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Hear personal accounts of the actions of SFC Clifford Newman

SFC Clifford Newman

Award Citation

Sergeant First Class Clifford M. Newman, United States Army, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty in the Republic of Vietnam on 19-20 February 1971 while serving with a 12-man quick reaction force tasked with locating a downed aircraft and recovering personnel and sensitive items from deep within enemy held territory.  After inserting into the area and locating the crash site, the team could not be extracted due to poor weather and was forced to remain overnight.  At approximately 0720 the following morning, they were attacked by an estimated company sized enemy force closing to within 20 feet of their position with hand grenades and automatic weapons fire and wounding six members of the team.  As they vacated the threatened position under intense enemy fire, SFC Newman discovered a teammate who had nearly lost a foot due to a grenade blast.  Without regard for his own safety, he picked up the wounded comrade and carried him to relative safety down a steep ledge to a gully floor.  Discovering the team leader had become incapacitated and his radio destroyed by a grenade blast, SFC Newman immediately assumed control of the team and began directing air strikes with his emergency radio inflicting heavy casualties against the fiercely attacking enemy.  Throughout the subsequent five-hour engagement, SFC Newman continuously exposed himself to the intense enemy fire while leading the team and directing extremely close air strikes, some munitions impacting within 10 meters from their position.  Newman’s actions were decisive in turning back the numerically superior sized enemy force during their repeated attempts to overrun and destroy the vastly outnumbered team.  When they were finally able to be extracted, SFC Newman remained on the ground to assist the wounded personnel in hooking up to the jungle penetrator while continuing to control the air strikes while continuously exposing himself to enemy fire.  As the final three team members were being hoisted, the jungle penetrator winch failed and dropped them to the ground.  Sergeant First Class Newman without hesitation unhooked himself risking death or capture by the enemy so that his other two teammates could be extracted. On the ground and alone, SFC Newman continued to deliver devastating fire on the enemy until he was finally lifted out. Sergeant First Class Newman’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observation Group, Command and Control North, the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, and the United States Army. 

Sfc Clifford newman

Award Narrative

Sergeant First Class Clifford M. Newman, United States Army, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty on 19-20 February 1971 while serving with a 12-man quick reaction force deep within enemy held territory adjacent to the infamous A Shau Valley in the Republic of Vietnam.  After volunteering to join the team and inserting into Laos, SFC Newman and the team moved through difficult and highly contested terrain to a helicopter crash site to recover American personnel.  In the early morning hours of 20 Feb 1971, the small team came under a vicious attack from a company-sized enemy force.  Over the next five hours, SFC Newman assumed command of the team from the disabled team leader, led the team in repelling the attack, carried a wounded teammate to safety, coordinated and directed bombing and strafing runs from helicopter gunships and fixed wing aircraft, and was the last man to be extracted from the battlefield, all at great risk to his own life.  His actions that day clearly saved the lives of every member of his team.   

In 1971, the United States Army in Vietnam was still engaged in active ground combat with an enemy emboldened by the withdrawal of American troops.  As a result of the “Vietnamization” of the war, that is, the gradual turning over of more and more combat operations to the Vietnamese armed forces, it was hoped by American policy makers in Washington that combat losses for the American troops that remained in Vietnam would decline.  It was this political concern for American combat losses that led to the events which will frame the narrative for the award of the Medal of Honor to SFC Clifford Newman, United States Army Special Forces, and a member of the then highly secretive Studies and Observations Group (SOG), which for years had conducted covert operations deep into Cambodia, Laos, and North Vietnam in order to gather intelligence on North Vietnamese troop movements and to disrupt their movements on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.  

In early 1971, it became evident to the U.S. Military that the North Vietnamese Army(NVA) was increasing their troop and material movements down the Ho Chi Minh trail in preparation for a major campaign. The NVA were preparing for offensive operations in the South as U.S. Armed Forces numbers in Vietnam decreased and the lead for combat operations transitioned to South Vietnamese Armed Forces.  Joint planners for the American and Vietnamese Armies determined that a pre-emptive strike aimed at the Ho Chi Minh Trail, led by South Vietnamese Army Rangers, Special Forces and selected Airborne units, would either finally disrupt the flow of NVA troops and material, or would damage it sufficiently so that it would allow for the continued strengthening of the South Vietnamese Army in preparation for its final acceptance of the U.S. Army’s departure from the field of battle.

