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Garry Gordon Cooper

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki




Garry Gordon Cooper
FLTLT Garry Cooper FAC Pilot Vietnam 1968.jpg FLTLT Garry Cooper FAC Pilot Vietnam 1968.jpg
Born21 January 1938
Adelaide, South Australia
💼 Occupation
RAAF Fighter Pilot and Airline Captain
👩 Spouse(s)Jean Cooper
🏅 AwardsAir Force Cross (USAF)

Introduction

Garry Gordon Cooper is a retired airline captain. He was a Flight Lieutenant fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and served in the United States Air Force (USAF) as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) in Vietnam, assigned to the 9th Infantry Division, US Army in 1968. He is the only non-American to receive the USAF Air Force Cross which was downgraded from a Medal of Honor recommendation. Being a non-American citizen, he is disqualified from receiving the Medal of Honor.[1]

Early Life

Garry Gordon Cooper was born on 21 January 1938 in Adelaide, South Australia. His basic education was at various primary schools around Adelaide and he matriculated from the School of Mines and Industries. Postgraduate, he completed a Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering. Having a keen interest in aviation, he gained his Silver "C" glider pilot's licence at the age of sixteen before taking up powered flying. At the age of nineteen, he gained his commercial pilot licence and obtained employment with the Flying Doctor Service in Central Australia. He subsequently gained employment with Gibbes Sepik Airways in New Guinea where he flew the Norseman UC-64A, Junkers JU52, de Havilland DH84 and various Cessna aircraft. After flying in New Guinea for three years, Garry was selected to start pilot training with the Royal Australian Air Force.[2]

Royal Australian Air Force Pilot

Garry Cooper entered the Royal Australian Air Force on 11 March 1960 to commence pilot training on No. 39 Pilots’ Course with twenty other aspiring young men.[3] Only eleven passed the course with Garry being awarded as the Most Proficient Pilot (highest flying ability).[4] [5]

After graduation and gaining his Wings, he was first posted to the School of Air Navigation flying the Dakota C-47, Canberra, Vampire and Winjeel aircraft. This tour was interrupted with two tours in the Antarctic[6] flying Beaver DHC-2 on floats and skis from the Danish ship “Thala Dan”.[7]

In 1962 Garry was posted to fly F-86 Sabre fighter aircraft with an operational tour in Thailand, Borneo and Malaysia. On 3 January 1966, Garry commenced his Mirage III fighter conversion course on No.5 Mirage Course at No.2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU).[8] This Mirage had only started its service in Australia in October 1964. The Mirage was capable of over Mach 2, but its power-off gliding angle was described as ‘the same as a streamlined man-hole cover”. In May 1966, Garry experienced a flameout after takeoff Archived 2018-01-19 at the Wayback Machine at 1,500 feet doing 420Kts, after the engine ingested a bird. He achieved the ‘impossible’ by getting the aircraft down undamaged on an abandoned war-time strip at Tomago, NSW.[9] [10] [11] The Mirage was towed back to RAAF Base Williamtown via the local roads which took 14 hours.[12]

Garry participated in some interesting testing for the Mirage III where he evaluated some full pressure flying (space) suits. These pressure suits would enable the pilots to fly the Mirage up to altitudes over 75,000ft for conducting high altitude intercept missions - well above the normal maximum operating altitude of 50,000ft.[13] [14]

Vietnam War - Forward Air Controller (FAC)

Garry was posted to Vietnam to serve as a Forward Air Controller (FAC)[15] [16] with the United States Air Force (USAF) from March to October 1968.[17] [18] [19]Although he was an 'Aussie' fighter pilot, he served within a USAF unit, the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS). Garry was subsequently assigned to support the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, US Army under Major General Julian J. Ewell where he completed a further 323 missions and 620 hours of combat flying.

