rocky
Inside YP3 on March 31, 1965 dad sat slumped over in the cockpit of his H-34. He recalls floating above his body praying and thinking about my mom and my unborn older brother back home in California. Drifting in and out, dad says “I needed to move, get going, or get out, or just plain GET. But nothing moved. I couldn't raise my arms or move my legs. The shooting was intense, like qualifying at the gun range but it didn't stop. I knew now that I had been shot and if I was hit again I was a goner; if my magnesium chopper burst into flames I was a goner; and finally, if I was captured by the Viet Cong, in my condition, I was a goner. Unknown to dad at the time, his Gunnery Sergeant Cecil Garner (Rocky) had drug his M-60 to a nearby rice dike and held the enemy at bay in spite of two bullet holes in his legs. Sgt. Garner later said he had six rounds in his 38, “four for the bad guys and one for each of us.” Fortunately that never came to pass; soon they were rescued by the leader on that day, Major Mann and his crew. When Sergeant Garner was evacuated by rescue personnel and placed inside Mann's helicopter, he continued to engage the enemy by manning a M-60 machine gun until he collapsed from exhaustion and the effects of his wounds. Later, Sgt. Cecil Garner was presented the Silver Star.
HMM-163 at Vietnam Wall. Back: Ray Diehl, Dan Hamilton, John Hax. Front: Bruce Shirk, Col. Norm Ewers and Dale Eddy
Major Mann landed back at Da Nang to unload Sgt. Garner and dad. A Navy Chaplain that dad knew jumped into the helicopter and cradled dad's head between his knees while medics prepped outside along with medics awaiting Mann's arrival was a crew of French paparazzi photographers. Getting in the way - the Chaplain (irritated) leaped out of helicopter towards journalist pushing them back while medics tended to dad. The Chaplin was in no mood for more photos.
Dad’s hero, Sgt. Garner who stood his ground and protected downed YP3 took on major injuries that day which hindered him his whole life. The removing of half-a-lung and lack of activity took him down over the years. Rocky finished his journey May 6th, 2016. Dad says, “Rocky will always be with me holding the Viet Cong at bay, until help arrives.”