This pre-emptive strike would be named Lam Son 719 and would proceed down Route 9 from Khe San into the heart of Laos (Tchepon) with the South Vietnamese units establishing firebases as they penetrated into Laos. To protect the vulnerable southern flank of the invasion route, U.S. planners initially thought to use the 101st Airborne Division with elements of 196th Light Infantry Brigade, to insert into the only major NVA flanking route and block it. This flanking area was the A Shau Valley, one of the most contested pieces of terrain in South Vietnam.  Knowing that combat operations in the A Shau Valley would be very costly in American lives, it was decided to use three SOG recon teams consisting of 4 Americans and four to six indigenous personnel per team instead of the larger American conventional force. On 18 February 1971 the teams departed their base at Phu Bai and were inserted in three separate locations along the length of the valley.  Recon Team (RT) Intruder was inserted in the northwestern part of the valley, while RT Python went to the center and RT Anaconda to the southeast.  At the time of their insertion, it was estimated that a NVA Regiment with anti-aircraft units was working in the area.

As the operation began, RT Intruder was inserted into Laos along its border with Vietnam and moved for two hours before it discovered a hard packed road where they then set up an ambush.  When an enemy element approached, RT Intruder initiated the ambush killing several of the enemy soldiers.  The team then recovered some bundles that the enemy had been carrying and the Team Leader requested extraction.  After the majority of the 11 man team had been extracted from the mountainous terrain along the border, a final Huey helicopter lowered ropes to the three remaining team members using a STABO harness to lift them out of the jungle.  When the three men were hooked up, the helicopter began its climb dragging the three men through the trees as it tried to leave the area.  The extraction helicopter was hit by intense enemy anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire on egress and one of the team member’s ropes snagged on tree branches at about 30-feet and broke, causing him to crash through the limbs and fall to the ground. The extraction helo continued to receive anti-aircraft fire and managed to fly only a few hundred more feet before crashing into the mountainside with the two remaining RT Intruder American team members still attached to their ropes.

Upon hearing that the extraction helicopter was shot down and the air crew and team members missing, a SOG “Bright Light” quick reaction team, RT Habu, was alerted and rapidly prepared to conduct a recovery operation.  SFC Newman, who was not part RT Habu but had extensive experience as a Team leader and Bright Light mission veteran, volunteered to augment the team for the mission.  The Bright Light team consisted of six Green Berets and six indigenous commandos.  On the morning of 19 February 1971, the team loaded their helicopters and departed Phu Bai to search for and recover the UH-1H crew and two remaining RT Intruder team members.  During their air assault insertion into Laos, they received word that the one Green Beret (SFC Samuel Hernandez) whose rope had snapped, miraculously survived the fall and had been recovered.  He had spent an extremely perilous night in the jungle alone avoiding a platoon size NVA element.

RT Habu uneventfully inserted into a small landing zone (LZ) West of the crash site in the early morning of 19 February.  This was the same LZ in Laos used by RT Habu during their insertion the previous day.  They began moving east through the rugged terrain in a slow and deliberate manner searching for the downed UH-1H aircraft, which was discovered at approximately 1345 that afternoon.  At one point in the afternoon while the team was enroute to the crash site, the Forward Air Controller (FAC) that they were working (Covey 275) with was shot down by NVA anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) killing the pilot, LT Larry Hull, and his Covey rider, Green Beret SFC Jose Fernandez.  This was the second aircraft lost to intense anti-aircraft fire since the insertion of RT Intruder on the previous day.  The RT Habu Team Leader, SSG Charles Danzer, relayed this immediately to the higher headquarters and the team continued with the mission.

Upon discovery of the crash site, SFC Newman supported the establishment of the defensive position around the crash site.  While the downed aircraft and the immediate area was being searched, SFC Newman continually moved about his defensive positions, ensuring that his section provided the other team members with maximum security, and assisted recovering the remains at the site.

The crash site was in very rugged and steep terrain and the helicopter had burned and was laying on its side and back.  After finding and recovering the remains of the four crew members and placing them in body bags and removing all items of intelligence value from the crash site, the team attempted to locate the two missing Green Berets but was unsuccessful.  At approximately 1530, the team called for extraction of the bodies as well as the team. The team was notified at approximately 1700 hours that the extraction helicopter, although already on its way, had been ordered to return to base due to the rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.

Realizing the need to set up a defensive position because of the rapidly approaching nightfall, the team moved off the crash site to search for a suitable location. They moved approximately 75 meters away from the crash site when they discovered two bodies still attached to ropes hanging approximately 40 to 50 feet over the edge of a steep drop-off. These bodies were of the two RT Intruder team members that the downed UH-1H aircraft had been extracting at the time of the crash. 

