Great read...

Freedom earned with ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’

Oct. 30, 2007; Submitted on: 10/30/2007 08:00:19 AM ; Story ID#: 200710308019

By Cpl. Jeffrey A. Cosola, MCAS New River

Sgt. Maj. Morton S. Landy, a crew member of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears,” watches as the restored CH-46 ‘Sea Knight’ is unveiled during a ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field. Landy earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as the starboard gunner during the mission. Photo by: Cpl. Brandon M. Gale
Sgt. Maj. Morton S. Landy, a crew member of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears,” watches as the restored CH-46 ‘Sea Knight’ is unveiled during a ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field. Landy earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as the starboard gunner during the mission.
The collective of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears,’ is part of a restored CH-46 ‘Sea Knight’ that was unveiled during a dedication ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field. Photo by: Cpl. Brandon M. Gale
The collective of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears,’ is part of a restored CH-46 ‘Sea Knight’ that was unveiled during a dedication ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field.
The panel art on the side of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears,’ a restored CH-46 ‘Sea Knight,’ is displayed during a ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field. Photo by: Cpl. Brandon M. Gale
The panel art on the side of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears,’ a restored CH-46 ‘Sea Knight,’ is displayed during a ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field.
The crew of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ pose beside their restored aircraft with survivors during a dedication ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field.(From left to right) Marines Bruce Cruikshank, Ed West, Joe Silvoso, Arthur Trujillo, Morton S. Landy, Chris Nick, Wally Gillin, Walt Ledbetter, Paul Parker and museum project manager Steve Fresina. Photo by: Cpl. Brandon M. Gale
The crew of ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ pose beside their restored aircraft with survivors during a dedication ceremony at the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Oct. 20. The CH-46 was dedicated to the memory of Pfc. Mike Clausen who earned the Medal of Honor during a Jan. 31, 1970 mission to rescue members of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division who were pinned down in a mine field.(From left to right) Marines Bruce Cruikshank, Ed West, Joe Silvoso, Arthur Trujillo, Morton S. Landy, Chris Nick, Wally Gillin, Walt Ledbetter, Paul Parker and museum project manager Steve Fresina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Oct. 30, 2007) -- They walk tall -- some on prosthetic legs -- a mixture of salt and pepper beards, scars and memories. They’re ghosts; survivors of a forgotten killing field that claimed the lives of nearly all who entered. They’re the Marines of 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division and 38 years ago they walked into the valley of the shadow of death and came out alive on the other side.

‘Don’t worry about them, they’re gone’

1st Lt. Bruce Cruikshank, an A-4 “Skyhawk” pilot serving as an air liaison officer and his radio operator, Lance Cpl. Ed West, call sign Delivery Boy 1-4, were pinned down in a mine field near Da Nang. They, along with the rest of 3rd platoon, had been sent as a blocking force to cut-off retreating North Vietnamese soldiers during a mission as part of Operation Kingfisher and had been engaged in a series of running fire fights – one of which led them into the field.

That they were in a dire situation was no secret. West had already seen a Marine disappear in a shower of dirt and shrapnel, a piece of which jutted from his right knee. Still taking fire, Cruikshank and West tried to move to safety but Cruikshank tripped a mine and West found himself cart wheeling forward in “slow motion” before landing in stunned silence. Glancing down, he saw an empty pant leg, dangling in the dirt. His right leg was gone. Next to it was the torn and mangled left, lying at an unnatural angle -- barely attached.

“I pulled my helmet off and tried to puke in it. I couldn’t and realized I was trying to breathe,” said West. “I felt as if I had been hit by a Mack truck and there was a strange numbness accompanied by an intense burning sensation.”

Lying face down in the field, West tried to push himself up but was knocked back to the ground by a Marine who began to tourniquet his legs. West called out, “How are my legs?” to which the Marine replied, “Don’t worry about them – they’re gone.”

‘He was my biggest disciplinary problem’

Circling overhead was the crew of a CH-46 “Sea Knight” nicknamed “Blood, Sweat and Tears.” The aircraft was piloted by Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 Commanding Officer Lt. Col. William R. Ledbetter, joined by squadron Sergeant Major Morton S. Landy, who had volunteered as a gunner on the flight that included Pvt. Raymond “Mike” Clausen – a twice-demoted crew chief.

“I had no use for him as a Marine,” recalled Landy. “He was a good man at heart but liked to beat his own drum. He was my biggest disciplinary problem in the squadron. He had good abilities as a Marine but he liked to disobey orders.”

Ledbetter, Landy and Clausen were joined on the crew by 1st Lt. Paul Parker, co-pilot and port-side gunner Cpl. Steven Marinkovic. Before departing on the flight, Ledbetter briefed them about the situation, telling them that Marines were badly wounded and the ones that weren’t, couldn’t move because of the mines and small-arms fire. The crew knew what they were getting into and removed their flak jackets in order to stand on them, in case shrapnel from a mine penetrated the floor.

