KELLOGG — American entrepreneur Jim Rohn as soon as stated, “All good women and men should take duty to create legacies that can take the subsequent technology to a degree we may solely think about.”
Lt. Col. U.S. Marine Corps, Ret. Bertram “Bert” William McCauley leaves a legacy within the hearts of many college students who go via Kellogg Excessive Faculty within the Marine Corps JROTC. McCauley was the Senior Marine Teacher, forming the Marine Corps JROTC unit at Kellogg Excessive Faculty in August 1971, and served in that capability till 1979.
He handed away peacefully at his residence in Coeur d’Alene on Sept. 20, 2022.
McCauley enlisted within the Marine Corps after graduating from New Albany Excessive Faculty in 1946 at 17 years outdated. He served at numerous Navy and Marine bases on the East Coast, attaining the rank of Workers Sergeant in 1951. Shortly after, in 1952, he obtained his Naval Aviator Wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant within the Marine Corps. This was the identical 12 months he married Elizabeth Jean Todd in Florida, they usually had two sons, William Louis and Thomas Todd.
Throughout his time within the navy, McCauley earned many awards, together with the Navy Cross, Silver Star Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, 32 awards of the Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with fight “V,” Purple Coronary heart, Presidential Unit Quotation with two stars, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm, and quite a few theater and marketing campaign medals. In June 1983, he was inducted into the Marine Corps Corridor of Helicopter Heroes at MCAS, Tustin, Calif.
Two of his awards are recorded intimately on-line, together with the Navy Cross within the 1st Marine Division Plane Wing as a Main within the Marine Corps throughout the Vietnam Conflict.
The Navy Cross is the USA Navy and United States Marine Corps second-highest navy ornament awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in fight with an armed enemy power.
Throughout a medical evacuation mission within the neighborhood of Phu Tay, Quang Nam Province, the Republic of Vietnam, on Sept. 5, 1966, Main McCauley efficiently evacuated the critically wounded on two events. Nevertheless, his plane was so severely broken by an enemy hand grenade that it couldn’t be used for the return journey. He wished to have the ability to proceed his mission, so he obtained one other helicopter. Throughout this try to rescue extra disabled Marines, this plane was additionally broken by an enemy hand grenade within the touchdown zone. He waited till the Viet Cong fireplace could possibly be neutralized till he was suggested to raise off and depart.
Main McCauley resolutely remained till probably the most critically wounded have been loaded in his majorly broken helicopter and flew to the closest medical facility. The approaching darkness would preclude a return journey earlier than morning, and his plane was too badly broken for the return journey, he volunteered to steer an extra part of plane to the rescue place. By means of his route, the rest of the casualties have been eliminated to security. “By his excellent braveness, very good management and selfless efforts in behalf of wounded males, Main McCauley upheld the best traditions of the Marine Corps and the USA Naval Service.”
The Silver Star is the USA Armed Forces’ third-highest navy ornament for valor in fight within the Vietnam Conflict, given to Main McCauley on Sept. 17, 1966. Main McCauley led a flight of 4 helicopters on an emergency re-supply mission supporting components of the First Battalion, Fourth Marines. Two firms of the First Battalion have been surrounded by an estimated battalion of North Vietnamese Army forces within the neighborhood of Cam Lo in Quang Tri Province. On the identical day, seven helicopters had been badly broken in makes an attempt to re-supply items. Briefed on the scenario and conscious of the hazard concerned, Main McCauley instantly had his plane loaded with ammunition, water and rations, and commenced his flight to the trapped Marines.
When he arrived within the space, he discovered that the 2 firms have been beneath heavy enemy fireplace from all instructions and in essential want of ammunition. Main McCauley assessed the scenario, assumed management of supporting arms within the space, and coolly and effectively coordinated artillery fireplace and shut air help to clear an method lane to the drop zone for the helicopter. He appeared to understand that continued supporting fireplace wouldn’t enhance the scenario, and he started approaching the touchdown zone, conscious of the need of the re-supply. Main McCauley instantly turned the main focus of intense enemy automated weapons fireplace. Nonetheless, he landed within the zone beneath a heavy quantity of enemy fireplace, efficiently unloaded the cargo, picked up six medical evacuees, and left.
Later, Main McCauley obtained a alternative plane and led the second flight of two plane loaded with essential provides for the besieged Marine items. He deliberate to make a low go over the zone, and drop the provides to the Marine items, as touchdown would have been hazardous. Nevertheless, he was suggested by the Ahead Air Controller that there have been three critically wounded Marines who required fast evacuation. Regardless of the numerous risks concerned, he landed and retrieved the wounded Marines and the 2 crew members of the downed plane and departed. Though repeated hits closely broken his helicopter, Main McCauley efficiently piloted his plane via the extreme fireplace and returned to the medical facility at Dong Ha.
After his time within the navy, he labored in actual property gross sales in Coeur d’Alene for 10 years earlier than retiring to his beloved tree farm in Kingston. He additionally belonged to the Spokane Chapter MOAA and the USMC Fight Helicopter Affiliation and was a member of the Silver Valley Kiwanis for greater than 30 years.
The courageous legacy of Lt. Col. McCauley continues all through the halls of Kellogg Excessive Faculty because the JROTC Program is celebrating its 51st 12 months.
“It’s primarily a management program,” defined Sgt. Maj Jeff Smith, who runs this system with Maj. Craig Petersen, “There’s a false impression that it’s a navy recruitment program. We get numerous mother and father who don’t need their children to affix as a result of they aren’t going into the navy.”
Smith defined that they by no means push the navy on the scholars however as an alternative, “We need to make them higher leaders and residents. Now we have college students who depart who go to school or go into the workforce. And we consider that the issues they be taught on this class can actually assist them put together, and make them profitable in no matter path they select.”
JROTC instills management and citizenship by helping with neighborhood service tasks like Toys for Tots or the colour guard.
“The scholars often have between 800 to 1,000 neighborhood service hours mixed. It’s a reasonably lengthy record of the neighborhood service occasions that we do.”
JROTC competes in round 5 to seven rifle competitions yearly that they name postal competitions, “Children will shoot a contest and we are going to mail the outcomes to whoever is internet hosting it some place else. And so they can compete with colleges all through the nation.”
It’s a typical false impression that JROTC is a boot camp or recruitment for the navy however each Sgt. Maj Smith and Maj. Craig Petersen need mother and father and college students to remember that this isn’t a boot camp, or a classroom to ship children for disciplinary points, “It’s to make good residents, to make community-minded leaders, they usually can take these expertise anyplace.”
Info on awards may be discovered at https://valor.militarytimes.com/
