Garry Gordon Cooper, (born 21 January 1938) was a retired airline captain and a former fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) who attained the rank of flight lieutenant. Cooper served on assignment with the 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 United States Army's 9th Infantry Division. For his heroic actions in Vietnam, Cooper was awarded the Imperial Distinguished Flying Cross and was twice awarded the United States Air Force Cross, a Silver Star and the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism.
Early life 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 Ju 52, 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).
Royal Australian Air Force pilot Cooper joined the Royal Australian Air Force (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. After graduation and gaining his wings, Cooper was first posted to the School of Air Navigation flying the Dakota C-47, Canberra, Vampire and Winjeel aircraft. This tour was interrupted with two tours to Antarctica in support of the Australian Antarctic Division where he flew the Beaver DHC-2 on floats and skis from the Danish ship Thala Dan.
In 1962 Cooper was posted to fly the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Avon Sabre fighter aircraft, the Australian variant of the North American F-86 Sabre. Cooper served operational tours on the Sabre 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 IIIO fighter conversion course on No. 5 Mirage Course at No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU). The Mirage had only commenced service in the RAAF in October 1964 and was the first Australian fighter jet capable of flying at speeds over Mach 2. On 30 May 1966, approximately one minute after takeoff from RAAF Base Williamtown, Cooper experienced a total engine failure in his Mirage whilst climbing through only at 380 knots. Cooper was unable to restart the engine. Being a single-engine fighter jet, Cooper flew the Mirage like a glider and landed on an abandoned war-time airstrip at Tomago (Hexam), New South Wales, without damaging the aircraft. The Mirage was towed back to RAAF Base Williamtown via local roads which took 14 hours. Subsequent investigations revealed that the Mirage had ingested a large bird that had lodged against the face of the compressor blocking airflow into the engine.
Wing Commander Jim Flemming, Commanding Officer of No. 75 Squadron, was leading the formation of two Mirages when Cooper experienced his engine failure. Flemming provided Cooper with a Flying Log Book endorsement, approved by the Air Officer Commanding Operational Command, which read:
Cooper participated in some developmental testing for the Mirage III, where he evaluated flying with full pressure (space) suits. These pressure suits would enable the pilots to fly the Mirage up to altitudes over for conducting high altitude intercept missions – well above the normal maximum operating altitude of .
Vietnam War – Forward Air Controller
Cooper was posted to South Vietnam to serve as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) with the United States Air Force (USAF) from April to November 1968. Although he was an Australian fighter pilot, he served within a USAF unit, the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS) detachment, a unit of the 504th Tactical Air Support Group, Seventh Air Force. The 19TASS headquarters was located at Bien Hoa Air Base. In this FAC role, where the overall mission is to coordinate tactical air support for the Army, Cooper was assigned to support the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, US Army, under the command of Major General Julian Ewell. During his tour in South Vietnam, Cooper completed 323 combat missions totally 620 hours of combat flying. Between 1967 and 1971, 36 RAAF fighter pilots served as FAC pilots in Vietnam with the USAF.
Upon arrival in South Vietnam, Cooper was assigned the callsign 'Tamale 35' and would perform his FAC duties in the O-1 Bird Dog. Cooper was initially based at Tân An Base Camp, 40 km southwest of Saigon. Each day, FACs at Tan An would traverse the dangerous 6km round trip in an open Jeep from the Base Camp to the Tan An airfield. Due to increased security risks in 1968, the 19TASS detachment relocated to Đồng Tâm Base Camp, 67 km southwest of Saigon on the Mekong River.
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 of combat, 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.
In late October 1968, Cooper was assigned as a FAC Combat Instructor on the OV-10 Bronco prior to repatriating to Australia in November.
Military awards
Cooper is the most highly decorated RAAF pilot to have served in the Vietnam War.
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 USAF award after 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. Whilst awarded in 1981, Cooper had a special contemporary commemoration ceremony of this achievement at the Evans Head Returned and Services League (RSL) in New South Wales, Australia on 4 December 2021.
Cooper's second USAF Air Force Cross award citation for his actions on 18-19 Aug 1968 reads:
Only two other times in history has a US Service Cross for extraordinary heroism (Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, or Navy Cross) been awarded to a US foreign national. In 1918 during WW1, two French Soldiers fighting alongside the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front were both awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses; Major Charles M. Chanoine and Lieutenant Leon T. Marchand. The only US foreign national to receive two US Service Crosses since 1918 is Flight Lieutenant Cooper. Additionally, Cooper was also awarded many other US awards for heroism, including a Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism, the Bronze Star Medal for heroism, an Air Medal for heroism from both the USAF and US Army, and an Army Commendation Medal for heroism. Cooper's vast collection of high-level US gallantry awards, and many other awards for heroism, make him the most highly decorated foreign national in history by the US Government. Cooper was also one of only a few RAAF pilots to be awarded the Air Force Ground Combat Badge.
Summary of awards:
Foreign awards (United States) Air Force Cross (2) (the only non-US Citizen recipient and one of only 4 other multiple AFC recipients in history) Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross(3 with "V" for Valor device) Bronze Star Medal (2, including 1 with "V" device) Purple Heart (2) Air Medal (15, including 2 with "V" device) Army Commendation Medal (2, including 1 with "V" device) Antarctica Service Medal US Presidential Unit Citation US Army Valorous Unit Award US Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
Foreign awards (Republic of Vietnam) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (with Silver Star) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (with Palm) Republic of Vietnam Wound Medal Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st Class) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (with Palm Unit Citation) Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation (US Army) Foreign awards (Malaysia)
Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal
Australian / British Imperial Awards Distinguished Flying Cross Australian Active Service Medal (1945–1975) (Vietnam and Malaysia) General Service Medal (1962) (Borneo and Malay Peninsula) Vietnam Medal Australian Service Medal (1945–1975) (Thailand and Thai-Malay) Australian Defence Medal Ground Combat Badge
Author – 'Sock it to 'em Baby' With co-author Robert Hillier, Garry Cooper wrote a book about his Vietnam experience in 1968. In 2006 the book was published under the title, Sock it to 'em Baby – Forward Air Controller in Vietnam.
Gathering of Eagles Nomination
Each year, the United States Air Force's Air Command and Staff College commemorates individuals who have made significant contributions to air, space and cyberspace power through their Gathering of Eagles Program. Nominees are given the title of 'Eagle'. For his lifelong contribution to aviation and for his heroic service to the USAF and US Army during the Vietnam War, Cooper was nominated as an Eagle for the Gathering of Eagles Class of 2025. Cooper was the first Australian to be nominated for this prestigious recognition. Cooper's official Gathering of Eagles video can be viewed here.
Airline career