Sergeant Major J R Cavaiani, 70 passed away - SOCNET

agonyea · #1 25 April 2017, 06:47

Sergeant Major J R Cavaiani, 70 has passed away:

Jon Cavaiani

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Vietnam Training Advisory Group, Republic of Vietnam

Born in England, Jon Cavaiani came to America with his parents in 1947 at the age of four. Although he was classified 4-F because of an allergy to bee stings, and although he was married with two children, Cavaiani enlisted in the Army shortly after being naturalized in 1968. He qualified for Special Forces and arrived in Vietnam in the summer of 1970; later he joined the Studies and Observation Group (SOG), an unconventional warfare task force, and was soon leading clandestine operations against the North Vietnamese.

In the spring of 1971, Staff Sgt. Cavaiani was in charge of the security platoon for an isolated radio relay site deep in the northwesternmost outpost of South Vietnam near Khe Sanh. The mission of his unit, which comprised 70 indigenous troops and 13 Americans, was to provide security for this intelligence-gathering operation.

On the morning of June 4, the camp came under attack by an overwhelming enemy force. Cavaiani moved through the exploding mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons fire to organize a defensive perimeter and direct the U.S. force’s fight for survival. When a grenade knocked him down and wounded him as he was firing a .50-caliber machine gun, he picked himself up and continued to organize the fight.

By midday, it was clear that the small American contingent wouldn’t be able to fight off the North Vietnamese. Cavaiani called in help and directed the evacuation, but the helicopters broke off the mission before the last 17 of his men could be taken out. While they remained in the camp overnight trying to fend off enemy attacks, Cavaiani again established a defensive position and concentrated his efforts on strengthening the morale of his men.

The next morning, obscured by heavy ground fog, the North Vietnamese massed. Ordering his remaining men to try to escape, Cavaiani attempted to keep the enemy at bay with small arms and hand grenades. The survivors, who last saw him standing with a machine gun spraying the two columns of advancing soldiers, reported his heroic death when they got back to the American lines.

Although he had been shot in the back, Cavaiani was able to crawl into a bunker with another American, Sgt. James Jones. When two NVA soldiers entered, Cavaiani killed one with a dagger, and Jones shot the other. Then an enemy grenade exploded in the bunker. Badly wounded, Jones stepped out to surrender and was killed by rifle shots; Cavaiani played dead. When the North Vietnamese set the bunker on fire, he was severely burned but managed to escape into the jungle. He evaded capture for 11 days and had almost made it back to an American camp when he was caught by a 70-year-old peasant with an antique bolt-action rifle.

Cavaiani was taken to North Vietnam by his captors and spent time in “Plantation Gardens,” a prisoner-of-war camp, and in the interrogation center known as the Zoo before winding up in the “Hanoi Hilton.” When he was released in 1973, he heard that he had been recommended for the Medal of Honor. It was awarded to him on December 12, 1974, by President Gerald Ford, who spent an hour with the Cavaiani family after the ceremony.

Order

Silverbullet · #2 25 April 2017, 07:10

Rest In Peace SGM.

Dangerous · #3 25 April 2017, 07:41

Rest in Peace Brother. DOL

Ole crusty bastard · #4 25 April 2017, 08:14

Rest easy.

The Fat Guy · #5 25 April 2017, 08:17

Rest Peacefully, SGM.

Mars · #6 25 April 2017, 08:37

Rest In Peace, Warrior!

Sharky · #7 25 April 2017, 10:06

Well damn. I had the honor of getting hammered a couple of times with Jon. He was a fucking wildman and a blast to hang out with. He was also a very humble man. Our community is lesser for his passing and he will be sorely missed.

RIP Jon. DOL

Armitage12 · #8 25 April 2017, 10:30

I am sorry for your loss, Sharky.

Requiescat in pace.

Godzilla · #9 25 April 2017, 10:33

Heads up....this is not a recent loss, he passed away July 29, 2014.

RIP SGM.

agonyea · #10 25 April 2017, 10:59

Yes ,sorry I didn't post earlier, Was trying to get some info updated on His Bio:

Cavaiani was born in Murphys, County Offaly, Ireland, and came to England a short time afterwards. [1]

He came to the United States in 1947 and in 1953 moved to the small farming community of Ballico, California to be with his stepfather, Ugo Cavaiani.

In 1961 Ugo formally adopted Jon and in 1968 he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Cavaiani was sent to Vietnam in 1970 with the Special Forces and by June 4, 1971 was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Task Force 1 Advisory Element, USARV Training Advisory Group. This unit was formerly known as Command and Control North, MACV-SOG. On that day, in the Republic of Vietnam, his platoon came under intense enemy attack. Cavaiani organized the unit's defense and, when evacuation by helicopter became necessary, he voluntarily stayed on the ground and directed the aircraft, which successfully evacuated most of the platoon. Cavaiani and a small group were left behind. During a major enemy attack the next morning, he ordered the remaining men to escape while he stayed and provided suppressive fire to cover their retreat. He was captured and spent the next two years as a prisoner of war.[2]

Jon R. Cavaiani was released by the Provisional Government of Vietnam on April 27, 1973.

His other assignments included tours of duty in the Middle East, South America, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Cavaiani spent three years in Berlin, Germany as the Senior Operations Sergeant Major for British, French and U.S. Forces.

He was selected and assigned to the United States’ most elite Counter-Terrorist Force.

Upon retiring, Cavaiani served as the 6th region director of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

He graduated with honors from the culinary arts program in Columbia, California, where he and his wife Barbara lived.

His numerous military decorations include the nation’s highest award for valor, the Army Medal of Honor, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with 'V' for Valor device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 'V' for Valor device and three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Prisoner of War Medal.

Additionally, he was entitled to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Pathfinder Badge and Master Parachutist Badge.

Cavaiani was a freefall and static line jumpmaster with over 5,000 jumps all over the world.

Cavaiani died on July 29, 2014 at the age of 70 in Stanford, California