A two-year investigation by an American Legion service officer uncovered the long-awaited medals for Cliff Gottlob of Kansas.
More than 60 years after his final tour in Vietnam, Cliff Gottlob received a medal he has long been waiting for. The 86-year-old Army veteran was pinned the Purple Heart on Nov. 8 during a ceremony at American Legion Post 18 in Arkansas City, Kan. But more medals were uncovered that he was long deserving of.
“We gave him five medals. He had a chest full of medals, and he was so proud,” said Randy Frank, past Department of Kansas commander and a member of Post 18. “Cliff was truly excited because he only thought he was getting a Purple Heart.”
Along with the Purple Heart, Gottlob was awarded the Air Medal with “V”, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Defense Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.
“I was so honored to be the one who got to pin all those medals on his chest, and he was at a loss for words,” Frank said, “But Cliff deserves it. It’s been 61 years since he earned those medals, and it was time that we gave them to him.”
During his final tour on Aug. 4, 1964, Gottlob was flying a reconnaissance mission over the Ho Chi Mihn Trail utilizing classified equipment to map the terrain and enemy movements when his aircraft was struck by enemy fire, causing a severe head wound due to damage to the “pilot side canopy and airframe”. He returned to base and was treated for his wound. Weeks later, he was given an honorable discharge with no mention of his service in Vietnam.
“Cliff knew he was entitled to the Purple Heart because he was in combat and got injured,” Frank said. “But he couldn’t prove it. So that started the entire investigation.”
It was a two-year investigation by Post 18 and VA service officer Terry Justice, a Vietnam War veteran who served two tours. Justice has known Gottlob for years, as he and his father were colleagues. So when Gottlob asked Justice to help him get his DD214 corrected to show his service in Vietnam, that’s when the red flags went up. There wasn’t a National Defense Service Medal or the Army Commendation Medal listed, “and his record was exemplary,” Justice said.
The investigation was underway.
“Terry has been a great, great investigator for this whole thing,” Frank said. “A lot of patience in what he’s done.”
Along with digging through declassified documents, medical records and flight tower reports, Gottlob was able to share with Justice the detachment he was assigned to, exact plane he was flying, specific details where he was flying in Vietnam, and the hospital he went to for treatment.
“I have a Ph.D. in military history, so I have an insight on how all this works,” Justice said of the military investigation. “As a closing chapter in his life, the final entry was never written. (Not receiving the Purple Heart) was eating at him. He just needed to close a chapter on his book of life. I felt good that I could do that for him.”
Not receiving his Purple Heart was also contributing to Gottlob’s post-traumatic stress, Justice added. “His doctor at the VA said, ‘Yes, he’s got PTSD, but we can’t move forward because his record says he was never there (in Vietnam). We can move this forward now. We just need to have that 215 (corrected copy). And it will happen.”
- Honor & Remembrance