Former Keesler trainee receives Medal of Honor 42 years after his death

Published Sept. 22, 2010
Air Force News Service, 338th Training Squadron, 81st Training Wing Public Affairs

WASHINGTON -- Back in 1952, Airman 2nd Class Richard Etchberger graduated from technical training at Keesler in electronics and radar maintenance.

In 1968, Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchhberger was killed when enemy forces overran a clandestine U.S. radar site in Laos.

Tuesday, 42 years after his death, the chief was posthumously recognized with the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony. Wednesday, he was inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon.

Chief Etchberger died March 11, 1968, at age 35 after being shot following an overnight battle on Mount Phou Pha Thi at Lima Site 85, as the radar location was known to Americans, where he helped maintain equipment that aided the U.S. bombing campaign of North Vietnam.

Despite having received little or no combat training, Chief Etchberger single-handedly held off the enemy with an M-16, while simultaneously directing air strikes into the area and calling for air rescue. Because of his fierce defense and heroic and selfless actions, he was able to deny the enemy access to his position and save the lives of some of his crew.

When rescue aircraft arrived, Chief Etchberger once again risked his own life numerous times, exposing himself to heavy enemy fire in order to place his three surviving wounded comrades into rescue slings hanging from the hovering helicopter waiting to airlift them to safety.

With his remaining crew safely aboard, Chief Etchberger finally climbed into an evacuation sling, only to be fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the aircraft.

"He should have a 55-gallon drum full of medals," said retired Tech Sgt. John Daniel, 71, of La Junta, Colo., one of those rescued. "I wouldn't be alive without him."

After a 2008 personnel board of review of the chief's actions, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley nominated the Hamburg, Pa., native for the U.S. military's highest decoration, which is awarded "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."

President Obama approved the medal.

Paul Deitke, 338th TRS ground radar systems training instructor supervisor, and Susan Griggs, Keesler News editor, contributed to this report.