Vedros, Randolph Paul, AD2

Petty Officer Vedros was part of a detachment of VP-1 that was assigned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon in the spring of 1966. The squadron was participating in Operation Market Time, an around- the-clock air/sea coastal surveillance and interdiction operation, conducted by the U.S. Navy, that covered the entire coast of Viet Nam as well as the offshore islands. During the Tet holiday period on the night of 13 April 1966, Petty Officer Vedros was performing maintenance on a squadron aircraft (an SP2H "Neptune" long range patrol aircraft) when Viet Cong units launched a surprise attack on the base in the middle of the night, mortar and artillery shells rained down on the parked aircraft, and enemy troops overran parts of the base. (This earlier Tet attack was a precursor to a later Tet offensive that was more broadly based, but this one was just as violent and deadly.) Petty Officer Vedros took cover in a ditch near the aircraft on which he was working, behind a sandbagged revetment. He was killed instantly when a mortar shell landed directly on top of him.

Petty Officer Vedros was a highly skilled and dedicated reciprocating engine technician. He was an expert at maintaining an extremely complex aircraft engine, the Wright R-3350 turbo-compound engine. He performed his duties conscientiously, with a quiet strength, a commitment to excellence, and a capacity for hard work and long hours that inspired those around him.

In my earlier assignment as powerplants branch officer, I became quite well acquainted with Petty Officer Vedros. I learned that he was an extremely capable mechanic, eventually concluding that he was the finest reciprocating engine mechanic in the squadron, and possibly in the entire Pacific Fleet. He was a member of a powerplants maintenance crew that maintained such high standards that engine problems and failures were extremely rare in VP-1. Not only was Petty Officer Vedros a pillar of strength and competence in the organization, but he was a dedicated sailor who could be relied upon to do whatever was required to get the job done, and to support the operating requirements of the squadron to the best of his ability.

I was a squadron pilot in the Viet Nam detachment, as well as the aircraft division officer. As aircraft division officer, I was responsible for three maintenance department branches, including the powerplants branch. Therefore, Petty Officer Vedros was in my area of responsibility. At the time of the attack, I was at the squadron officer's quarters in Saigon. Upon learning of the developments at the base early in the morning, all available detachment personnel rushed out to the base. By the time I arrived at the base, Petty Officer Vedros' remains had been moved to the base mortuary, and it was my responsibility to perform an official identification of his body, which I did. Later, I wrote to his family, expressing my sympathy for their loss and informing them of the high regard in which I held their husband and father.

Petty Officer Vedros' service to his country in Viet Nam was much like that of many other unsung heroes - American service men and women who provided the essential support and maintained the equipment relied upon by the front line forces. They worked in harsh and unpleasant conditions, often without relief for weeks. They were usually called upon to accomplish their tasks with inadequate facilities and equipment, there was little time for anyone to give recognition to them for their hard work, and they were frequently working in an exposed and dangerous environment. Petty Officer Vedros was one of those unsung heroes. He was a credit to Patrol Squadron One, to the U.S. Navy, and to his country.

I would be honored to make contact with any family members or friends of Petty Officer Second Class Randolph P. Vedros who might provide more details of his life and the facts surrounding his final sacrifice to his country.

Respectfully,

David F. LaRocque
CDR USNR (Ret)
dlarocq@adelphia.net