Two Air Force NCOs receive Red Cross "Real Heroes" award
The American Red Cross Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter honored Staff Sgts. Christian Begnal and Darrell Cherry with the Military Real Heroes Award at the seventh annual Real Heroes Breakfast Tuesday morning.
In the spirit of humanitarianism, the Red Cross Real Heroes Awards recognize individuals for showing courage, kindness and unselfish character through acts of heroism in the Pierce County community.
Begnal and Cherry's act of heroism, which also earned them Air Medals, took place May 2, 1999, in the early morning hours following a 1:30 a.m. mayday call. Three helicopters, two MH-53J Pave Lows and an MH-60G Pave Hawk - were launched shortly after the mayday, with three to six-man rescue teams aboard each. The
plan was to approach the first location where the pilot was thought to be, then, if necessary, on to a second location, land and extricate the pilot.
Although more than a year has passed since the event, Begnal and Cherry recall the details very clearly, particularly those surrounding the flights to and from the rescue site when they came under missile and small-arms fire.
"We were still on the good-guy side when I heard a radio from the (other) side that they knew we were coming and they had authorization to fire," said Begnal. "As soon as we were on the bad-guy side, our pilot said 'traffic at twelve o' clock.' I could see the triple-A (anti-aircraft artillery) out the bubble window. I saw a flash to the left and another missile was launching from the rear.
"It was pretty intense," Begnal said.
Begnal's job was to maintain radio communication with the pilot throughout the flight and rescue. He was able not only to see activities, but also to hear the aircrew as the event unfolded.
"There was a lot of stress in the pilots' voices," Begnal said. "They were pumping out chaff and flares. We dove into a valley to evade the missiles."
Cherry recalled, "No sooner had we crossed the border than two SA-6 missiles came our way. The missiles crossed the paths of all three helicopters.
"The pilots did an outstanding job of maneuvering the aircraft," Cherry said. "I can't emphasize enough what a great job the pilots did. They earned silver stars," he said of their later decorations.
Evading enemy fire was the first step in the rescue attempt. After getting no communications at the first location, they routed to the second locale where the pilot vectored the aircraft toward himself.
Only the smaller MH-60G actually landed because the pilot was able to walk on his own.
If he hadn't been ambulatory, one or both of the other aircraft would have landed as well.
As the Pave Hawk approached the landing site through a valley, it received AK-47 fire from a window of a house on the hillside. A gunner eliminated that threat, Begnal said.
Once the other aircraft received word the "precious cargo" was on board the Pave Hawk, all three aircraft prepared for the return trip.
The egress was expected to be even more dangerous as dawn approached,
making the aircraft more visible for attack.
Once again, the pilots' skills provided the aircraft and aircrews safe passage. They landed at their home base without damage.
"We definitely didn't have the element of surprise," Begnal said of the May 2 rescue.
The element of surprise was evident in an earlier rescue that involved Begnal and earned him another Air Medal.
Begnal set up radio communications for the March 27 rescue of the F-117 pilot, an event that drew publicity around the world.
In fact, Begnal said his wife, Tina, told him her heart skipped a beat when she heard a plane had gone down in Bosnia. She knew he would be involved if a rescue took place.
Unlike the May rescue that came under attack, the F-117 pilot extrication was a textbook example of entry and exit without a hitch. Everything went by the book, again with total success.
Begnal, who spent eight years in the Marines before joining the Air Force special tactics team, noted it was an "opportunity of a lifetime...to perform two combat search and rescues. It's a priceless experience for our community," he said.
As for the overall success, especially in the F-16 rescue, Begnal credited another source: "The man up-stairs was looking after us. It was by the grace of God that he got us through."
In recognition of these heroic deeds, the Red Cross designated Begnal and Cherry Real Heroes. The gathered audience of more than 800 people honored individuals from 11 different categories in all. Each year the Red Cross sponsors this event to celebrate the spirit of humanitarianism and recognize heroes in our community.
The American Red Cross, a humanitarian-led volunteer organization, provides health and safety training, disaster preparedness and supplies, local disaster relief, senior nutrition program and volunteer opportunities for residents of Pierce County and globally. (FROM THE NORTHWEST AIRLIFTER - MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE).
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