Upon arrival in Vietnam, he was given the callsign 'Tamale 35'[20] and would perform his FAC duties in the O-1 Bird Dog. Initially based in Tan An, 40km southwest of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), due to increased security risks he would later be relocated to Dong Tam, 67km southwest of Saigon on the Mekong River.

Garry hit the ground running - he had not completed all his training when he was faced with some of the most intense fighting of the entire Vietnam War - the May Offensive, or Mini-Tet of 1968. He quickly earned a 'legend status' amongst the soldiers on the ground, and when they heard Tamale 35 check-in to coordinate the air support strikes from the Close Air Support fighters, they knew they could rely on him to put his life above theirs and get the job done.

Some of Cooper's most intense FAC flying during his tour would occur during the period 9-11 May 1968, coordinating air support strikes within Saigon itself. Flying around-the-clock missions at any time of day, on 11 May, Cooper had been up for 19 1/2 hours, he had been airborne for 13 hours and had been shot at for five hours![21]

Between 1967 and 1971, 36 RAAF fighter pilots served as FAC pilots in Vietnam with the USAF.

Military Awards

Garry Cooper's USAF Air Force Cross.

FLTLT Garry Cooper is the most highly decorated RAAF pilot to have served in the Vietnam War.

During his combat tour, Garry Cooper's highest award was the USAF Air Force Cross[22] [23]. The Air Force Cross is the second-highest US award and only the Medal of Honor ranks higher in precedence. Since its inception in 1960, only ~200 Air Force Crosses have been awarded, and Garry is the only non-US citizen to have been given this distinguished award for his extraordinary heroism. Garry had a special commemoration ceremony of this achievement at the Evans Head Returned and Services League (RSL) in NSW, Australia on 4 December 2021.[24]

The Air Force Cross is the Air Force's second-highest award for valor. Only the Medal of Honor ranks higher in order of precedence. It shares this position with the Army's Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross.

The USAF Air Force Cross citation reads, “.... for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Forward Air Controller attached as an Air Liaison Officer to the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, (US Army), on 18 August 1968 in the Republic of Vietnam. On that date, after being shot down in an OH-23 observation helicopter, Flight Lieutenant Cooper rescued a badly wounded Brigade Commander from the wreckage under extremely heavy automatic weapons fire. Although wounded himself, but with complete disregard of his own safety, he carried the Colonel to a protected area where he fought off several attempts to over-run them killing ten enemy soldiers at close range. During the helicopter rescue next day, he killed a further two enemy with his empty AR-15. Flight Lieutenant Cooper was solely responsible with the saving of Colonel Archer under over-whelming odds. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Flight Lieutenant Cooper reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force”.

Garry Cooper - US medals award ceremony - US Embassy Jeddah 1981 with his wife Jean.

He is the only RAAF pilot to be awarded the Ground Combat Badge.

Additional medals Garry was awarded include:

Garry Cooper AFC - Evans Head 4 Dec 2021

Foreign Awards (United States)

Foreign Awards (Republic of Vietnam)

Foreign Awards (Malaysia)

Australian / British Imperial Awards

Author - 'Sock it to 'em Baby'

With co-author Robert Hillier, Garry Cooper wrote a book, mainly about his Vietnam experience. In 2006 they published the book entitled, 'Sock it to 'em Baby - Forward Air Controller in Vietnam'.[39] [40] [41]

Airline Career

Garry Cooper - Last 747 Flight with Ansett
Thanks from Jordan's King Hussein bin Talal for saving 116 passengers and crew in 1980.

