Gerald Orren Young
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Medal of Honor Recipient
Vietnam War

Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Orren Young (9 May 1930 - 6 June 1990) was a U.S. Air Force officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Vietnam War.

Gerald Orren Young was born on 9 May 1930 in Chicago, IL. He joined the Air Force from Colorado Springs, CO. During the Vietnam War he served as a captain in the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, a helicopter unit operating out of Da Nang Air Force Base, Republic of Vietnam.

On the night of 8-9 November 1967, Young's aircraft was one of two HH-3E 'Jolly Green Giant' helicopters sent to extract five survivors of a U.S. Army Special Forces reconnaissance team in Laos. The extraction site was known to be hot, surrounded by a well-disciplined, crack North Vietnamese Army (NVA) battalion. Two helicopters had already been shot down and destroyed in the area. Illuminated by a C-130 Hercules dropping LUU-2 parachute flares, "Jolly 29" made a pickup of three survivors before being driven off by intense enemy fire. Young, piloting "Jolly 26", then attempted to pick up the remaining two survivors, both now wounded. Fighting was intense both in the air and on the ground. A U.S. Air Force pararescueman aboard Young's aircraft, Larry W. Maysey, jumped from the helicopter and ran down a steep slope, rescuing the two remaining men. "Jolly 26" was now being hit with small arms fire. Just after Maysey had helped both survivors safely onboard, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) struck the number one engine, fatally crippling the craft. The engine exploded, inverting the helicopter, which rolled and skidded down a deep ravine and burst into flames; Young and one other man survived the crash and escaped the burning wreckage. Despite severe wounds, Young evaded capture for seventeen hours until being rescued later that day. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The pararescueman, Maysey, was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 37th ARS Da Nang AFB, Republic of Vietnam.

Place and date: Khesanh, 9 November 1967.

Entered service at: Colorado Springs, CO. Born: 9 May 1930, Chicago, IL.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Young distinguished himself while serving as a helicopter rescue crew commander. Capt. Young was flying escort for another helicopter attempting the night rescue of an Army ground reconnaissance team in imminent danger of death or capture. Previous attempts had resulted in the loss of 2 helicopters to hostile ground fire. The endangered team was positioned on the side of a steep slope which required unusual airmanship on the part of Capt. Young to effect pickup. Heavy automatic weapons fire from the surrounding enemy severely damaged 1 rescue helicopter, but it was able to extract 3 of the team. The commander of this aircraft recommended to Capt. Young that further rescue attempts be abandoned because it was not possible to suppress the concentrated fire from enemy automatic weapons. With full knowledge of the danger involved, and the fact that supporting helicopter gunships were low on fuel and ordnance, Capt. Young hovered under intense fire until the remaining survivors were aboard. As he maneuvered the aircraft for takeoff, the enemy appeared at point-blank range and raked the aircraft with automatic weapons fire. The aircraft crashed, inverted, and burst into flames. Capt. Young escaped through a window of the burning aircraft. Disregarding serious burns, Capt. Young aided one of the wounded men and attempted to lead the hostile forces away from his position. Later, despite intense pain from his burns, he declined to accept rescue because he had observed hostile forces setting up automatic weapons positions to entrap any rescue aircraft. For more than 17 hours he evaded the enemy until rescue aircraft could be brought into the area. Through his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellow man, Capt. Young reflected the highest credit upon himself, the U.S. Air Force, and the Armed Forces of his country.

Young reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before leaving the Air Force in 1980.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal

Death and Burial

Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Orren Young died on 6 June 1990 at age 60. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 7A, Lot 87, Map Grid U 23/24.