Saturday, October 12, 2024
GREEN BAY/WASHINGTON D.C. – Panel W8, Line 128 — that was who he was looking for.
After a brief visit to the Lincoln Memorial and short walk through the National Mall, he found him:
Charles Edward Mc Leish - Captain
612TH Tactical Fighter Squadron, 35TH Tactical Fighter Wing, 7TH Air Force.
Home of Record: Monona, WI
Date of birth: 11/27/1944
Start Tour: 10/01/1969
Casualty Date: 08/21/1970
Age at Loss: 25
Location: Kontum Province, South Vietnam
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
He found his friend.
Army First Lieutenant Michael Conger, a Green Bay resident, is now an 80-year-old veteran who served from June 1965 to September 1968 with one tour in Vietnam, with most of his time spend as a Recon Platoon Leader.
Mike was one of 61 veterans who traveled from Green Bay to Washington, D.C., on a beautiful Saturday, Oct. 5.
Two Korean War, 59 Vietnam. 33 Army, 12 Navy, five Marines and 11 Air Force veterans ranging in ages from 66 to 97 where on the Stars and Stripes Wisconsin Honor Flight – Flight of Champions — the 77th Stars and Stripes flight.
The Green Bay “Packer” flight was just one of three “birds” that traveled to D.C. that day.
“Brewer” and “Bucks” flights also flew out of Milwaukee.
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America’s veterans by providing them with a memorable and deeply meaningful experience.
The organization provides veterans the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., where they can reflect at the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifices.
The core mission of Stars and Stripes Honor Flight is to express gratitude and respect towards veterans.
They aim to create a once-in-a-lifetime trip filled with camaraderie and recognition, ensuring that our heroes feel honored and appreciated for their service.
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight covers all expenses associated with the trip, making it accessible to veterans who may not otherwise have the means to visit these significant landmarks.
The organization relies on donations, volunteers and community support to achieve its goals, emphasizing the importance of giving back to those who have given so much for their country.
Each veteran is escorted by a trained “guardian” who is there to ensure the veteran’s safety.
Guardians are family members, other veterans and on Green Bay flight, four Packer Alumni.
In addition to the guardians, the flight included an all-volunteer support staff, several medical professionals and a doctor.
Mike’s guardian was his son, Christopher.
In the service
“I was a student at UW-Madison,” Mike began. “I had gone to school for two years and had no idea what I wanted to do. My dad said, why don’t you just take a year off and see what you want to do. About two months after I decided to drop out of school, they instituted the draft lottery, and I was drafted.”
Mike started his Army career enlisted as a track vehicle mechanic despite scoring poorly on the mechanical portion of the aptitude test and excelling on the rest of the test.
When he asked a sergeant why he was selected as a mechanic, the sergeant replied in true Army logic and fashion, “Son, this where the Army needs you.”
Mike knew his next stop after training would be Vietnam.
He found a way to delay the inevitable — officer candidate school (OCS).
His OCS class started with, “…139 guys and 13 weeks later, we’re going to graduate 61. I was in the top 4% or 5%.”
Because of Mike’s superior performance, he was selected for additional training – the Basic Parachutist Course, Ranger training and Jungle Warfare training in Panama.
After his extensive training, Mike was assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade (Light).
“I came over to Vietnam in February of 1967. I got assigned to them, and they said, ‘You’re in charge,’” Mike recalled.
“I said, ‘what do you mean I’m in charge?’ They said, ‘You’re the only one that’s qualified for a recon platoon. We don’t have a recon platoon in the brigade. You get to pick your own team.’”
A recon platoon is the “eyes and ears” of a unit.
Recon platoons were tasked with collecting detailed information about enemy troop movements, fortifications and supply lines.
They operated in areas where conventional forces might not venture, providing intelligence that was crucial for planning military operations.
As a second lieutenant Mike had, “…anywhere from 16 to 24 men in three squads. I was out in the field anywhere from two to six days at a time just reconning. I spent a lot of time in rubber tree plantations along the Ho Chi Minh Trail,” he recalled.
“Some nights we’d see nothing. Other nights we’d see 40 or 50 people marching. We would have to find out somewhat where their destination was and report that back. I had some great experiences. I had some really good men. I spent at least 99% of the time in wet socks. But we weren’t making contact. I liked that.”
On one mission, they had to compromise their position to save the life of a local.
The heroic action of two of his soldiers brought an unexpected visitor, the Commander of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, General William Westmoreland.
“First helicopter is a gunship, and it lands. And, they never land,” Mike said.
“Second helicopter, General Westmoreland gets off. And he’s got an entourage of about five people. They’re all dressed in pressed clean uniforms.”
The last two helicopters were full of press.
“And here comes Westmoreland. He wants to pin a medal on my two guys. The two guys that did the actual rescue were right next to me. He got to me, and I said, ‘Sir, you have to leave immediately.’ And he looked at me and he said, ‘Lieutenant, I am a general. You’re telling me I have to leave.’I said,‘Sir, there’s a sniper that we’ve observed within 300 meters of us. We’re in starch fatigues. Who are they going to go after?’ I’ve never seen a man do an out-face so fast in all my life,” he recalled.
“I realize now this is a press war,” Mike added. “This is not a war. This is all photo ops.”
Mike expected to rotate to a staff position after several months as the Recon Platoon Leader, but because of his success, he stayed in the position.
Mike also expected to rotate out of harm’s way as he neared the end of his time in Vietnam.
Instead, he was given an infantry company command as a now a first lieutenant.
Heading home
After nearly a year “in country,” it was finally time to head home.
“There were 120 of us coming back from Vietnam.
“I don’t have any dress clothes or anything like that. I get off the plane in San Francisco.”
Other soldiers were getting picked up by family or grabbing a cab.
“I get down there and there’s a major looking for me. I think, oh, no,” Mike recalled.
“He said, ‘go get your bag and come with me. You’re not going with the rest of the guys.’ And he said, ‘Where do you want to be assigned?’ I looked at him, dumbfounded. I said, ‘Sir, are you telling me I have a choice over where I want to be assigned?’ He said, ‘No, not really. But I wanted you to feel good on your return.’”
The major revealed to Mike that he was the only Recon Platoon Leader to stay in position almost a year.
The major said to Mike, “That’s just unheard of. That’s not fair to you.”
“We owe you,” the major added, “Since 1964, you were the first Recon Platoon Leader that has not had a man killed in action.”
Mikes reward was an assignment at West Point Military Academy to finish out his time in the Army.
He went on to attend UW-Milwaukee and later worked there.
He has three sons, five granddaughters and one grandson.
The trip
After their visit to the National Mall,the group also visited The Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Memorials, The Tomb of the Unknow Soldier for the Changing of the Guard, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial and the Air Force Memorial.
As 61 veterans returned home, the recognition and the thanks continued.
On the return flight, each veterans received a small gift from the Packers, Brewers and Bucks.
Each veteran also received a “mail call” — a package of letters, cards, photos and keepsakes from family and friends.
After a very long, emotional day, the group landed at the Austin Straubel International Airport to a huge welcome home — one that many never received.
To learn more about Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, visit www.starsandstripeshonorflight.org.
