More detail on this person: Green received the
DSC, 3 Silver Stars, DFC and multiple air medals.
Was shot down 5 times in Cobras, twice in an
OH-6, the last one costing him a leg. Inducted
into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame April 5, 2001.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
11/02/2023
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During a mission near the DMZ, flying low, he
detected enemy packs lying on the ground.
Landing his OH-6 to investigate, he came face to
face with two enemy soldiers. His gunner-observer
leaped out of the helicopter and killed one enemy
soldier who was preparing to use his weapon and
captured the second. Lt. Green then took off with
the bewildered prisoner and a nonfunctioning tail
rotor to give the NVA soldier his first and
wildest helicopter ride.
On another occasion, he located an enemy 122mm
artillery battery. After dispersing the enemy
artillerymen with the fire from his helicopter, he
maneuvered his aircraft so that his gunner could
disable the artillery pieces by inserting thermite
grenades down their tubes.
Five times he landed his aircraft in the face of
an attacking enemy to rescue downed aircrews.
On two of these occasions the wounded pilots were
brought out straddling the rocket pods of his
Cobra and firing their side arms.
Once the attacking enemy forces reached within
fifteen feet of Gary's departing Cobra. In
another instance, Gary's Loach was shot down and
he was seriously wounded, yet he was able to
remove his wounded and unconscious gunner from
the aircraft and frag him down a jungle trail
while engaging in a running fire fight with an
estimated platoon sized group of NVA soldiers.
While making his escape Gary killed eight of the
pursuing enemy with grenades and his AR-15.
Exhausted and grievously wounded a second time
by a "punji stick" that passed completely through
his foot, he boosted his still unconscious gunner
into the rescue helicopter and continued to throw
hand grenades and fire his AR-15 to cover their
departure.
The 50-caliber wound he received when he was shot
down eventually resulted in the loss of this right
leg below the knee. Gary Green was shot down five
times while flying the AH-1G Cobra and twice
flying the OH-6A "Loach".
For these and other conspicuous acts of gallantry,
Lt. Green received a total of eighty-one awards
for valor including the Distinguished Service
Cross, the Silver Star with two Oak Leafs, the
Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leafs
the Bronze Star with "V" device, the Purple Heart
with three Oak Leafs, sixty awards of the Air
Medal and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with
Gold Palm.
The following is from Steve Borden. I served with
Gary (which he prefered to be called) in the 334th
Atk Hel Company at Ft Knox and in Germany.
Almost everything Mike wrote looks correct. He
may have the number of Cobras and Loaches he
was shot down in reversed. I do remember him
telling a story about a punji stake, but I don't
remember it getting his foot. He did take a .51
through the foot, but I think it was his left
foot. However, he didn't lose his foot from that.
The doctors told him he'd never fly again or walk
properly. They obviously didn't know Gary. He
recovered, was cleared for flight duty, and sent
in his post card for a direct commission as a
Lieutenant. Yes, that crazy, heroic son-of-a-gun
was a Warrant when he did all that stuff in 'Nam.
Gary was involved in a motorcycle wreck in
Germany. It was in the summer of 1973. He was
hit broadside, by a car that appeared to be doing
close to 60 MPH. Gary saw him at the last
moment and was trying to dismount his Sportster.
The front end of the car drove his ankle into the
cylinder of the motorcycle, breaking and
splintering several bones in that region of the
foot/ankle. The doctors in Germany did what they
could, then evac'd him to Walter Reed.
He wrote to us in Germany and told us about some
brilliant doctor who basically disassembled his
ankle and put it back together almost like new.
It was like a miracle. After a few weeks in the
hospital, they let Gary go on medical leave. Gary
went home to Idaho. He said he was almost in a
body cast. His entire right leg was encased and,
apparently, a part of the cast went up past his
hips and encircled his waist. At least, that's
what it sounded like in the letter. Anyway, a
rodeo rolled into town. Gary LOVED the rodeo. He
rode bulls when he wasn't a 'clown.' Well, he
said he cut his cast down to just below his right
knee, and rode a bull. The bull threw him then
jumped on Gary's bad foot. The damage was so
extensive to the ankle that they had to amputate
it.
I only recently learned of his demise. What I
wrote in the first paragraph was from tales Gary
told us. The second paragraph, I witnessed as I
was right behind him when he was involved in the
accident. The third paragraph is what I recall
from letters we received from Gary while we were
still in Germany. I was hoping Mike Brady might
have a method of contacting his next of kin. Gary
showed me a scrap book he was working on which
contained his memoirs. He said he intended to
publish it when it was finished. I was hoping to
contact a family member to see if he ever did
finish it. If so, it would be extremely
interesting. Any info you can provide would be
greatly appreciated.
From: CW4 Steve Borden, US Army, Retired
While looking through various databases trying to
find a lost friend, I noticed Gary Green's name on
our DAT page. I was aware of his passing, as his
mother called and asked me to speak at the
service.
Captain Gary Burt and I were the two pilots who
Green pulled out of Laos during LS 719. There's
just a slight correction, if it even warrants a
retype: Gary Burt pulled off a near perfect
landing. We were not rolled to either side, but if
I recall correctly, one blade was missing at least
8 or more feet and the other was lodged in the
bamboo. Since there was no blade to interfere
with Green's high hover, he slid over our bird and
motioned to us what he had planned and then had
his front seat open his door and yell down to us
to use our Swiss seat ropes. While he had his door
opened, front seat gave CPT Burt Green's sawed off
carbine, and I used my issued .38 cal revolver.
Burt scampered up first and after he was astride
the right pod Green did a 180 degree pedal turn
and I got on the left pod. The date was Feb 10,
1971. That's the action date on my DFC and
Green's DSC his mother showed us.
From: CW Mac McComas