More detail on this person: Gordon David Carpenter, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (Retired), bom 30
November 1928, passed away at his home in Phoenix, Arizona on 2 October 1984. This information was last updated 01/25/2020
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site:
01/11/2025
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter entered the Academy as a qualified competitor in 1948 after service in
Marburg, Germany as an enlisted man. He graduated with the Sesqui-centennial Class in June 1952 as
Cadet Brigade Commander.
His military career spanned twenty-four years from 1946 until 1970, the year of his retirement. As a
company grade officer, Colonel Carpenter served both in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Korea
before being accepted for flight training. He was aviation staff officer, Seventh US Army in Germany
(1965_66) and later served as plans, operations and training officer, 15th Aviation Group, US Army,
Europe.
In the Republic of Viet Nam, "Gordo" served as operations officer of the 13th Aviation Battalion and
later as commander of the 18th Aviation Company. He flew both fixed wing and rotary wing craft.
Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and later
served as an instructor there.
Survivors include his wife Barbara of Phoenix and a brother Richard of Alpine, Arizona.
Another site mentions him, http://18aviationcompanyotternest.webs.com/ch2otternesthistory.htm. I
have several letters from him to his mother in 1963 in which he says he was at Nha Trang in Feb '63
and in Danang in May '63, and Can Tho in Aug '63 where he says works as a "battalion operations
officer_planning and conducting the aviation part of helicopter operations."
From: David Kopf (formerly Carpenter)