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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The family of U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant James |
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Calfee of Newgulf are gathered today in solemn remembrance of this |
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courageous Texan, who, with 11 of his comrades, gave his life for |
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his country on March 11, 1968, in the Vietnam War, and whose heroism |
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has been posthumously recognized with the Silver Star; and |
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WHEREAS, James Henry Calfee was born in Newgulf in 1932; in |
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November 1967, he was one of a select number of highly skilled |
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members of the 1st Combat Evaluation Group (CEVG) who were |
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assigned, under civilian cover, to staff a radar installation on a |
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mountaintop in Laos that was known as Lima Site 85; this top secret |
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facility enabled the air force to conduct all-weather bombing raids |
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on North Vietnam; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Master Sergeant Calfee was an expert in the |
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technology used at the site, he was originally not slated to go on |
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the mission because of a medical condition; he insisted so strongly |
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on participating, however, that his commanding officer gave him a |
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waiver; and |
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WHEREAS, The installation at Lima Site 85 soon came under |
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attack by the North Vietnamese Army, which advanced close enough to |
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launch ground assaults on the facility by late January 1968; though |
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the members of the CEVG group were technicians and not combat |
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troops, they defended themselves bravely; they had been supplied |
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with M-16 rifles after their arrival, and Master Sergeant Calfee |
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and Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger, who had weapons |
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experience, trained the other men in the rifle's use; and |
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WHEREAS, Early on the morning of March 11, 1968, NVA |
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commandos attacked the site, and during the desperate struggle, |
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Master Sergeant Calfee was gravely wounded; in spite of his |
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injuries, he continued to engage the enemy, and by doing so, he |
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enabled some of the other men to reach safety; in the end, 12 of the |
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Americans died and 4 escaped by helicopter; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to Master Sergeant Calfee, those who |
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fell that day were Lieutenant Colonel Bill Blanton, Chief Master |
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Sergeant Etchberger, Technical Sergeants Willis Hall, Melvin |
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Holland, Patrick Shannon, Donald Springsteadah, and Herbert Kirk, |
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and Staff Sergeants Henry Gish, Don Worley, David Price, and James |
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Davis; while the remains of three of these men were returned to the |
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United States, Master Sergeant Calfee and eight others who died |
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were eventually listed as "killed in action/body not recovered"; |
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those who perished at Lima Site 85 were each posthumously awarded |
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the Bronze Star with Valor, and in 2009, Chief Master Sergeant |
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Etchberger was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor; and |
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WHEREAS, When more details of this secret operation came to |
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light, Master Sergeant Calfee's medal was upgraded to the Silver |
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Star, which was presented to his family at Barksdale Air Force Base |
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in Louisiana on October 15, 2012; the sergeant's four sisters, |
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Rosalie Bacica, Frances Arrington, Carol Turner, and Verna Yeamans, |
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as well as his nieces, Debra Morris and Julia Barta, continue to |
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honor his memory and to tell the inspiring story of the men of Lima |
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Site 85; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Master Sergeant James |
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Calfee and commemorate his posthumous receipt of the Silver Star; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family as an expression of deep appreciation for |
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his valiant service in the Vietnam War. |