Logo
Follow us:
Call Us Now: (724) 346-3818
  • Home
  • About the Avenue
  • Foundation
  • Interment
  • Tributes
    • Tributes Index
    • Writers of the Tributes
  • Videos
  • Canines for Vets
  • Vets Left Behind
  • News
  • Links

Eric Knauf

Eric's graduation picture

Eric’s graduation picture

Greenville
U.S. Army – Vietnam

In 1969, a year after graduating from Greenville High School, Eric Knauf enlisted in the army “because it was the right thing to do.” During his initial testing, he qualified for helicopter flight school.

“They told me the washout rate was very high,” he said, “and then a very high death rate if you didn’t wash out. I said that’s okay.”

After training, Warrant Officer Knauf was assigned to an air cav unit in the Mekong Delta. At Christmas time, the unit moved us up to Quang Tri Province, by the DMZ.”

There they participated in Operation Lam Son 719, a major invasion of Laos by the South Vietnamese Army, with aerial support from the U. S. Army.

Knauf, Eric

Knauf, Eric

“All we did all day, every day was go out and get into a fight,” he said.

A helicopter would fly into known enemy territory to draw fire. Other gunships would follow them in and attack the positions from which the enemy was firing.

“Our mission was to go find them and shoot as many as we could and come home at the end of the day.”

But as he had been warned, the casualty rate for helicopter pilots and crew was high indeed. Some days not everyone came home. On February 27, 1971, that included Eric Knauf.

“We were trying to get two pilots out of Laos,” he said. “The first rescue mission got shot down. We went in right behind them and got shot down, too. Another mission was able to get us out. The first two pilots are still listed as missing in action.”

Air assault team

Air assault team

Besides offensive missions, they also had to defend their base at Khe Sanh.

“They would fire mortars on us every night. We mounted C-130 landing lights and a minigun on a helicopter. When we saw the mortar flash, we would light up the whole area and hit the minigun. Their position disappeared, trees and all.”

Eric was one of the fortunate ones. He survived an astounding 1318 flight hours, including 1081 in combat. From that he accumulated what he calls a bunch of junk in this basement that includes three Distinguished Flying Crosses, a pile of Bronze Stars and Air Medals (31 of the former, 36 of the latter, including three for valor), and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

Eric served four more years in the National Guard flying Cobras with an air cav unit in Washington, PA.

Filed Under: Greenville, Home Town, PA, Tribute, Vietnam Era, War

2619 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148

Phone: (724) 346 3818
Email: tom@avenueofflags.com

News - Links - Policies - Contact

SUPPORT OUR FOUNDATIONS
Avenue of 444 Flags Foundations
War on Terror Foundation
Hillcrest-Flynn Pet Care Foundation

Copyright © 2023 Avenue of 444 Flags, All rights reserved.

Contact | Directions | Tributes | Site Map | Website by FRM Websites