Dale E. Stovall
Encyclopedia
Dale E. Stovall is a former Brigadier General
in the United States Air Force
who figured prominently in several search and rescue
operations during the Vietnam War
. A member of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
based in Thailand, on June 2, 1972, he recovered Maj. Roger Locher
from deep inside North Vietnam
, the furthest any air man was ever rescued from inside enemy lines. For his efforts in rescuing Locher, Stovall was awarded the Air Force Cross
, which described how "he willingly returned to this high threat area, braving intense ground fire, to recover the downed airman from deep in North Vietnam.". Stovall was also recognized with the 1973 Jabara Award
for Airmanship. He retired from the Air Force as a Brigadier General on June 1, 1993.
and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the class of 1967.
in June 1972, an American 4F-4D was shot down by a North Vietnamese Shenyang J-6
. Pilot Maj. Robert Lodge refused to eject, but his weapons officer
Roger Locher
was able to get out of the aircraft. Lochar landed, unseen by either friendly or enemy forces, only 64 kilometres (39.8 mi) from Hanoi, North Vietnam.
Maj. Lochar evaded capture and covered over 19 kilometres (11.8 mi), gradually losing 30 lbs and his strength.
On June 1, 1972, his 22nd day behind enemy lines, he was finally able to contact a flight of American jets overhead, calling, "Any U.S. aircraft, if you read Oyster 1 Bravo, come up on Guard". Lt. James Dunn and others, including Steve Ritchie
in one of the F-4 aircraft overhead, heard his radio call and remembered Lochar's call sign. When the aircraft answered, Lochar calmly responded, "Guys I've been down here a long time, any chance of picking me up?" His transmissions left some Americans who did not hear his call in doubt about the authenticity of his message, and they believed that the NVA
may have manipulated a POW into impersonating him, setting a trap for the would-be rescuers.
, responded with several A-1E and another HH-53 but was driven off by heavy anti-aircraft fire and MiGs. The A-1 Skyraider and HH-53C helicopters came under attack from a MiG but eluded the enemy fighter in a narrow canyon. The rescue force then dodged missiles, another MiG and gunfire, but failed to get through to Locher that day.
On June 2, 1972, General John Vogt
, commander of the 7th Air Force
canceled the entire strike mission set for Hanoi that day. He sent a task force of 119 aircraft included Stovall piloting his HH-53 rescue helicopter, bombers, and an array of F-4 escorts, EB-66s, A-1Es, F105G Weasels, and KC135 tankers to get Lochar out.
Capt. Ronald E. Smith in an A-1E guided Capt. Stovall, piloting a HH-53 from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
, to Locher's position. Only when Locher rose out of the jungle canopy riding the jungle penetrator were all of the Americans sure it was him. Despite their proximity to Yen Bai
airfield, no aircraft were lost during Lochar's rescue. "We shut down the war to go get Roger Locher," Stovall later said.
Capt Stovall was recognized on several occasions for his bravery during the Vietnam War. He received the Silver Star
for actions on March 2, 1972. The citation reads in part:
Three months later, on June 27, 1972, he was instrumental in recovering another air man for which he was awarded the Silver Star
with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
:
For his flight on two days deep inside North Vietnam on June 1 and 2, 1972, to rescue Maj. Lochar, Stovall received the Air Force Cross
on November 22, 1972:
On April 13, 1972, Stovall he assisted in rescuing a Marine pilot for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross
. The citation reads in part
Stovall was recognized again six months later on December 6, 1972 and received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
.
During peace time he was recognized with the Defense Superior Service Medal
, the Legion of Merit
, and the Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
who figured prominently in several search and rescue
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
operations during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. A member of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
based in Thailand, on June 2, 1972, he recovered Maj. Roger Locher
Roger Locher
Roger Clinton Locher is a former F-4D Phantom weapons officer and pilot who during the Vietnam War and Operation Linebacker was shot down only from Hanoi, North Vietnam. The 23 days Locher spent behind enemy lines evading capture was a record for downed airmen during the war. USAF General Vogt...
from deep inside North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, the furthest any air man was ever rescued from inside enemy lines. For his efforts in rescuing Locher, Stovall was awarded the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United States)
The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. The Air Force Cross is the Air Force decoration equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross .The Air Force Cross is awarded for extraordinary heroism...
