In Memory OfLt Col David L. Althoff

Althoff began his military service in the Army National Guard as an Artilleryman for 18 months. He next joined the Navy as an Aviation Cadet before being commissioned into the Marine Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant. Althoff was first deployed overseas to post-war Korea and learned to fly in harsh winter conditions.

He was next assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 251 in Japan and was selected to be part of specialized, top-secret training operations. Over the course of 15 months, Althoff trained extensively in nuclear-capable aircraft and became one of only eight Marines qualified to deliver nuclear weapons should the situation arise.

He then returned to the U.S. and continued learning to fly various planes and helicopters. During this time, he assisted with atomic weapons testing, flying missions at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada, and aboard the USS Princeton (CVS-37) at Bikini Atoll, supporting scientists and military personnel in measuring radiation and conducting post-detonation operational exercises.
In 1967, Althoff was deployed to Vietnam, where he served as a CH-46 Sea Knight Helicopter Pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. Throughout the war, he flew over 1,000 combat sorties and, in less than a year, became one of the most highly decorated pilots of the entire conflict.

On August 8, 1967, Althoff was leading a two-helicopter section on a mission to insert Marine Recon teams into thick, narrow, and sloped terrain. As the second Sea Knight was delivering the remaining members of the team, they encountered heavy ground fire and had to pull out. Despite running critically low on fuel, he knew the squad he had just dropped off was about to be overrun by VC troops and returned to the LZ to evacuate the Marines. Althoff landed in the hot zone and waited over five minutes under brutal enemy fire until every team member made it aboard and successfully evacuated.

On December 27, 1967, he became even more widely known when he flew an emergency medical evacuation mission to rescue a team of Marines who were pinned down by enemy forces near the village of Thon Tham Khe. Althoff quickly landed in front of the VC soldiers and used his helicopter to shield the team from small arms fire, allowing all fourteen Marines to climb aboard. Shortly after taking off, the heavy damage his Sea Knight had taken caused the hydraulics to fail. Knowing he would soon lose control of the aircraft, he cleared the combat zone and landed on a nearby beach. The battered group of Marines was then evacuated to the USS Valley Forge (LPH-8). Once aboard, he quickly put a crew together and returned to his downed helicopter to perform emergency repairs and limp the Sea Knight back to the ship.

On the night of February 2, 1968, Althoff was tasked with extracting a recon team that was surrounded by NVA troops near Dong Ha. Fog and rain dropped visibility to near zero, and he had to rely on instruments to navigate the treacherous landscape. Althoff successfully located the team and directed his crew to provide suppressing fire as over 100 enemy soldiers advanced on the team's position. He touched down in the middle of the combat zone, loaded the squad on the chopper, and flew everyone to safety.

Less than two weeks later, Althoff was flying a mission to resupply a combat base on Hill 881 near Khe Sanh. After delivering the supplies, they encountered heavy ground fire, and a rocket struck below them, severely wounding three Marines. With no thought for himself, he immediately landed to rescue the downed men. Despite the seemingly endless storm of lead tearing through his helicopter, Althoff remained calm and refused to evacuate until the injured Marines. After the wounded were aboard, he flew through the barrage of enemy fire and made it back to safety.

On May 13, 1968, Althoff was at a forward operating base in Quảng Trị Province when a call came over the radio from a recon team that was pinned down. He immediately volunteered to lead a two-helicopter extraction mission and, in mere minutes, had coordinated a 12-man reaction force and was flying to rescue the four-man team that was conducting a mission to recover a Marine who had been killed in a previous engagement.

Althoff landed under heavy fire and inserted the reaction force to reach the pinned-down squad. He then, still under fire, made his way to a second LZ and retrieved the wounded Marines. Several members of the reaction force were unable to reach his position and were cut off in terrain so dense that it was impossible for him to land. Althoff fearlessly lowered his helicopter through a jungle so thick that his rotor blades spun less than two feet from the steep hills and trees and hovered in place until everyone was onboard. He then maneuvered his bullet-riddled Sea Knight back up through the canopy and returned the entire reaction force and the four-man recon team safely back to base.

Just five days later, Althoff took to the sky to rescue another recon team that was under attack in Khe Sanh. When he reached the squad's location, he once again found himself in terrain that was too rough to land, but the Marines were cut off and unable to move to a better position. Despite a brutal onslaught of enemy mortar, heavy machine gun, and small arms fire, Althoff descended as low as possible while bullets and shrapnel peppered the Sea Knight. With nerves of steel, he stayed calm, hovered until the recon team boarded the aircraft, and then maneuvered his bullet-riddled chopper through the rugged terrain and flew every member of the eight-man squad to safety.

His time in the service became the stuff of legends. Althoff learned to fly 26 different types of prop planes, jets, and helicopters, served aboard eight aircraft carriers, conducted 1,084 combat missions, helped develop the "Super Gaggle" aviation tactic, saved countless lives, and, despite being shot down four times, always managed to walk away without a scratch. He was truly an angel on the shoulders of our troops.
For his service, Althoff earned the 1968 Alfred E. Cunningham (Aviator of the Year) Award, the Bronze Star with "V" device, three Silver Stars, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, and the Legion of Merit. Semper Fi, Marine! Til Valhalla, Brother!