Page 13 - Aerotech News and Review, December 18, 2020

A Tale of Two Davids, and a mission for the books

by Bob Alvis
special to Aerotech News
I heard a Special Forces soldier
say recently that his greatest hero is
the Vietnam veteran. In his words, he
said the reason that today’s soldiers
are treated so well is directly related
to the disrespectful way the Vietnam
veterans were treated upon returning
home.
I agree that today’s warriors have
it a lot better than the young men of
the 1960s and 1970s, who fell into
the cracks of a nation divided over an
unpopular war. Many of those young
men never crawled out to find a life
free of the scars of that war. Even
today in a country where the Wel-
come Home banners and parades try
to mend the wounds, the reality is
that so many years after the fact, the
years lost in the void are hard to mend
with catch phrases and flag-waving —
but of course, the efforts of so many
good people to try and heal those old
wounds does go a long way in trying
to make amends for quality of lives
lost.
Inspiration for my stories comes
from many places. Sometimes it
comes from a chance moment at an
event or with a special individual who
could be living or not. This week, it
comes from both. As I was standing
in the cold night air, listening to Taps
at the Mobile Vietnam Memorial Wall
in Palmdale, a name on Panel 13, Row
6 had me thinking about the fortunes Courtesy photograph
of war and how it would affect lives Vietnam Wall Panel 13 Row 6
years later.
Lt. Cmdr. David Edward McRae sured that only one David would ap- ful mission and learned that, after site found the story credible, as hu- character and a citizen that truly is
was a young pilot flying F-4 Phantoms pear on Panel 13, Row 6 of the Viet- six years, his pilot was still listed as man remains were found spread over an inspiration. McRae, in a different
off the USS Coral Sea back in 1966. nam Wall. David Edward McRae’s Missing In Action. a large area, with bits and pieces of manner, shares that same definition.
With his rear seater, another young name would not be followed by the Many years after the war, when a an aviator’s flight suit and equip- He gave his all in the battlefields of
lieutenant, they took off on Dec. 2 name David Rehmann, even though relations between Vietnam and the ment. Later, in Hawaii, the identity of the sky and returned to be an inspira-
for a raid on North Vietnam. The two they were sitting only a few feet from United States eased a bit, teams were the remains was confirmed. Lt. Cmdr. tion to others, without all the gloss
crewmembers had no idea just how each other. sent into the country to get an ac- David McRae would be coming home and glamor of how many would view
fate would deal them two completely What then transpired for David counting of American soldiers who to America. Sadly, the identification a hero in today’s world. He just qui-
different hands, which would define Rehmann was the beginning of a six- were listed as missing in action. came two months after his wife had etly lays at rest in a field of heroes,
their lives with a cruel fate. At the year odyssey as a POW at the hands McRae was high on that list and af- passed away. reminding us every day of what the
end of the mission they would both of the North Vietnamese. For pilot ter several trips and some accounting David Rehmann came home to a veterans of America are willing to do,
become heroes, but it would be a long David McRae, the journey would by witnesses, an area was chosen to hero’s welcome here in the Antelope as they fulfill their mission in life and
journey for them before they could not end until 1996, when his remains search. A 75-year-old witness stated Valley. He never let his war hero ce- in death of inspiring us to be better
touch the soil of America and bring would be laid to rest in Arlington Na- that the pilot was buried in a shallow lebrity overcome his desire to just citizens.
closure to their journey. One would tional Cemetery. I hope that sharing this story will
live; the other would die, and the What really haunts me about this grave, but it wasn’t long before the do good things for others, without inspire us to say “thank you” to the
Antelope Valley would have a direct story is the friendship the two naval local dogs had dug him up and spread fanfare or fuss. David Rehmann, in two Davids for their tremendous
connection to the story and mission aviators shared after such a very short his remains over a wide area. The my book, is the type of person that I See DAVIDS, Page 14
as it played out. time together and how Rehmann POW/MIA researchers inspecting the believe best defines a soldier of good
With the raid completed and a turn would never bend until the very end
to head back to the USS Coral Sea, of his captivity, to protect the pilot
the F-4, call sign City Desk 461, fell he would never see again and protect
victim to anti-aircraft fire and McRae the code that existed between fellow
gave the order to eject to the young aviators. Beaten and abused for six
lieutenant in the back seat. As the years, he never became a tool for
craft exploded, the delay of a split North Vietnamese propaganda. Un-
second was the difference between til his release, he never gave up the
life and death for the pilot and the name of his fellow aviator and only
weapons officer. The pilot never had fed them a false name (Lt. Linus Van
a chance and went down with the Pelt, of the Peanuts cartoon strip), on
craft, but the weapons officer, caught the chance that if his pilot survived,
up in a massive fireball, cleared the he would not compromise his escape.
aircraft and slowly descended to Rehmann remarked about his time in
earth. captivity that “America’s leadership
Lt. j.g. David Rehmann, Antelope role in the free world is no easy task.
Valley resident and high school grad- Every day for six years as a naval of-
uate, was badly burned and hanging ficer, I never gave in to the constant
under a slowly descending parachute. desire of my captors to become a tool
He was greeted by angry mobs who for propaganda.” Upon Rehmann’s Navy photograph Navy photograph Courtesy photograph
abused and beat him, parading him release, he gave a full accounting to Lt. Cmdr. David McRea Lt. j.g. David Rehmann Lt. Cmdr. David McRae’s grave site at
through the streets. Split seconds en- U.S. military officials of that fate- Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

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