Exactly 45 years after saving the crew of a burning C-130 plane in a war zone, four Vietnam War veterans on Tuesday received Silver Stars for gallantry in action.
During an awards ceremony in Little Rock, U.S. Rep. French Hill pinned a medal on each of the recipients -- Capt. Robert Frank of Leavenworth, Kan., Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Monette of Madison, Ala., Spc. 4 Leonard Shearer of Glendale, Ariz., and Spc. 4 John DesLauriers of Texas. Those were their Army ranks at the time of the act of bravery.
Some of the plane's crewmen who escaped the fiery wreckage witnessed Tuesday's presentation, joining in the applause for the heroic helicopter crew.
"I can't tell you how touching it is and how extraordinary it is to not only have these heroes of April 18, 1972, with us but those that they saved," Hill, a Republican from Little Rock, told the crowd.
The C-130 was shot down during the Easter Offensive while attempting to drop supplies to embattled soldiers north of Saigon. With a badly damaged right wing and flames crackling, the transport plane crash-landed in a marsh, breaking apart.
There hadn't been time to make a Mayday call. With blood flowing, flames spreading and enemy bullets flying, the seven men's lives remained in peril.
Fortunately, the helicopter had spotted the C-130 as it fell from the noonday sky.
"It had a hole about the size of a dinner plate through the wing and all the fuel was pouring out of there. ... They had a tail of fire probably about 40 [or] 50 feet long," said Shearer, the crew chief and gunner.
The helicopter quickly gave chase. Two Cobra helicopters soon joined it, firing at the enemy so the rescue could proceed.
The C-130's wheels had snapped off during the rough landing. The wreckage was aflame and the fire had spread to the grass.
"When we pulled up there, I truly didn't think there would be anybody alive there," Shearer said.
Somehow, all seven had survived, though there were numerous injuries.
With the plane mired in a marsh, it wasn't easy to reach the site.
"I was sinking to my knees. It felt like [I was] going in molasses and people are shooting at me," Shearer said Tuesday. "If it hadn't been for John DesLauriers providing security fire for me and the two helicopters above us firing rockets, I probably wouldn't be here."
Despite the flames and fears of an explosion, the pilots moved the helicopter closer to the crash site so that it would be easier to reach the injured crew members.
The helicopter was hit by enemy fire and its fuel tanks were almost empty, but it did not retreat until it had scooped up five crew members.
Another rescue helicopter that arrived carried away the other two survivors.
Shortly after the rescue, Frank recommended that Shearer and DesLauriers receive awards for their bravery, but the medals never were approved. The Silver Star for gallantry in action is the third-highest military combat decoration that can be awarded to a member of the U.S. military, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The war ended and decades passed. It looked like the heroism never would be formally acknowledged.
Then, retired Maj. John Edward "Jack" Shields, the former air cavalry commander, heard the story. The Maumelle resident reached out to Hill's office and asked the congressman to intervene.
Hill urged the Defense Department to review the case. After doing so, the decision was made to award the medals.
Roughly 75 people attended Tuesday's medal ceremony at Trapnall Hall in Little Rock.
"I'm very grateful, but we were just doing the job we were trained to do," DesLauriers, the door gunner, said afterward.
In a written statement outlining the incident, mission commander Frank praised Shearer and DesLauriers, saying they "instinctively worked in absolute concert to get the mission done," using accurate M-60 machine gunfire to keep the North Vietnamese at bay.
Monette, the helicopter's pilot in command, was "smooth and unflappable throughout," Frank added.
In an interview, Frank downplayed his own actions, portraying Shearer and DesLauriers as the true heroes.
"We worked as a team. It was a team effort. Everybody was doing their part," he said.
Receiving the medal, Monette said, was "an unbelievable experience," especially because all four men were able to participate.
"We're so blessed that the team was still here to receive it as a team, which means a lot to us," he added.
Metro on 04/19/2017