After returning from Vietnam,[42] Garry Cooper left the Royal Australian Air Force and took up employment as a co-pilot with Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong flying Convair 880 aircraft. Due to the rapid expansion of the airline, it took less than eighteen months for him to gain a command, becoming a captain. With Cathay Pacific, he advanced through the Boeing 707 and the Lockheed L1011 aircraft. After ten years in Hong Kong, Garry Cooper then gained employment with Saudi Arabian Airlines as an L1011 Check Captain. Following two years in Jeddah, Garry Cooper was offered employment with Kerry Packer flying his Learjet 35 around Australia on VIP operations carrying such dignitaries as Princess Diana and other world leaders. The call of the big aircraft became too much to bear so he sort employment with Park Aviation in Dublin, with operational offices in Bermuda flying Boeing 707 and Boeing 747 aircraft. Park Aviation had crews and aircraft leased out to Lufthansa in Frankfurt, Caribbean Airlines in Paris and Cargolux in Luxembourg, to mention a few. These were world-wide operations and Garry Cooper spent over ten years living out of a suitcase but enjoyed the travelling. The excitement did not end with Garry Cooper taking up mundane airline flying. In 1980 he received a letter of commendation from King Hussein of Jordan for landing a Boeing 707 on one engine after losing three engines on takeoff from Dhahran, saving 116 passengers and crew (see attached photo of letter). Then in 1989 he landed a Boeing 747 at Martinique in the Caribbean with 450 passengers and crew during Hurricane Hugo in wind speeds of 200km/h. Finally, due to family requirements, he returned to Australia gaining employment with Ansett Airlines flying Boeing 767 and Boeing 747 aircraft. As the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) he had acquired from his Vietnam service became advanced, he took retirement after accumulating over 25,000 hours of flying. It was only two years into retirement before he was back flying again, this time flying various war-birds at airshows which he still does today at the age of 84.[43] Garry purchased a Japanese Zero fighter replica warbird[44], which was actually a modified T-6 Harvard[45]. This was the aircraft that famously starred in the 1970 epic war movie, Tora! Tora! Tora! which dramatised the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Garry performed a simulated attack display in the 'Zero' during the 2005 Australian International Airshow[46] at Avalon as part of the 60-year commemoration since World War 2. Garry can be seen here, taxying his Zero at the Avalon Airshow, just before taking off for the display.

Family Life

Garry Cooper's ancestry is from Imber in Wiltshire, Castle Camps in Cambridgeshire and Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He has two brothers but his twin sister died soon after birth. He has been married twice, has three sons, one daughter and four granddaughters. Garry Cooper lives in retirement with his wife Jean, near Bribie Island Queensland, just north of Brisbane.

