Philippe Luc Las Hermes
Warrant Officer
C CO, 158TH ASLT HELO BN, 101ST AVN GROUP, 101ST ABN DIV, USARV Army of the United States Annapolis, Maryland December 15, 1946 to February 14, 1970 (Incident Date January 31, 1970) PHILIPPE L LAS HERMES is on the Wall at Panel W13, Line 10 |
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"No man is an island, entire of itself; It's wonderful to see this memorial to Philippe. It's said "The only truly dead are those that are forgotten", and Philippe is definitely not forgotten by myself nor his other friends on this side of the Atlantic. We had a wonderful, carefree time together when I knew him in Paris in 1963 through 1968. I was stationed (1963-65) with the 275th Signal Company at the Blockhouse in Paris and he came to visit me many times. He was fun-loving, adventurous, and always eager to new challenges. I can still remember us driving down to the 1964 "24 Heures du Man" car race with our old 1954 Jaguar XK140 which broke down even before we got out of the city limits! It was repaired (broken fuel pump) and we made it just as the sun set. We slept in the car, no fancy hotels for us ... but the car was fancy! You can see him at the wheel in the photo. He is gone now as are many others, but not forgotten, not in a long shot.
If anyone knew him during his time in the Army, please contact me.
From a close friend, 15 Apr 2005 It was 30 years ago that the war ended for... U.S. ... A long time ago, that seems only a short while ago ... to the memory of our friends or family who did not make it back and joy for those that did.
Hear the
sounds of Vietnam
From a close friend, 14 Oct 2006
Ten days ago I spotted a hand-written inscription "fwd to USS Repose Hospital Ship" on an envelope (return to sender) I had addressed to Philippe's APO address in 1970. I Googled USS REPOSE and found this site
http://members.aol.com/chuckd3871/repose1.htm/ I sent a query to the webmaster, Chuck Davis, and below is his answer. Extraordinary that after 36 years I found one of the very last persons to talk to and see Philippe alive. It took 36 years to get the full story. "Patience maketh man"...
From a close friend, The photograph above shows Philippe in Dieulidoub, Limoges, France, during the spring of 1965.
Philippe's father M. Maurice Lashermes flew Nieuports in World War I; the photo shows him with squadronmate Sous Lieutenant Dieudonne Costes (7-1/2 kills, Lï¿ 1/2 gion d'Honneur; Mï¿ 1/2 daille Militaire, 6 awards) in front of a Nieuport 24. M. Lashermes also fought in Vietnam in the First Indochina War and was at Dien Bien Phu. The photo of M. Lashermes and WO Lashermes was taken at Fort Rucker.
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Hi Chris: Perhaps an epilogue to the story. It definitely takes a certain kind of bravery to look death in the face and joke about it. Take it from someone who has been there. Lungs are easily singed, not necessarily by flame but by the superheated air caused by flame: one breath and the resulting damage is fatal. While recuperating from combat wounds at Kashina Barracks (Nov-Dec '69) I had numerous occasions to work on the wards, including "C" ward (a burn ward ... "crispy critter ward", as it was known), changing dressings and engaging my brothers in conversations. Many exhibited the same "laugh in the face of death" attitude. I came to realize however that this was not just bravado but revealed two distinct aspects for being. First, was self preservation: that strong will to survive caused them to make light of their wounds as a way of overcoming them rather than being overwhelmed by them. Less obvious was their concern, often not otherwise expressed, for those who had to care for them. Getting wounded is certainly traumatic for the individual. Just imagine, however, the "wounds" suffered by the doctors, nurses and others who have to deal with the never ending stream of broken bodies. For them there is no relief except psychological detachment. They suffer invisible wounds and scars of war and those physically wounded I think appreciate that. "It only hurts when I laugh" helps take some of that load off these health care professionals. I remember President Reagan's joke upon entering the hospital and saying "I hope you all are Republicans" which broke the ice in a very serious situation. The lead doctor responded with something like, "Mr. President, we're all Republicans here." It was that concern for the incredible tension his doctors would have to face that the President appreciated and felt obliged to relieve. I think the same dynamic was at work with Philippe: facing the inevitable bravely while thinking about others to the very end. Brother, may you rest in peace.
John Arbeeny E-mail address is not available. |
Notes from The Virtual WallOn the morning of 31 Jan 1970, a team of engineers and infantrymen were lowered in place to cut a new landing zone out of the jungles of Quang Tri Province. When the work was finished the team was to be picked up by helicopters of C Company, 158th Assault Helicopter Battalion.One of the pick-up Hueys, UH-1H tail number 68-15563, was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade as it lifted off. Although the crew managed to keep it airborne for several hundred yards, when the Huey crashed six men were fatally injured:
Warrant Officer Las Hermes, a French citizen, entered the United States in 1968 and subsequently entered the Army's Warrant Officer pilot program, arriving in Vietnam on 02 Sep 1969. He reportedly received a draft notice from the French Army in the fall of 1969 and responded with the question
"What are they going to do to me if I don't show up, |
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