Due to the extremely difficult terrain, they were unable to secure the bodies before nightfall and would wait until the morning to recover them. The team moved approximately another 50 meters to a suitable night defensive position with the intention of returning to the location of the bodies in the morning.  The area around their perimeter was very steep, with large rocks, ledges and drop offs, and thick vegetation in some areas and less in others.  Visibility in front of their positions was limited and some of the team could only see about 15-20 yards in front of their section of the perimeter before it turned into bamboo.  SFC Newman expertly emplaced M18A1 Claymore mines in front of his position and settled in for the night.  Unable to be extracted that day from a known crash site and being forced to spend the night deep in enemy held territory, there was no doubt among the team that they were in trouble and would likely be attacked that night or in the morning.

The team was at 100-percent security and at 0715 on 20 February, while preparing to return to recover the remains of the two Green Berets, they detected heavy enemy movement from a position on the mountainside overlooking their location.  The NVA were banging sticks together to signal each other, and the team saw the tops of the bamboo moving in the windless morning, indicating movement on the ground.

The team leader, who was in the center of the perimeter in the prone and behind his rucksack, whispered on the team radio to the FAC regarding their bleak situation.  Without warning, the NVA started the attack by throwing several hand grenades into the team’s perimeter followed by an intense volume of enemy automatic weapons fire.  It is estimated the Bright Light team was in contact with a NVA company, numbering approximately 100 personnel and some within 20 feet from their position.  During the initial firefight, two team members were seriously wounded while several others received minor wounds. The team immediately began returning intense CAR-15 fire, and SFC Newman fired off numerous pre-positioned M18A1 Claymore mines with devastating effect.

Several of the NVA hand grenades exploded within feet from the team leader’s rucksack. The blast destroyed the team’s radio and slammed it into SSG Danzer’s head which severely incapacitated him.  The explosion also knocked him down hill before he slid over a very step 20-foot ledge.  SSG Danzer suffered the effects of a concussion, with blurred vision, extremely degraded hearing and a crushing headache.  As the remainder of the team withdrew down the ledge and away from the enemy fire, SFC Newman took one last look at the team’s positions and noticed SFC Horton, an American teammate who had his left foot nearly blown off from an NVA grenade.  He was unable to walk.  SFC Newman ran over, picked him up, and carried him approximately 20 meters, then slid with him down the steep ledge to join the rest of the team in the relative safety of the new defensive perimeter. 

With the team leader being incapacitated and his radio destroyed, SFC Newman assumed control of the team.  He took out his survival radio and began contacting the Forward Air Controller (FAC) and requesting air strikes while directing the team’s return fire on the enemy.  It was his actions from this moment forward that prevented the team from being destroyed by a numerically superior force which held the high ground above them.

SFC Newman marked the team’s position with mirror flashes and smoke for the FAC to see, and he coordinated air strikes from numerous aircraft beginning with A-1E Skyraiders.  The Skyraiders expended their 250 pound MK-25 bombs, some within just several meters from the team’s position, with devastating effect on the enemy.  The FAC (Covey 221) then made numerous gun runs on the enemy positions in a valiant attempt to suppress the ever increasing enemy fire directed at the team’s position. Covey 221 (CPT Thomas Yarborough) continued this at tree top level long enough to allow the AH-1H Cobra gunships to arrive on station.  The Cobra fire was equally danger close to the team with some rounds striking within 10 meters of the team.  After the Cobras ran out of ammunition, they continued to make dry passes to suppress the enemy during the fight until more support could arrive.

As the firefight progressed, the team began taking fire not only from the front of their position but also from their flanks indicating they were facing an even larger force than first encountered.  The team was forced to remain in their current position due to the perilous terrain and the seriousness of the wound suffered by SFC Horton.   SFC Newman continually directed the team’s precise suppressive fire to conserve ammunition as the NVA tried to overrun the team while he remained in constant contact with Covey 221 throughout the five-hour engagement. 

At one point, the Cobras and Skyraiders expended all of their ordinance and had to return to base to refuel and re-arm. During the absence of air support, the enemy made many determined assaults in an attempt to completely annihilate the vastly outnumbered team.  The NVA elements were constantly moving closer and closer and advanced to within 20 meters of the team’s position.  SFC Newman courageously held his ground and greatly inspired the other team members by his calmness under fire and his fearlessness against the overwhelming odds.  Under his leadership, the team was repeatedly able to drive off the determined enemy force.

