More than 40 years ago, two young warrant officers gave up their R&R to perform a solemn duty — escorting the bodies of fallen brothers back from Vietnam to their families in the U.S.
Decades later, those two men — Jim Crigler of Winona, Minnesota, and Dr. Dennis Faucher of Bradford — want to make sure those who have lost their lives on active duty are not forgotten.
And now, Faucher said he’s looking for Gold Star families — “parents, siblings, children of someone who was killed doing their military job” — to honor at the upcoming Willow Creek Triathlon on Aug. 5.
Crigler has written a book about his experience, and Faucher’s, as the two served together. It’s called “Mission of Honor: A Moral Compass for a Moral Dilemma.” The book talks about Vietnam, and about the mission neither man will ever forget.
The two were pilots of the UH-1 Helicopter. Crigler’s roommate, 1st Lt. Tom Shaw, and Faucher’s roommate, Warrant Officer Claude Strothers, were killed together in a helicopter crash at An Khe Pass on April 27, 1972.
Crigler and Shaw had made an oath to each other — that if one of them didn’t make it, the other would escort his body home to his family. The U.S. Army made it happen.
Crigler and Faucher gave up their rest-and-recuperation leave to make the solemn trip back to the U.S. Part of it was identifying their roommates’ bodies before they could be released from the morgue.
Now the two men are members of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, and meet at reunions.
“At these meetings, I hooked up with people I was in flight school with, or served with,” Faucher told The Era on Tuesday. “Jim (Crigler) and I were in flight school together.”
The two talked about April 1972, Faucher explained. “Jim got to thinking about how Gold Star families get the knock on the door and their world falls apart.
“Those are the families that gave the most,” Faucher said. Many never know what happened to their loved one, other than the loss of life. Many of these Gold Star family members come to reunions to hear stories about their loved one — as did David Shaw, the brother of Crigler’s fallen roommate.
“We told him a lot of stories about his brother,” Faucher said. “It helped heal some wounds for him.”
And for Faucher himself. “When you are a combat vet, you are in it every day. It’s always with you. I was never injured myself … my injuries were my memories.”
He explained Crigler wanted to do something for the families who had lost loved ones. “A lot of military carry challenge coins,” Faucher said. “It keeps you connected.”
Using that idea, Crigler commissioned a coin with a Gold Star on one side, and a message about the sacrifice on the other. He handed them out to Gold Star families at the most recent reunion, and gave the remaining 20 to Faucher.
Faucher wants to honor local Gold Star families at the upcoming event.
“I really don’t know the numbers I am going to get,” he said, but added he encourages anyone who qualifies to contact his Bradford office at 814-362-1575.
“I understand some people don’t want to deal with it all,” Faucher said. “It would be so cool to get people there and give them the coin and remind them that they are remembered.”
The triathlon will be held Aug. 5, and benefits the DAV chapters in McKean and Warren counties.
Also this year, the event organizers want to honor veterans, past or present. They are encouraging local people to submit the information about a veteran including a name and biography via a form on the group’s website. During the race portion of the event, the name of the veteran will be worn by a participant. At the finish line will be the short biography of his or her military career as submitted to the group.
All honor request entries are due by July 26.
