Garry Gordon Cooper

During his combat tour, Cooper's highest award was the USAF Air Force Cross which he received twice. The Air Force Cross is the second-highest US award to the Medal of Honor. Since the inception of the US Air Force Cross in 1960, only ~200 have been awarded. Cooper is the only non-US citizen to have been presented this award for his extraordinary heroism. Cooper had a special commemoration ceremony of this achievement at the Evans Head Returned and Services League (RSL) in New South Wales, Australia on 4 December 2021.

After his FAC training, Cooper was required to perform his missions during the height of the Vietnam War which saw some of the most intense operational periods, notably the May Offensive or Mini-Tet of 1968. During the period 9–11 May, Cooper was flying around-the-clock missions at any time of day, typically for 3 to 4 hours in duration. On 11 May, Cooper had been awake for 19 1/2 hours, during which time he had been flying for 13 hours of which five of those hours were spent evading anti-aircraft fire during his missions.

Gooper was posted to South Vietnam to serve as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) with the United States Air Force (USAF) from March to October 1968. Although he was an Australian fighter pilot, he served within a USAF unit, the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS). In this FAC role, where the overall mission is to support the Army, Cooper was assigned to support the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, US Army under the command of Major generalJulian Ewell. During his tour in South Vietnam, Cooper completed 620 hours of combat flying in 323 combat missions. Between 1967 and 1971, 36 RAAF fighter pilots served as FAC pilots in Vietnam with the USAF.

Cooper's second USAF Air Force Cross award citation reads, “.... for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Forward Air Controller attached as an Air Liaison Officer to the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, (US Army), on 18 August 1968 in the Republic of Vietnam. On that date, after being shot down in an OH-23 observation helicopter, Flight Lieutenant Cooper rescued a badly wounded Brigade Commander from the wreckage under extremely heavy automatic weapons fire. Although wounded himself, but with complete disregard of his own safety, he carried the Colonel to a protected area where he fought off several attempts to over-run them killing ten enemy soldiers at close range. During the helicopter rescue next day, he killed a further two enemy with his empty AR-15. Flight Lieutenant Cooper was solely responsible with the saving of Colonel Archer under over-whelming odds. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Flight Lieutenant Cooper reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force”.

In 1962 Cooper was posted to fly F-86 Sabre fighter aircraft with an operational tour in Thailand, Borneo and Malaysia. During one mission operating out of RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia on 10 April 1964, Cooper experienced an engine fire indication in his single engine Sabre. After shutting the engine down and being too far away to glide back to the airfield at Butterworth, he conducted a safe 'glide landing' at Bayan Lapas on the island of Penang. On 3 January 1966, Cooper commenced his Mirage III fighter conversion course on No.5 Mirage Course at No.2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU). The Mirage had only started in RAAF service in October 1964 and was the first Australian fighter jet capable of flying at speeds over Mach 2. In May 1966, Cooper experienced an engine flameout in a Mirage after takeoff at 1,500 feet (460 m) doing 420Kts, after the engine ingested a bird. Being a single engine fighter jet, Cooper flew the Mirage like a glider and landed on an abandoned war-time airstrip at Tomago, New South Wales without damaging the aircraft. The Mirage was towed back to RAAF Base Williamtown via the local roads which took 14 hours.

Cooper joined the RAAF on 11 March 1960 to commence pilot training on No. 39 Pilots’ Course with twenty other trainee pilots. Only eleven passed the course. Upon graduation, he received the Most Proficient Pilot award.

Garry Gordon Cooper (born 21 January 1938) is a retired airline captain and served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) attaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Cooper served on assignment with United States Air Force (USAF) as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) in South Vietnam. Whilst working as a FAC in 1968, he was assigned to support the US Army's 9th Infantry Division. For his actions in Vietnam, Cooper was presented the USAF Air Force Cross which is awarded for acts of extraordinary heroism.

Garry Cooper was born on 21 January 1938 in Adelaide, South Australia. His basic education was at various primary schools around Adelaide and he matriculated from the School of Mines and Industries. Postgraduate, he completed a Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering. Cooper gained his Silver "C" glider pilot's licence at the age of sixteen before taking up powered flying. At the age of nineteen, Cooper gained his commercial pilot licence and obtained employment with the Flying Doctor Service in Central Australia. He subsequently gained employment with Gibbes Sepik Airways in New Guinea where he flew the Norseman UC-64A, Junkers JU52, de Havilland DH84 and various Cessna aircraft. After flying in New Guinea for three years, Cooper was selected to start pilot training with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).