More detail on this person: WATAUGA -
Michael Don Bates, 66, died Wednesday, Feb. 3,
2010.
Memorial service: 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at First
United Methodist Church, Bedford.
Survivors: Wife, Linda; children, David, Joe,
Lori, Maria, Sarah and Lynn; siblings, Bruce and
Elizabeth; seven grandchildren.
Lovelife Cremation Center
IT'S TIME TO HONOR MIKE BATES "A RARE
AMERICAN SOLDIER"
Author says "Bates knew no fear ... excelled with
unique leadership role"
Bates' life was like a Hollywood movie
By Bob Weaver 2010
Mike Bates' life is like a Hollywood movie, from
his well-documented military history in Vietnam,
flying a chopper in Alaska, downing a chopper near
the Arctic Circle, to his early entry into the
computer world.
The 66-year-old Bates from Calhoun County, died in
Watauga, Texas in February, 2010, after a long
battle with cancer.
His smartness and steel-grit courage made him a
stand-out soldier during the Vietnam War, a
troubling time in American history.
Perhaps, his untold story is how five years of
combat in Vietnam changed his life, flying a
chopper and being a combat pilot.
It is a moving experience to look at photos shot
by Bates, and photos of the death, pain and
destruction of the Vietnam War, rarely seen in
America's homogenized "bloodless" conflicts of the
21st century, apparently toned-down by the
government and national media.
Brigadier General John C. "Doc" Bahnsen, Jr.,
retired US Army and author of "American Warrior,"
wrote about Bates in his book, and this tribute on
the Herald following his death.
Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf said Bahnsen's book
was "Among the best books about the Vietnam
War."
Longtime friend Larry McCallister called him a
"free spirit," a phrase his wife has decided to
place on his military marker.
"He was one of the smartest people I've ever
known, a man who always followed his dreams. He
received seven Distinguished Flying Crosses for
his service as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam,"
McCallister said.
He was a member of the Mensa Society, the
largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world,
open to people who score at the 98th percentile or
higher on standardized intelligence tests.
Mike was a computer software developer, starting
early in the computer world. He developed and sold
software beginning with Tandy in the 1970's and
then with IBM PC's in the 1980's.
Obituary: Michael Don Bates
TRIBUTE TO AN AMERICAN WARRIOR
"He Fought Virtually Every Day"
By Brigadier General John C. "Doc" Bahnsen, Jr.,
Retired US Army ~ Author of "American Warrior"
During my two tours of duty in Vietnam I had the
good fortune to command some extraordinarily
talented, courageous and honorable soldiers. Their
rank, age, religion, education and training, and
backgrounds varied but they shared one very
important trait: they were soldiers who
exemplified the motto Duty, Honor, Country during
a tumultuous time in our nation's history.
A divisive, bitter battle over Civil Rights
concurrent with oft riotous opposition to the
Vietnam War ripped at the fabric our nation.
Ironically it was also a time when many of the
best of America's young joined veteran soldiers in
a divisive, bitter battle in Southeast Asia where
North Vietnamese communist forces were ripping at
the fragile fabric of democratic rule in South
Vietnam.
A patriot in thought and action, I have no
equivocation in testifying that Mike Bates was
prominent among the best of America's young just
as he was among the best of the soldiers I had the
good fortune to command in the war effort to
defend the freedom of people in a far away land, a
people who had no hope of remaining free on their
own.
I first met then-Warrant Officer One Mike Bates at
Alpha Pad on Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam
in September of 1968, a few days after I arrived
in-country for my second tour.
I was on orders to assume command of the Air
Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment - the
"Blackhorse" then under the command of my long
time mentor Colonel George S. Patton, son of the
legendary World War Two general.
A native West Virginian, Mike was articulate,
bright and ambitious even as a young man. A world
of promising possibilities awaiting him.
Mike, like all young men in those days, had a
military obligation to fulfill before he ventured
to seek his chosen career. The idea of flying
helicopters held a certain fascination for Mike,
enough so that he opted to join the Army after a
recruiter guaranteed him the opportunity to attend
rotary wing flight school.
Mike was selected as the Warrant Officer
Candidate Battalion Commander during his flight
school. That special recognition was not granted
frivolously, but because of his readily
recognizable leadership aptitude.
He was the kind of guy who looked and acted like
someone you would want to follow. Mike excelled
that unique leadership role and went on to
graduate at the top of his class.
Those accomplishments earned him orders to
attend AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter transition
training directly out of basic flight school. That
rarely granted distinction authenticated his high
potential as both a leader among men and certified
him as a remarkably skillful pilot.
Mike arrived at the Air Cavalry Troop shortly
before I did. His positive can-do attitude and
proficient piloting skills had been fittingly
recognized and Mike quickly became the
designated pilot for the troop commander.
Patton personally selected me to command the Air
Cavalry Troop. Everyone in the troop knew that in
advance of my arrival. There were also rumors
about Patton wanting sweeping changes in how the
troop operation, and I was chosen to be his broom.
Rumors can be nothing more than malicious
falsehoods. But on that occasion they were
spot-on.