, which described how "he willingly returned to this high threat area, braving intense ground fire, to recover the downed airman from deep in North Vietnam.". Stovall was also recognized with the 1973 Jabara Award
Jabara Award
The Jabara Award for Airmanship, named in memory of Colonel James Jabara , is awarded each year to the United States Air Force Academy graduate whose accomplishments demonstrate superior performance in fields directly involved with aerospace vehicles....
for Airmanship. He retired from the Air Force as a Brigadier General on June 1, 1993.
Background
Stovall was born in Toppenish, WashingtonToppenish, Washington
Toppenish is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,949.-History:The General Allotment Act of 1887 granted an allotment of land to a woman of half Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie, known as "The Mother of Toppenish"...
and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the class of 1967.
Rescue of Roger Locher
During the initial phase of Operation LinebackerOperation Linebacker
Operation Linebacker was the title of a U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial interdiction campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 9 May to 23 October 1972, during the Vietnam War....
in June 1972, an American 4F-4D was shot down by a North Vietnamese Shenyang J-6
Shenyang J-6
The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
. Pilot Maj. Robert Lodge refused to eject, but his weapons officer
Weapon systems officer
A Weapon Systems Officer is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the fighter in the United States Navy. A Weapon Systems Officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the...
Roger Locher
Roger Locher
Roger Clinton Locher is a former F-4D Phantom weapons officer and pilot who during the Vietnam War and Operation Linebacker was shot down only from Hanoi, North Vietnam. The 23 days Locher spent behind enemy lines evading capture was a record for downed airmen during the war. USAF General Vogt...
was able to get out of the aircraft. Lochar landed, unseen by either friendly or enemy forces, only 64 kilometres (39.8 mi) from Hanoi, North Vietnam.
Maj. Lochar evaded capture and covered over 19 kilometres (11.8 mi), gradually losing 30 lbs and his strength.
On June 1, 1972, his 22nd day behind enemy lines, he was finally able to contact a flight of American jets overhead, calling, "Any U.S. aircraft, if you read Oyster 1 Bravo, come up on Guard". Lt. James Dunn and others, including Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie
Steven Scott Ritchie is an acclaimed pinball and video game designer. He has been called "The Master of Flow" by pinball aficionados due to the emphasis in his designs on ball speed, loops, and the like....
in one of the F-4 aircraft overhead, heard his radio call and remembered Lochar's call sign. When the aircraft answered, Lochar calmly responded, "Guys I've been down here a long time, any chance of picking me up?" His transmissions left some Americans who did not hear his call in doubt about the authenticity of his message, and they believed that the NVA
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
may have manipulated a POW into impersonating him, setting a trap for the would-be rescuers.
Rescue operation
Capt. Stovall, based at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base in ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, responded with several A-1E and another HH-53 but was driven off by heavy anti-aircraft fire and MiGs. The A-1 Skyraider and HH-53C helicopters came under attack from a MiG but eluded the enemy fighter in a narrow canyon. The rescue force then dodged missiles, another MiG and gunfire, but failed to get through to Locher that day.
On June 2, 1972, General John Vogt
John W. Vogt, Jr.
General John William Vogt, Jr. was commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, and commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.-Biography:...
, commander of the 7th Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
canceled the entire strike mission set for Hanoi that day. He sent a task force of 119 aircraft included Stovall piloting his HH-53 rescue helicopter, bombers, and an array of F-4 escorts, EB-66s, A-1Es, F105G Weasels, and KC135 tankers to get Lochar out.
Capt. Ronald E. Smith in an A-1E guided Capt. Stovall, piloting a HH-53 from the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
, to Locher's position. Only when Locher rose out of the jungle canopy riding the jungle penetrator were all of the Americans sure it was him. Despite their proximity to Yen Bai
Yen Bai
Yên Bái is a city and urban district in Vietnam. It is the capital of the Yen Bai province, in northeastern Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 78,016. The district covers an area of 58 km²....
airfield, no aircraft were lost during Lochar's rescue. "We shut down the war to go get Roger Locher," Stovall later said.
Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for actions on March 2, 1972. The citation reads in part:
Three months later, on June 27, 1972, he was instrumental in recovering another air man for which he was awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
:
Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United States)
The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. The Air Force Cross is the Air Force decoration equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross .The Air Force Cross is awarded for extraordinary heroism...
on November 22, 1972:
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
. The citation reads in part
Stovall was recognized again six months later on December 6, 1972 and received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
.
Peace time awards
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
, the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, and the Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster.