Raymond "Mac" Mclaughlin Vietnam Service
Strike Missions and Air Cav: The Air Medal Years
As an artillery forward observer with the Big Red One, my father learned to see the battlefield differently. He understood angles, distances, timing, and danger with an instinct that came only from experience. But what truly defined the next phase of his war was not what he saw from the ground—it was what he saw from the sky.
Riding Into Combat in Air Cav Hueys
Forward observers often needed to get eyes on terrain that couldn’t be reached on foot. They inserted into hot zones, flew along treelines to spot enemy movements, and provided aerial reconnaissance for artillery planning. It was dangerous work, and to do it, they flew with the Air Cavalry.
These weren’t high, safe flights.
They were tree-top runs.
Fast. Low. Violent.
Close enough to feel the leaves slap the skids.
He told stories—rarely, and only in pieces—about the moments inside those Hueys: the doors open, the wind hammering through the cabin, the crew chiefs scanning the jungle with M60s ready. Incoming fire was common. The Viet Cong and NVA knew exactly how vulnerable helicopters were. Rounds came up from the jungle floor, hitting aluminum hulls and punching through the thin skin of the aircraft.
He told me how they would sit on their helmets during these flights so if a round came straight through the floor, it would hit steel before hitting them. It wasn’t superstition. It was survival.
Calling in Strikes Under Fire
From the air, he coordinated artillery strikes, marked enemy positions, and relayed adjustments to batteries miles away. Air Cav pilots trusted him. Ground units depended on him. Special Forces teams and ARVN Airborne patrols relied on the fire missions he controlled.
This wasn’t clean, distant artillery work.
This was real-time fire control while under fire.
Every correction mattered.
Every delay carried consequences.
Eligible for the Air Medal—And He Earned It
The Air Medal was not handed out for a single heroic moment. It was earned through sustained aerial operations under hazardous conditions. His award reflected:
- repeated low-level flights
- direct enemy fire
- airborne reconnaissance
- insertion and extraction missions
- coordination with Air Cav gunships
- support of Special Forces and ARVN airborne operations
These missions built a bridge between his first tour with Big Red One and his later work advising elite Vietnamese units during his second tour.
Moving Toward a New Phase of the War
Flying with Air Cav taught him the fluidity of combat, the speed at which the enemy adapted, and the precision needed to coordinate ground combat with air assets. It also introduced him to a new circle of fighters—Special Forces soldiers, reconnaissance teams, ARVN airborne troopers—men whose operations moved differently than conventional infantry.
As the war evolved, so did his role.
The front lines were no longer defined by maps.
Battles were no longer limited to battalion-sized engagements.
The enemy shifted into the shadows.
And the U.S. began relying more heavily on advisors and specialized units.
This was the environment that would define his second tour—one where he stepped into the world of ARVN Airborne operations, SOG-adjacent missions, and cross-unit coordination that wouldn’t be openly discussed for decades.
Among the ARVN Airborne: Brotherhood in Combat
My father’s first tour with the Big Red One taught him how to survive Vietnam. His Air Cav missions taught him how to see it. But it was his second tour—serving as a U.S. Army advisor to ARVN Airborne units—that defined the deepest alliances, the greatest risks, and the lasting bonds of his war.
He did not return to Vietnam as a conventional artillery officer. He returned wearing the experience of a forward observer, carrying the instincts of a soldier who had already survived the worst the jungle could offer, and stepping into a role that placed him shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the fiercest fighters in the South Vietnamese military and our special operations teams.
The ARVN Airborne: Elite Soldiers in an Uneven War
The ARVN Airborne Division was not a typical South Vietnamese unit. They were fast, aggressive, disciplined, and battle-hardened. They conducted some of the toughest operations of the war, often facing NVA regulars who were better supplied, and deeply dug into the terrain.
American units respected the ARVN Airborne.
Special Forces respected them.
MACV advisors respected them.
And my father earned their respect.
Advisors weren’t placed with these units unless they proved themselves capable—capable of staying calm under fire, capable of reading the fight, capable of making decisions when the enemy was close enough to hear. His experience as a forward observer, his time flying low with Air Cav teams, and his ability to coordinate artillery and air support made him valuable.
His advisory role placed him inside the operational spaces where ARVN Airborne, Vietnamese Special Forces, and MACV-SOG teams worked. These missions often overlapped, and in Vietnam, overlapping meant absorbing the same dangers.
He lived with the ARVN Airborne.
He patrolled with them.
He fought with them.
military advisor to arvn AIRBORNE
Earning the ARVN Pink Scarf
Fighting Beside Men Whose Country Was on the Line
Fighting Beside Men Whose Country Was on the Line
Among the ARVN Airborne, the pink scarf was not a souvenir. It was a symbol—awarded only to those who fought with them, suffered with them, and proved their loyalty in combat.
My father earned one.
That scarf meant:
He was trusted.
He was respected.
He was one of them.
The pink cravat became the signature piece of the ARVN Airborne:
- Red beret
- Rose-pink scarf
Within ARVN, the airborne were an elite, mobile, hard-fighting force.
The scarf was a visual identifier—a badge of aggression, esprit de corps, and pride.
Fighting Beside Men Whose Country Was on the Line
Fighting Beside Men Whose Country Was on the Line
Fighting Beside Men Whose Country Was on the Line
Advisors were more than observers. They were combat multipliers:
- Coordinating artillery under fire
- Marking enemy positions
- Calling in air support
- Relaying intelligence
- Interpreting battlefield movements
- Keeping fragmented units cohesive under pressure
And they did all of it while operating inside a foreign unit’s culture, rhythms, and instincts.
The Brotherhood of War
The Brotherhood of War
The ARVN Airborne didn’t give out trust easily. Their war was harder, more personal, and less supported than the American effort. They fought for their homes, their families, their own ground. They watched their country’s politics fracture while the war continued.
Yet in that world, they took my father in.
They fought beside him.
They stood with him in firefights that Americans back home would never hear about.
The translation of this document sent to my father's command is as follows.
1. McLAUGHLIN, Raymond G. – Captain – Service No. XXX-XX-XXX – U.S. Army
As the American advisor to the 8th Regiment, Captain McLAUGHLIN has, throughout his assignment, demonstrated excellent cooperation with the Vietnamese officers and soldiers of the Regiment. He has also participated in many operations conducted by the Regiment.
During the Toan-Thang operation on 29 August 1971 in the Ba-Tao area, Captain McLAUGHLIN, serving as the advisor to 4/8 Battalion, during two days (13–14 October 1971), when the 1/8 Battalion engaged with the K.1 Viet-Cong Battalion at grid XT 885…, remained calm under heavy enemy fire, direct engaged the enemy and directed U.S. helicopter units and AIR CAV forces to provide timely and effective support.
– 13 Viet-Cong killed on the spot
– Captured:
• 01 B-40 rocket launcher
• 03 AK-47 rifles
• Many important documents
This commendation is submitted to the Regiment for appropriate recognition.
Dated: 20 October 1971
Signed: Lt. Col. Trần Hiền-Hùng
Commander, 5th Infantry Regiment
Vietnam Gallantry Medal (Gallantry Cross)
What This Award Is
The Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh is the:
Gallantry Cross (Anh Dũng Bội Tinh)
awarded for
bravery, courage, and valor in combat
against enemy forces.
This was one of the highest South Vietnamese awards for acts of heroism, usually presented for actions under direct enemy fire.