During the change of command ceremony, I
introduced myself to the troop by informing one
and all that we would no longer operate as a
gunship company for the regiment, that we would
start operating as an air cavalry troop, that our
mission was to find, fix, and kill or capture as
many enemy soldiers as we could.
As I expected it would be, my assumption of
command was met by a mixture of curiosity,
suspicion and some stubborn resistance.
To effect the troop's change in direction required
the support of my subordinate leaders. That was
not a fail-safe assumption. Neither was the loyal
support of my troopers. Both groups needed to
trust me first. And trust among soldiers is
earned, not given away.
Although I took a liking to him right away, Mike
and I spent a few days sizing one another up. We
had our individual differences but we were alike
in that we shared a penchant for being
strong-headed, determined, motivated, and
self-confident-some of the traits key to leading
in combat.
I was immediately impressed by Mike's military
bearing, his respectful manner, his boundless
energy and his easy going sense of humor.
Reshaping the troop from a gunship company into
what others have said was the most effective air
cavalry troop, if not small fighting force, in
Vietnam at the time was not without challenges and
obstacles.
To that end, Mike's disarmingly candid counsel on
how I might best win the troopers over, earn their
trust, and gain their unfailing loyalty proved
invaluable to me.
For the next eight months, Mike and I flew combat
missions together.
We were a fierce-fighting team.
We anticipated one another in the heat of battle.
I am positive that regularly spared our lives and
those of our troopers as well as that of friendly
forces. We encouraged one another when only
encouragement could energize our tired bodies to
fight on for just a little longer.
We laughed together, finding humor in things that
we might not have paid thought to in other
circumstances. We mourned together every time
one of troop's soldiers was killed or wounded in
action.
By the grace of God, those killed comprised a
short list. Only ten soldiers died under my
command of the Air Cavalry Troop. While one killed
is one too many, ten soldiers killed is an
exceptionally low number when factored with an
extraordinarily the exceptionally high number of
enemy contacts the troop engaged in.
We fought virtually every day. And Mike and I
celebrated together after returning from numerous
missions with our helicopter riddled by enemy
small-arms and automatic weapons fire.
In total, we logged several hundred hours flying
side by side in one or the other of our two
command UH-1 helicopters- known as Hueys, the
workhorse utility helicopter that became the most
recognizable symbol of the Vietnam War.
It was not unusual for us to log twelve hours of
flying time in a single day. An aggregate of 140
flying hours a month was an average one for Mike.
There were occasions when either our door gunner
or crew chief was wounded, yet Mike and I returned
to Alpha Pad with nothing more than a few scraps,
scratches and bruises.
In fact, the only time I was wounded seriously
enough to seek medical attention was during a
combat assault when Mike was not flying with me.
Our loyal crew chief, Mike Gorman, was shot
through the neck while sitting behind us during a
major enemy contact in January of 1969. We
landed in the jungle where Mike administered first
aid to Gorman, saving his life.
Gorman has been paralyzed from the waist down
since that date and lives by himself up in
Vermont. To this day, Gorman credits Mike Bates
with keeping him alive and holds him in the very
highest regard.
When I informed him of Mike's passing, we cried
together.
I can truthfully say that Mike never displayed any
fear when being shot at, in fact quite the
opposite. He wanted to go after the people who
shot at us and did that at every opportunity.
He was imbued with the confidence found in very
few soldiers who know they can best any enemy on
any battlefield. His aggressiveness was contagious
and inspired everyone who saw him in action.
Over the time he served with me, Mike learned to
make decisions and pass orders to other senior
leaders when I was on the ground.
Colonel Patton knew Mike personally and had the
highest regard for his fighting ability. The
troop's enlisted soldiers thought the world of
Mike.
His fellow officers looked up to him and sought
his counsel. Everyone who knew Mike liked him
and respected his soldierly qualities.
The stories about Mike's heroics in combat are
found in my memoirs, American Warrior, only in
part. Mike and I could have died many times during
our days in Vietnam. We both lived to see our
children grow up and to know our grandchildren. We
lived a charmed life, deserved or not, we were
lucky.
Although medals alone cannot speak to a soldier's
courage under fire, Mike accumulated an impressive
set of them.
For his extraordinary valor Mike was awarded a
Silver Star, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses,
three Bronze Stars, over thirty Air Medals, and
three Purple Hearts, and numerous other awards for
meritorious service in a combat zone.
Patton and I recognized Mike's leadership and
war-fighting skills in yet another way. We
petitioned the Department of the Army to grant him
a direct commission to second lieutenant.
Patton's endorsement of that petition read in
part, "Mr. Bates is one of the best fighting
soldiers in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
where bravery under fire is the norm. He should be
commissioned immediately for the good of the
service."
It was a great day when I pinned a gold bar on the
collar of his fatigues.
Mike Bates was one of those rare American
soldiers who are natural leaders, who inspire
confidence and resolve in others. He was
invaluable on the battlefield and a friend to all
who knew him. Had he stayed in the service I am
certain that he would have risen to high rank.
I will miss Mike greatly. He was like a younger
brother to me. We meshed in temperament and in a
lot of our thinking. Farewell my old friend, I
will see you again on the other side. -
From: Doc Bahnsen, Thunderhorse Six, 6 February
2010
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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