WO Eisenhour's Memorial Page

Mr. Eisenhour is shown here posing in the front yard of our home in LaCrosse, Kansas. WO Eisenhour had 20 weeks @ USAPHS and 16 weeks @ USAAVNS completed and he was very proud of his Army Aviator Wings. He was now a young Army Aviator of Huey Helicopters home on leave before going to Vietnam.

This is a very special picture for LZ of the 240th AHC, it shows Mr. Eisenhour, his wife, Kathy and their daughter Tara. This was the last time Mr. Eisenhour saw his wife and daughter before leaving for South Vietnam. WO Eisenhour's tour commenced on 13 May 1968 and he was KIA on 18 August 68.

Pictured here clockwise is WO Eisenhour, Lt. Don Curtis, and Captain Dan Langdon with their waiter in the lounge at the Angeles Motel in Angeles City, Republic of the Philippines. This particular photo was taken on 3 August 1968 by WO Eisenhour's brother, Mark, who was on a 72 hour liberty from his ship the USS Guadalupe AO-32 that was in port at Subic Bay. Along with WO Eisenhour, Captain Langdon and Lt.Curtis were on TAD orders for training @PACAF Jungle Survival School at Clark AFB, Republic of the Philippines. This was the last time that Mark saw his brother, Jim, alive. This, too, is a very special picture and we thank Mark Eisenhour and his family for allowing us to display this precious memory on LZ of the 240th AHC.

6 March 1969
General Orders #13
1. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. By direction of the President, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved 25 July 1963, the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action is awarded, posthumously, to:
Warrant Officer James D. Eisenhour
W3160336, United States Army
who distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action while flying as an aircraft commander of a UH-1H helicopter against hostile forces near Hiep Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, on 18 August 1968, in an attempt to rescue a member of a long range reconnaissance patrol who was reported fallen from the extraction helicopter. Three other aircraft had attempted the rescue operation at the expense of two killed and six wounded. Warrant Officer Eisenhour, realizing that survival chances were small, nevertheless volunteered to take his aircraft and crew into the hotly contested landing zone to attempt the rescue. While hovering in the landing zone looking for the lost man, Warrant Officer Eisenhour's aircraft sustained multiple hits from numerous automatic weapons positions. Warrant Officer Eisenhour was fatally wounded. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his own safety, and profound concern for a fellow soldier, he attempted to rescue this individual at the cost of his own life. Warrant Officer Eisenhour's extraordinary heroism and intrepidity are in the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

The following words were written by Mark Eisenhour:
My sincere thanks on behalf of WO Eisenhour's family to Joe 'Ragman' Tarnovsky, Linda 'Texas Twister' Luther and Paul 'Frenchy' LaChance for their kindness in allowing these pictures of WO Eisenhour to be displayed at the website of LZ of the 240th AHC and its accompanying links. Without them the sacrifices of WO Eisenhour and others like him would be forgotten and their death's would have been in vain.

Dear Mark and the Eisenhour family,
Your words are very kind and humbling but NO THANKS is needed for the displaying of the pictures you sent of your brother, WO Jim Eisenhour. As long as one of the three of us is alive, we will continue to commemerate the 240th AHC and the memory of our Brothers that have left us, and not allow America to forget the Supreme Sacrifice paid by Mr. Eisenhour and our other 240th Brothers. It is a distinct honor and privilege you have granted to us by allowing us to display these memories of Mr. Eisenhour and his family. We, of the 240th, Mark, welcome you to the 240th family and look forward to meeting you at the next reunion. We are the ones that are so proud and humbled to have a Gold Star Family on these websites.
Sincerely,
Paul 'Frenchy' LaChance
Linda 'Texas Twister' Luther
Joe 'Ragman' Tarnovsky

Flight, John Thrift has made us aware of another picture of Mr. Eisenhour that can be seen on Steve Beckner's page on LZ of the 240th AHC and a second picture in MOH Recipent, MSG Roy P. Benavidez's book, MEDAL OF HONOR.

MAD DOGS, GREYHOUNDS, KENNEL KEEPERS