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BY JOHN ROWAN
The old adage that “You can’t please all of the
people, all of the time” was proven to me again recently.
A reader complained about the Mark Jury photos in the last
issue. He was upset that the only airman shown was a guy
carrying cases of beer and soda. While I am always glad to
chide my grunt colleagues over the amenities that we Air
Force types were able to acquire, I understand my fellow
airman’s gripe. So, in the desire to provide a view
of one of our more heroic airman, below is a photo of one
of my grammar school buddies, retired Senior Master Sergeant
Dennis Richardson.
 Dennis was recently awarded, forty years
late, the Air Force Cross for his service in Vietnam. He
was a door gunner on a Jolly Green helicopter in 1968 when
he went into Laos to try to retrieve the backseater in a
downed F-4. While hovering just above the ground, he came
under attack. Manning his M-60, despite being hit with shrapnel
in the shoulder, Dennis managed to keep the chopper from
being shot down.
The rest of his crew received Silver Stars,
but he did not get a medal at the time. A later review of
his records uncovered the error. Dennis Richardson is one
of approximately seventeen Air Force enlisted personnel to
receive the Air Force Cross, which ranks just below the Medal
of Honor.
After his active duty, Dennis went on to extensive
service in the Air Force Reserve in an air/sea rescue unit
on Long Island, N.Y. Congratulations, Dennis. You do us airmen
proud.
Congratulations also to another former airman, VVA
Vice President Jack Devine, and the members of our Veterans
Initiative Task Force who just returned from a follow-up
visit to Ukraine to meet with the Russian Vietnam veterans.
These visits have proven very useful to our friends at the
Pentagon’s
Defense Prisoners of War/Missing Personnel Office. Below
is a letter from DPMO’s Director, Charles A. Ray, thanking
us for the information we obtained from the Ukrainians. Keep
up the good work.
I look forward to seeing many of you in
Greenville to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary. It should
be quite an event. I know that Wes Guidry and the gang and
Judy Ballentine and all the folks in South Carolina are getting
everything ready for our arrival.
At the last Leadership Conference
in Tucson, we called it VVA’s “Summer Camp.” Some
people grumbled that was not serious enough. So, this year
I want to welcome you to VVA’s Summer School. But,
don’t think
that this means anyone was left back. I’ll see you
there.
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©2006-
2008, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. 8605 Cameron
Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910