Throughout the morning, SFC Newman directed the Cobra gunships in making multiple gun and rocket runs within 10 meters or less of the team’s position to prevent the enemy from completely overrunning them. SFC Newman, always placing the safety of the team upmost in his mind and at great personal risk, exposed himself to the intense enemy fire numerous times during the five hour battle in order to direct the airstrikes and helicopter gun runs more accurately.  SFC Newman’s leadership, selfless efforts, and courage under fire while directing the air strikes on the enemy positions were directly responsible for suppressing the enemy enough to allow an extraction attempt to be made.

On the first extraction attempt, the UH-1H Huey helicopter lowered its ropes to the team, but only one indigenous team member was able to hook himself up.  The Huey then came under a barrage of heavy enemy fire and was struck by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and had to make a hasty departure. The man being extracted was drug through the trees as the Huey broke away, but the rope held, and he survived.  The pilot and one of the Huey crew members were wounded during the extraction attempt, but the damaged aircraft survived the intense fire and made its way out of the area.  SFC Newman continued to direct air strikes, now including F4 Phantoms, dropping ordnance further up the ridge in order to create greater separation with the attacking NVA to facilitate a successful extraction.

It would be well over an hour before another extraction attempt would be made, and the team was running low on ammunition.  Once again SFC Newman, disregarding his own personal safety, exposed himself to the seemingly endless enemy fire as he directed Cobra gunships in making numerous additional gun and rocket runs on the enemy positions to enable another attempt to extract the team.  This extraction would not be done by UH-1H Hueys but by an armed HH-53 with a jungle penetrator and armed with mini-guns. 

As the extraction aircraft approached, SFC Newman unhesitatingly exposed himself once again as he continuously controlled the team’s accurate suppressive fire upon the enemy while coordinating the team’s extraction.  When the aircraft arrived at the site, the HH-53 pilots maintained a hover just above the team at approximately 30 feet above ground level as the crew engaged the enemy with their mini-guns and operated the jungle penetrator from the side door.  SFC Newman coordinated the extraction and pulled team members off the perimeter to be lifted by the hovering HH-53’s jungle penetrator.  The seriously wounded went up first.  After multiple lifts which extracted the majority of the team, only SFC Newman and two other US team members remained on the ground.

As the HH-53 lowered the jungle penetrator to extract the final three remaining members of RT Habu, the large enemy force made a last desperate attempt to overrun them before they could be extracted.  Again, heavy suppressive fire from the extraction aircraft and the three remaining team members on the ground deterred the assaulting NVA force.  As the HH-53 crew started to pull the jungle penetrator up through the tree branches, the winch slipped due to the weight of the three men dropping them back to the ground.   SFC Newman, with complete disregard for his own personal safety and risking death or capture by the enemy, unhooked himself from the jungle penetrator and elected to stay on the ground so that the other two team members could be extracted safely.

While on the ground alone, SFC Newman continued to fire his CAR-15 and direct a steady barrage of suppressive fire against the enemy.  When SFC Newman was finally being extracted with the jungle penetrator as the last man out, he expended the last the last of his 25 magazines of ammunition engaging the enemy until the HH-53 was out of range of the enemy forces.

Throughout the five-hour battle, SFC Newman directed a variety of close air support while he was also engaging the enemy directly and providing leadership to the team under fire.  Included in the air support were F-4 Phantom jets from Thailand which conducted multiple bombing runs with M82 fragmentation bombs on the NVA positions above the team’s location.  He also directed multiple gun runs on enemy positions from AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters from the 101stAirborne as well as multiple gun runs and bombing strikes from two sets of two Vietnamese Air Force A-1E Skyraiders onto the North Vietnamese Army enemy positions.  SFC Newman’s courageous actions at a great risk to his own life were the deciding factors which led to the survival and safe extraction of the small Bright Light team from deep within enemy held territory.

The Bright Light team members and FAC described the five-hour battle as the most intense combat and firefight they experienced during the Vietnam war. Two aircraft were shot down and another seriously damaged, eight U.S. service members were killed, and half of the Bright Light team (six men) were wounded.  SFC Newman’s heroic actions in the early morning hours of 20 Feb 1971 while continuously exposing himself to intense enemy fire were decisive in turning back the numerically superior enemy force during their repeated attempts to overrun and destroy the vastly outnumbered team.  His decisive leadership and actions throughout the attack clearly saved the team from annihilation.  During the extraction, SFC Newman was the final man lifted out and expended his last magazine of ammunition as he was being hoisted to the extraction helicopter while still under fire.  Staff Sergeant Newman’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observation Group, Command and Control North, the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, and the United States Army. 

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