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Neil (April 2017). "Garry Cooper - Tamale 35". The Mini Bribie Islander Community Magazine. pp. 1, 3–5. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  2. ↑ Buckley, Phil. "Interview with Garry Cooper". Down Under Aviation News (DUAN). Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "No. 39 Pilots Course Graduation Photo". Radschool Association Inc. 16 June 1961. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ Cooper, Garry (1 July 1961). "Pearce Graduation - No.39 Pilots' Course". RAAF News. p. 6. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Garry (7 September 1961). "Permanent Air Force - Commission Appointment". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. p. 3292. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "National Mapping's Surveying and Mapping Activities in Antarctica 1950s to 1990s". Division of National Mapping Australia. 1962–1963. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Date format (link)
  7. ↑ Antarctic Program, Australian. "Thala Dan Antarctic Expedition Ship". Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Susans, Martin (1990). The RAAF Mirage Story (PDF). RAAF Base Point Cook, VIC, Australia: Royal Australian Air Force Museum. p. 127. ISBN 0-642-14835-X. Search this book on
  9. ↑ "A3-29 Dead Stick Landing - Garry Cooper". flickr.com. May 1966. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  10. ↑ Cooper, Garry. "An Oscar for Garry Cooper". RAAF News. p. 3. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Stewart (1989). The Meteor, Sabre & Mirage in Australian Service. Weston Creek, ACT, Australia: Australian Aerospace Publications. p. 184. ISBN 095879782X. Search this book on
  12. ↑ "Mirage A3-29 RAAF Photo". ADF Gallery. May 1966. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  13. ↑ "Pressure Suit Tests". Aircraft Life Support Fitters. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  14. ↑ "75 Squadron History - Pressure Suit Tests". Aircraft Life Support Fitters. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  15. ↑ "Sock it to 'em Baby - RAAF Birdog FAC in Vietnam". Herritage Flight Gear Displays. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  16. ↑ "Garry Gordon Cooper DFC". Virtual War Memorial Australia. Retrieved 22 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  17. ↑ "Flight Lieutenant Garry Gordon Cooper". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  18. ↑ Atkins, Jonathan (24 April 2009). "Salute to the Anzacs". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ Dowdell, David (2001). "Vietnam Reunion Australia 1967-1968". Vietnam Security Police Association Inc. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  20. ↑ "RAAF FAC History". Forward Air Controllers Association. October 2001. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ "Who the Hell are You? Garry Cooper". Queensland Returned and Services League News (Edition 06, 2013 pp66-70. Website only archives editions back to 2017 ed.). 2013. Archived from the original on 2013. Retrieved 2013. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help); Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  22. ↑ US Home of Heroes - Service Crosses. "US Service Crosses". Home of Heroes. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  23. ↑ "Air Force Cross (United States)". wikipedia.org. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  24. ↑ "Major Award for Living Legend Garry Cooper". Evans Head Living Museum. 4 Dec 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  25. ↑ USAF Air Force Cross Recipients - Vietnam War. "USAF Air Force Cross Recipients - Vietnam War". Home of Heroes. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  26. ↑ Silver Star Awards - Vietnam War. "Silver Star awards - Vietnam War". Home of Heroes. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  27. ↑ Project, The Hall of Valor. "Garry Cooper - Silver Star Award". Military Times - Valor. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  28. ↑ National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian. "Garry Cooper - Wall of Honor". Smithsonian - National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  29. ↑ Society, Distinguished Flying Cross. "Garry Cooper - DFC Honor Roll". DFC Society. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  30. ↑ Cooper, Garry. "FLTLT Garry Cooper - Purple Heart Hall of Honor". National Purple Heard Hall of Honor. Retrieved 17 Feb 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  31. ↑ Honours and Awards, Defence. "Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal". Defence Honours and Awards. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  32. ↑ Honours and Awards, Defence. "Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation". Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  33. ↑ Honours and Awards, Defence. "Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal". Defence Honours and Awards. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  34. ↑ Cooper, Garry (April 1969). "RAAF News - RAAF Members Decorated". RAAF News. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  35. ↑ "Distinguished Flying Cross Awards". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette - Issue 23. 13 March 1969. p. 1547. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  36. ↑ "The London Gazette No. 44840 - Honours and Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross". The London Gazette. 2 May 1969. p. 4657. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  37. ↑ Honours and Awards, Defence. "General Service Medal 1962". Defence Honours and Awards. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  38. ↑ Honours and Awards, Defence. "RAAF Ground Combat Badge". Defence Honours and Awards. Retrieved 18 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  39. ↑ Cooper, Garry (2006). Sock it to 'em Baby - Forward Air Controller in Vietnam. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781741761351. Search this book on
  40. ↑ Unwin, Allen & (18 February 2022). "Sock it to 'em Baby". Allen & Undwin Publishers. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  41. ↑ "ADF Serials Newsletter - Sock it to 'em Baby" (PDF). ADF Serials. May 2006. p. 4. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  42. ↑ "Vietnam War Service - Veteran Details". Australian Government - Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 21 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  43. ↑ Boyd, Halden (24 December 2020). "Evans Head Drive In Airshow a World First". The Northern Rivers Times - Issue 25/2020. p. 63. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  44. ↑ "Mitsubishi Zero VH-ZRO Tora replica Down Under". Australian Flying. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  45. ↑ "A6M2 TORA Zero". Heritage Flight Museum. Retrieved 22 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  46. ↑ "2005 Avalon Airshow". Australian International Airshow. 2005. Retrieved 22 February 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)


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