Should this airman receive the Medal of Honor for Laos battle? A congressman thinks so
A congressman has introduced legislation urging the president to award retired Air Force Col. Philip Conran the Medal of Honor for valor during the Vietnam War. (File photo)
Mason sends us an article about Col. Philip Conran (USAF, Ret) and how Rep. Salud Carbajal, (D-CA) has introduced a bill to upgrade the Colonel’s Air Force Cross. Having read the article, I agree he is indeed deserving of the Nation’s Highest Award. See what you think:
A California congressman is pushing to upgrade a retired Air Force colonel’s Air Force Cross to a Medal of Honor for “extraordinary heroism” during a fierce 1969 battle in Laos.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-California, on Monday introduced a bill, HR 2330, that would authorize the president to upgrade Col. Philip Conran’s Air Force Cross to the nation’s highest award for valor.
On Oct. 6, 1969, as the United States’ war in Vietnam spilled over into Laos, then-Maj. Philip Conran was part of a mission that went south when a helicopter was shot down, according to a narrative provided by Carbajal’s staff. Conran took charge during the rescue attempt, and repeatedly put himself at risk to save 44 of his fellow troops, according to the leguslation.
“Col. Conran served our nation with the utmost bravery during the Vietnam War when he risked his own life in combat to save his comrades,” Carbajal said in a statement. “It has taken far too long for our country to honor his courage, and I will continue working to help secure this well-deserved recognition.”
Conran is now 82 years old, and lives in Santa Barbara, California, in Carbajal’s district. He retired in 1988.
Then-Maj. Conran was the aircraft commander of an H-3 “Jolly Green Giant” transport helicopter of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing, deployed to Thailand during the time of the battle. The lead helicopter was shot down in Laos, the narrative said, and Conran assumed command of the other four H-3s and one H-1 rescue helicopter, while two A-1 fighters tried to take out the enemy firing upon them.
Their fuel was running low, so Conran asked the H-1 pilot to try to rescue the downed helicopter’s crew, but was rejected because the area was too dangerous.
“Major Conran then decided he had two choices: Depart the area, leaving his downed comrades, or attempt a rescue and reinforce the friendly troops already on the ground,” the narrative said.
Read the rest of the article here: Air Force Times
Category: Air Force, Guest Link, Search and Rescue, The Warrior Code, Valor
Yes, I think so.
Quite a compelling narrative. I served at CINCPAC processing MOH requests in that time frame but do not recall seeing this one. The question is given verified events, why did his command not opt for the MOH. Yes, long overdue and should be presented with the apologies of a grateful nation.
Club Manager,
The first thing I thought of is that officially, we weren’t in Laos for a very, very long time even though our guys were fighting and dying there almost from the start. On top of that, this looks to have been in support of a special ops mission, and the USAF bureaucracy HATED them. I can quite easily see some Chair Force warrior in Saigon round-filing the request without even a second thought.
Following your logic here Mike, he was awarded the Air Force Cross, they aren’t handed out like lollipops. It may be that there was a push for an MOH, but there’s always that One individual in the COC that refuses to believe written narratives, or eyewitness accounts, therefore they downgrade awards on GP. Or there may have been pushback because of personal issues
We had a Brigade Commander in Baghdad that refused to sign off on any Silver Star packets for actions in Ramadi and Fallujah. He claimed all our statements and reports were “Exaggerate” in order to get higher awards.
Fortunately there were ways around him when needed, but politics plays a huge roll in the awards at the highest levels.
IMHO if there is eve a question about an upgrade, there must be a good reason.
I was told I had ‘earned a bronze star’ but didn’t have the rank to get it.
I say yes. He knew that his chances of survival were slim at best and went anyway. I am willing to bet that his crew to a man agreed.
For some chairborne rangers dead is the only rank for a medal from what I gather…
And even then it’s touch and go…
I’m going for yes…
That Brigade commander was no doubt a Vietnam veteran.
I’d love sometime to hear about how that sort of stuff was processed at the time.
Needs to be done while Col.(ret) Conran is still alive.
FTA…”…would neither give up hope nor allow the others to panic.”
Hell to the yes this Wing Wiper should be awarded the MoH. Going to ground with a shot up chopper, knowing there was only a slim chance of taking off again. Going to the other chopper and bringing back two (2) M60 pigs, with ammo, being wounded and still fighting like hell.
I agree that politics and a Chair Borne Commando kept this Warrior from being properly recognized when he should have been.
A grateful Nation would like to see the Colonel awarded the MoH.
YES
Yes.
I call Bullshit on “It has taken far too long for our country to honor his courage.” If an Air Force Cross is anything like a Navy Cross, that’s one hell of an award to receive. The man’s courage has never been questioned, and has certainly been recognized. You folks can decide whether or not the award should be upgraded or not, but don’t go around saying his courage has not been recognized. An Air Force Cross is not an National Defense ribbon.
For whatever it’s worth, I’d rather have a Navy Cross than an MOH. Not that I’ll ever get either – I’m old enough now that I wouldn’t ever want to get in a situation where I’d qualify for either – but I think the Navy Cross is cooler. YMMV.
The Air Force Cross is equivalent to the Navy Cross or the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross, and is the Nation’s second highest valor award.
For whatever it’s worth, one doesn’t get to cherry-pick which award is to be presented- either accept or refuse it.
Wasn’t aware there was a mechanism for refusing them. Paperwork must be a bitch on the posthumous ones.
Heh. Point taken. Kinda hard to do either, posthumously.
Many many infantrymen did unbelievably courageous actions week in and week out and never awarded a damn thing. This is just what infantrymen do.
^^THIS^^
I am curious about the “indigenous troops” who went into that hot LZ as the Americans were pulled out. Any medals for them?