They began their descent toward the mine field with Clausen directing the aircraft, guiding Ledbetter to put the gear down in craters caused by exploded ordinance. They would lift-off and repeat this process three different times.

‘We’re going to go get the boys’

Lance Cpl. Chris Nick was the point man for 3rd platoon and had made it out of the mine field momentarily, but went back in when “Blood, Sweat and Tears” landed. Nick and another Marine helped carry a casualty who had stepped on a mine into the back of the helicopter and once inside, Nick removed his flak jacket and placed it over the body that had been badly mauled by the explosion.

“Ed Sanderson and me just kind of looked at each other after that and said ‘let’s go, we’re going to get the boys,’” said Nick, who crawled on his stomach toward a fallen Marine. “I went out there again and there was still a lot of confusion. On our way back, somebody stepped on a mine. That’s how I got hit. It wiped me out. My face was burned and I was cut real bad in the stomach and in the legs. I remember being on the ground and then someone came and got me.”

That someone was Mike Clausen, who, like always, was in the process of disobeying a direct order, said Ledbetter, who had specifically ordered his Marines to stay in the helicopter because he didn’t want them to get out, get blown-up and become “part of the problem.”

“What he did that day brought out the Marine Corps in him,” added Landy, who had already served more than 20 years in the Corps before the mission. “He earned the medal that day, there’s no question in my mind. But, Clausen disobeyed the commanding officers orders. We landed and dropped the door and he was out there, back and forth, six times.”

On his last trip out of the helicopter, a mine detonated and knocked Clausen to the ground. According to several witnesses, Clausen got to his feet and continued to carry his wounded man to the aircraft, which had sustained rotor system and fuselage damage during the blast. After recovering all dead, dying and wounded Marines, the “Sea Knight” left the field for the final time.

In all, there were 11 wounded, four dead and four unharmed evacuated from the mine field. But, for the crew of “Blood, Sweat and Tears” there would be three more landings to recover other platoons, bringing their days total to six hours of flying, resulting in a Medal of Honor for Clausen, a Navy Cross for Ledbetter, a Silver Star for Parker and a Distinguished Flying Cross for Landy and Marinkovic – making them one of the most decorated combat flight crews in military aviation history.

‘The currency of freedom’

In 2004, in his hometown of Ponchatoula, La., Mike Clausen, a true American hero, died at the age of 56. Remembered by his friends and family as “a blunt, fun-loving, hard drinking, two-fisted man who tagged his e-mail with the line ‘Death before Dishonor,’” he flew more than 1,960 combat missions in Vietnam.

Around the same time Clausen was laid to rest, “Blood, Sweat and Tears” was finally decommissioned after suffering a hard landing while serving in Iraq. Heavily damaged after a transportation accident, the aircraft was donated to the Carolinas Aviation Museum where a crew of volunteers worked weekends to preserve the combined legacy of Clausen and the helicopter that brought him and his men home.

The story came full circle Oct. 20, when the restored aircraft flown during the mission – complete with its vintage, Vietnam-era configuration and panel artwork -- was unveiled during a ceremony attended by crew, survivors and family.

“It’s done and it’s been a great experience,” said Steve Fresina, a retired gunnery sergeant who last worked at Marine Corps Air Station New River with Marine Aviation Logistic Squadron 29 as a production control chief and served as project manager for “Blood, Sweat and Tears.” “I’m happy, but I’m also kind of sad because we’ve been working on it for so long. I just hope Mike (Clausen) is looking down on us and smiling.”

Although the aircraft is dedicated to the memory of Clausen, it remains a piece of history for Marines like Ed West, who couldn’t have known what the last day of January, 1970 had in store for him when he sat elbow-to-elbow on the stretched canvas seats of a “Sea Knight” with 3rd platoon as it lifted into the morning mist and rain around Hill 55. He remains one of the few that stepped into the darkness and lived to tell the tale.

“It was an honor to serve with the very best,” said West. “The currency of freedom was and remains paid in blood, sweat and tears.”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/B5BD30...04770CF?opendocument

When I was in '46s during 75-76, he was known by some of the 'old timers', and already a legend of the Corps.

One of our guys who'd served with him related a story where, for the 'Junk on the Bunk' part of a IG Inspection: Mike had gotten out of his bunk, laid his MOH on the pillow (without making the rack), and left-- he went into town.
He passed the IG though...

After swapping some emails with him a few years ago on unrelated things;
before his health and vision got so bad he couldn't type anymore---
I believe the story, in fact, it's pretty mild compared to some of his sea stories from Viet Nam.

.

quote:

Great read...

Freedom earned with ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’

Outstanding read!

quote:

One of our guys who'd served with him related a story where, for the 'Junk on the Bunk' part of a IG Inspection: Mike had gotten out of his bunk, laid his MOH on the pillow (without making the rack), and left-- he went into town.
He passed the IG though...

If it ain't true, it aughta be

Outstanding!

quote:

Originally posted by Volfandt:
[QUOTE]If it ain't true, it aughta be

I think of him often, and the few little scraps of time we talked.
Here is my favorite Mike Clausen Sea Story:

He'd been in country for several months, and they got a new Pilot.
For the guy's first mission, the CO took him out on Mike's bird, and
the new guy was Co-Pilot.

The CO told him the mission-- dropping off some Grunts, and picking up
a couple Med-Evacs. They had a bunch of rations & ammo, but the Grunts
would carry it all out as they exited.

All the new pilot had to do was lower the ramp as they came into the zone,
then raise it when they got back off the ground about 7 seconds later......
Simple enough for your first flight in a combat zone....

***
On a '46, there is a switch in the rear of the cabin so the Crew Chief can raise or lower the ramp too. But it had been shot away on a previous mission nad not replaced at the time.
So for that mission, the ramp had to be actuated from the cockpit.
***

As they came in, they started taking fire--- and the guy froze..
The CO reached over across him and tripped the switch lowering the ramp.

The Grunts got off, as thier buddies loaded the wounded,,
holes were appearing all over the '46's cabin, and a few mortars landed nearby...

During all this, the Grunts were shooting out the windows,
the Grunts on the ground were firing, the on-board .50Cal door gunners
were firing continuelly, and the CO was reaching across his frozen
Co-Pilot's face---- and shooting a Colt .45 out of HIS cockpit vent window.....

When they got out of the zone, the guy was still frozen in place.
Once they reached 'clear air',,,,, The CO reached over and raised the ramp.
Then commenced the a$$ chewing...

"Lower, and raise the ramp: I gave you one simple #$%*^() thing
to do for the whole %$W&*B mission,,,,and you even screwed that up!!!!"

The new Pilot looked over at him, and said,
"Hey,,,, I don't bother you when you're taking a sh%T, do I"?



.

quote:

Originally posted by Volfandt:

quote:

Great read...

Freedom earned with ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’

Outstanding read!

quote:

One of our guys who'd served with him related a story where, for the 'Junk on the Bunk' part of a IG Inspection: Mike had gotten out of his bunk, laid his MOH on the pillow (without making the rack), and left-- he went into town.
He passed the IG though...

If it ain't true, it aughta be

Outstanding!

I agree...great story but this site says Mike was discharged upon his return to the States in August 1970 and wasn't awarded the MOH until the following June.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_M._Clausen,_Jr.

quote:

site says Mike was discharged upon his return to the States in August 1970 and wasn't awarded the MOH until the following June.

Sounds like a urban myth busted......
And now I got a bone to pick with a certain H-46 Crew Chief too!!!

.

quote:

Originally posted by WingerEd:
[QUOTE] site says Mike was discharged upon his return to the States in August 1970 and wasn't awarded the MOH until the following June.

Sounds like a urban myth busted......
And now I got a bone to pick with a certain H-46 Crew Chief too!!!

And this is a guy who I thought was a credible source too,, in my 'formative' years, when our bunks were about 20' away from each other in the Squadbay.

You might have known him too.......
Short, blond headed, answered to the name of 'Tommy Dell' XXXXX

---wore SGT stripes, when I met him in '76,
on Okinawa, as a re-tread...
He looked like teenager-----
but was really 33 years old, wore a Silver Star, and had the numbers
'105' on his Air Medal Ribbon.

On his behave though:
The only thing I ever remember him bithh##g about was--

Back when ribbons cost 25-30 cents each at the PX for the ribbon itself- then the numbers and sh$ that ya had to put on multiple awards,, it really did cost him almost 30 bucks to set up a new ribbon block for inspections.

..

dang i heard of the medal on the rack thing way back in the 80's. we all took it as gospel back then! lol of course we were young then lol

That you, Winger Ed?
Good to see you, Bro.
Hey, I had tickets to the dedication, just
couldn't make arrangements to be there.

Wow...imagine now, BST is part of his legacy. I'm happy how everything has turned out. The headstone, and now BST - man, that old one-eyed
fatman has got to be beaming from ear to ear.

Still got those 34Ds flying over winger heaven?

Semper Fi,
CG

quote:

Originally posted by Choppergunner:
That you, Winger Ed?Good to see you, Bro.

Yeah, its me buddy.
The flying crane guy & his wife both still drive 2 or 3 H-34s, and they got a old H-54 Skycrane a couple years ago too.
A buddy was on sight for a BIG lift-- they landed the H-54, sucked out all the fuel, put 30-40 gallons back in- just enough for a 5 minute flight, did the lift, landed back in the parking lot, fueled it back up, then went home.


Nice to see you still kicking too.
I guess any day you can keep the Atlantic Ocean out of your living room is a good one!

Ohh,
The monument down there in LA is great.
I'm glad it worked out so well & all for his family.

Take care bro, keep in touch, and I'll be looking for ya up & down here-abouts.

S/F,
Ed.