doorgunner
I burned my Certificates at Pleiku
I was a Chinook doorgunner in 1972-73 at Pleiku and wore a helmet with a Rebel Flag painted on it named WAR PIG. We were ordered to burn all documents and anything that was not nailed down. We were told there will be no evidence U.S, Soldiers ever were there.
Once we started the Burn Pile I became so enraged that I ripped all my Citations and Awards out of my 201 File and threw them in the fire. They basically were telling me to forget my friends who died fighting the NVA. Some fellow doorgunners tried to get my Citations out of the fire but I walked away and do not know what they recovered. I lost records for 2 arcoms, 3 Bronze Stars, 3 Air Medals, 5 Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry, and 3 Silver Stars.
When I arrived at my parents home in 1973 I built a fire in the middle of the back yard and burned everything in my dufflebag. My father managed to save 1 Air Medal, 1 Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, 1 Bonze Star
IF ANYONE STATIONED AT THE 180TH IN PLEIKU REMEMBERS THE INCIDENT AND MANAGED TO RECOVER PARTS OF MY CITATIONS, OR THE CITATIONS HAVE BEEN STORED AWAY AFTER THE DEATHS OF MY FRIENDS, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS MEMORY AND I WILL PROVIDE AN ADDRESS WHERE THE DOCUMENTS CAN BE MAILED TO.
THANK YOU, SINCERELY, doorgunner
doorgunner
U.S.A. - Friday, September 19, 2025 at 23:53:40 (EDT)