friday.

After Etchberger saved his fellow airmen, he was shot and killed by enemy fighters.

His heroics were kept a secret for years because the United States wasn't supposed to have troops in Laos during the Vietnam War. President Lyndon Johnson rejected a nomination for Etchberger to receive the Medal of Honor at the time because of the political trouble it could have stirred up.

Etchberger was part of a secret U.S. Air Force radar base in northern Laos, just 120 miles from Hanoi in North Vietnam. The base's purpose was to guide U.S. bomber crews on their missions over North Vietnam and parts of Laos that were under communist control.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/03/medal.of.honor/index.html?hpt=C1

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I'm glad for his sons & family he is posthumously finally receiving the medal. I can't blame an enlisted man for just following his orders.

However again it just shows up how our government was lying!

[nolabear]

1. Well, it does back up a family story.

My father was stationed, presumably, in Thailand during the last years of the war as a communications officer. I didn't know until shortly before his death from multiple cancers that he had spent considerable time in another country as well (he never told us any of this; it came out from my stepmother after he died) involved in some kind of secret work. The government awarded my stepmother a larger widow's pension because, unbeknownst to us kids, he had been exposed to Agent Orange and it's likely that's what caused the cancers.

I think this is the easy stuff. I fear there was much, much more.

[Jeneral2885]

area 51

when will there be any Medal of Honor recipients from Area 51, a place that isn't suppose to exist?

[Rincewind]

5. Probably when

they fight a war there.

[boppers]

6. We don't exist. By design.

Those of us who have worked on the fringes don't expect medals.

We know that going in.

[ShamelessHussy]

7. cept online

ic

[boppers]

8. er, what?

Those who go into such jobs expect nothing.

[ShamelessHussy]

10. .

you said 'we', and 'don't exist', so i assumed you are one, too... talking about it, online.

:hi:

[Regret My New Name]

11. People like me, those who worked on the secret moon base, don't even discuss it online.

[boppers]

12. You got posted to a moon base?

Aw, I'm still stuck in my mom's basement. ;)

[Jeneral2885]

2. area 51

when will there be any Medal of Honor recipients from Area 51, a place that isn't suppose to exist?

[Historic NY]

3. I have a friend who was severely wounded in Laos..special forces...

he has never been right.

[boppers]

13. We were never in Laos.

Just like we aren't in Iran.

[jazzhound]

4. Great to hear -- happy for the families.

I remember feeling joyous when a family member was exonerated of wartime malfeasance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_B._McVay_III

[pinboy3niner]

9. R.I.P.

I recall that one of our secret bases in Laos was overrun, with heavy casualties and MIA's. IIRC, these bases were manned by techinical personnel who were monitoring NVA and Viet Cong activities in Vietnam.

Salute to Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger.

:patriot: