Rex Russell Sage
(1919-1968)
Heroism is a word that defined the life of Colonel Rex Russell Sage. Courage and gallantry ran through his blood. A decorated veteran of both WWII and Korea, Sage volunteered to go to Vietnam, where his country and the Vietnamese people needed him most. His thirty years of dedicated service tragically ended over the skies of South East Asia in 1968, when he made the ultimate sacrifice defending and protecting our freedom. Colonel Sage's medals, photographs, award citations, and many other artifacts pertaining to his military service were donated to the WWII Veterans History Project by his daughter, Cynthia.
Rex was born in Oberlin, Kansas, on May 16, 1919, and graduated from Decatur County High School in 1936. He majored in mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas, where he participated in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He entered service in the Army upon graduation in 1940 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. During WWII, from 1940 to 1943, Sage served as a company commander with the 4th Infantry Regiment in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, making three amphibious landings against the Japanese.
Already a seasoned combat veteran of WWII and the Korean War, and serving as a director at the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, Colonel Sage volunteered for duty in Vietnam. In May of 1968, with his nation once again at war, Sage left for duty overseas one last time.
On the morning of September 8, 1968, Colonel Sage boarded a US Army Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopter from the 155th Assault Helicopter Company on a VIP flight from Ban Me Thout, South Vietnam, to inspect the Duc Lap Green Beret camp along the Cambodian border. Also aboard the helicopter was Brigadier General Truong Quang An, commander of the 23rd Division (South Vietnam), of which Sage was the senior American advisor.
At around 10:30 AM local time, roughly 12 klicks from the Special Forces base, loud popping and grinding noises from the transmission/engine area were heard by the gunner and crew chief, simultaneously with complete loss of power. Warrant Officer Redlick Koppel, the aircraft commander, initiated a mayday call and an autorotation. With absolutely no forced landing areas to autorotate into, Koppel was forced to land into 200-foot trees and extremely dense foliage. The autorotation was terminated with zero airspeed at treetop level, causing the helicopter to fall straight through the trees.
Upon contacting the ground, the tail boom remained intact but was severed from the fuselage. The main rotor and transmission were still in place. The gunner broke the window out of the right cargo door and pulled himself out. It appeared that all personnel in the cargo compartment were unconscious. The gunner attempted to pull the General out through the window of the cargo door, but his attempt failed. He then went forward to the right pilot door and tried to get it open, but was unsuccessful.
At this time, the helicopter burst into flames, and the gunner jumped back from the burning aircraft. The crew chief was able to crawl out of his position just before the fire. The flames were observed coming through the tree canopy by a forward air controller aircraft. Anthony Benfatti was an American radio operator serving at Ban Me Thuot and vividly remembers the day of the crash. "As we monitored the frequency, heard the "May Day" calls and voice traffic of the follow-up ships, it became apparent that all was lost amidst the fiery tall teak trees."
Colonel Rex Sage, WO1 Redlick Koppel, WO1 William Harwood, Master Sergeant Thomas Barnard, along with Brigadier General Truong Quang An and his wife Duong Thi Kim An, perished in the hills of Vietnam. Immediately after the crash, it was reported that the helicopter was shot down by North Vietnamese gunners, but later investigations revealed that mechanical failures were the cause of the crash. At the time of his death, Colonel Sage was 49 years old and had served in the Army for nearly 30 years. He left behind his wife Jane and their 10-year-old daughter, Cynthia.
For his courage and valor in Vietnam, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and the National Order of Vietnam 5th Class. During his distinguished Army career, Sage was also awarded the Legion of Merit with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star with combat "V" and 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal with one campaign star, Army of Occupation Medal with Japan clasp, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 3 campaign stars, the Vietnam Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Cynthia Voller holds a portrait of her father, Colonel Rex R. Sage, who was killed in Vietnam when she was only 10 years old.
Colonel Rex R. Sage's military medals and decorations, posthumously presented to his family after he was killed in Vietnam.
Brigadier General William S. Coleman presents posthumous awards to Mrs. Jane Sage and her daughter, Cynthia, on behalf of her husband, Colonel Rex R. Sage, who was killed in Vietnam on September 8, 1968.
The telegram sent to Colonel Sage's mother after he was killed in Vietnam.
Sage as an Army Captain during WWII. Photo is not dated, but was most likely taken in 1944 while he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Colonel Sage and his daughter Cynthia. This photograph was taken in 1963, five years before he was killed in Vietnam.
Sage as a Major (left), during the Korean War.
Brigadier General William S. Coleman presents posthumous awards to Mrs. Jane Sage and her daughter, Cynthia, on behalf of her husband, Colonel Rex R. Sage, who was killed in Vietnam on September 8, 1968.
Colonel Rex Sage's posthumous Silver Star certificate.
Colonel Rex Sage's posthumous Silver Star citation, detailing the actions for which he received the prestigious decoration.
A close up of the stamped engraving on Colonel Rex Sage's Silver Star medal. He was posthumously awarded the medal for actions on August 23, 1968.
More of Colonel Sage's military medals, including the National Order of Vietnam 5th Class (top right), presented posthumously to Sage's next of kin by the South Vietnamese government.
Colonel Rex Sage stands before a color guard formation at the US Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia.