A FALLEN HERO

JJ Melton Staff writer, The Laurinburg Exchange, N.C.
·4 min read

May 21—"We were truly brothers. You don't spend 700 flight hours together and not be brothers. I relive the war every day and have nightmares. As most soldiers ask themselves, 'why Larry and not me?' My Brother, my Hero, may God rest his soul."

— Clyde Douglas Gibson

EAST LAURINBURG — Sgt. or "Buck Sgt." Larry Evans Stone, born in East Laurinburg on Jan. 24, 1947, was a casualty of the Vietnam War.

Stone lost his life while serving his country on May 19, 1970, as a member of the Army while touring in Dinh Tuong, South Vietnam.

According to findagrave.com, four men of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company died when their UH-1C gunship was shot down by a quad-50 caliber antiaircraft gun about three miles east of Cai Ba, and Stone was one of them. A second gunship was hit and seriously damaged by the same Anti-Aircraft site, but was able to return to base with all four crewmen alive.

"Larry will live in my mind until I draw my last breath," wrote Clyde Douglas Gibson of Vinton, Virginia, on findagrave.com, "Never a day goes by without thinking of him."

Not only did Stone serve with the 135th Assault Helicopter Company, but he also served on the 214th Aviation Battalion, 164th Aviation Group and the first Aviation Brigade in Vietnam.

"Thirty-two years after leaving Vietnam, I came down with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder," wrote Gibson. "Larry and I were a permanent crew on our new helicopter Uh1-68656. I was the crew chief and he was my door gunner. I just wish I could remember all of our discussions and ideas.

"We were truly brothers. You don't spend 700 flight hours together and not be brothers," continued Gibson. "I relive the war every day and have nightmares. As most soldiers ask themselves, 'why Larry and not me?' My Brother, my Hero, may God rest his soul."

Stone flew with Gibson for about seven months before transferring to the Cowboy Unit.

"Best door gunner in the Army," Gibson wrote about his friend.

William "Bill" Hysmith wrote that he was Stone's crew chief with the 135th Airborne, E.M.U (Experimental Military Unit).

According to Wikipedia, EMU was a joint Australian-American company-sized helicopter assault force which operated during the Vietnam War.

"Remember our fallen brother," wrote Hysmith. "We had a lot of air time together in the 135th Assault Helicopter Company. Perhaps we'll fly together again someday, on the other side."

Hysmith further wrote he was scheduled to fly with Stone the day of his death.

"I asked for the day off for personal reasons," wrote Hysmith. "I'll carry one nagging question to the grave with me ... if I'd have been there instead of a 'green' crew chief, would the day have turned out different? You will not be forgotten, Larry."

Marsha Stone wrote in remembrance of Larry speaking on his character outside of war.

"To Larry, a very special kind-hearted person," said Marsha. "We will always remember you, and we still miss you. You will always live in my heart for it is there that you touched me. May the soul of a loving and special man rest in peace."

Stone was awarded the Purple Heart for his injuries, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Air Medal with multiple Oak Leaf Clusters. He was 23 at the time of his death and was unmarried with no children.

Stone's final resting place is Hillside Cemetery in Laurinburg alongside his family.

Family members of Sgt. Stone were unable to be found at the time of this story.

Contact with those quoted from findagrave.com was also unsuccessful.

"I did not really know him," said Beachum McDougald, local historian," I do, however, remember many around here referred to him as Earl and he was tall, lanky, good-spirited and always smiling."

JJ Melton can be reached at [email protected] To support the Laurinburg Exchange, subscribe here: https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/subscribe.

Larry E. Stone

Jan. 24, 1947

May 19, 1970