An American Warrior Honoured:  Drop Zone Gorvad

 

Jason T. Adair

 

            Very few people are aware of the origins of the name of the Drop Zone at CFB Borden.  Like the names of many ranges and training areas at Canadian Forces Bases the name of the Drop Zone is historically significant.  However, the origins of the name ‘Gorvad’ are quite unique.  The Drop Zone is named in recognition of the service of US Army Lieutenant Colonel Peter L. Gorvad.  Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad served as the American Exchange Officer at the Combat Arms School from 1965 to 1968[1].  The impact that this officer had on his subordinates, peers, students and the youth in Borden is remarkable.  He played a pivotal role in revitalizing the initial and intermediate officer’s courses for a generation of Canadian Combat Arms officers.  Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was killed in action in Vietnam in 1969.

 

            Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was born in Hollywood, California April 10th, 1932.  He spent his youth in southern California and moved to Oakland in 1944, graduating from Castlemont High School in 1949.  Contemplating a career in the FBI, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad enrolled at San Jose State University in the fall of 1949, pursuing a degree in Police Science.  While studying at San Jose State, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad enrolled in the Military Police Corps (MPC) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program and received his first exposure to military life.  This first exposure would mark the beginning of a lifetime devoted to the army and the service of his country.  Upon graduation from university in 1953 as the Top Graduate in the Police program he was offered and accepted a Regular Army commission and enrolled in the United States Army Infantry Corps.

 

            Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s military career was very impressive, rising from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel in just fourteen years.  After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course in 1953, he was assigned to the 20th Regiment and the 63rd Regiment of the 6th Infantry Division at Fort Ord, California where he was responsible for training recruits.  In 1955 he was assigned to the 39th Infantry Regiment in Nuremburg, Germany where he served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and Assistant Regimental Operations Officer.  With the implementation of the Pentomic Division across the US Army, he was assigned to Brannburg serving with the 5th, 8th and 29th Infantry Battlegroups for short periods in various command and staff positions before returning to the Continental United States (CONUS).

 

Upon his return to CONUS, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad served at the US Army Infantry School in Fort Benning where he was a Company Commander in the Infantry School Battalion.  In 1958, he completed the Infantry Officer Advanced Course and in 1959 he successfully completed Ranger School and Airborne training satisfying his strong desire complete the most challenging training the infantry had to offer.  From 1961 to 1962 Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad served in Korea.  He was an Assistant Brigade Operations Officer in the 7th Infantry Division and then became the Post Adjutant at Camp K6 (later named Camp Humphrey).[2]

 

 Upon return to the United States, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was assigned to Fort Bragg where he completed the Special Warfare Officer's Course.  Following completion of this course he served as the Secretary of the Special Warfare School and subsequently served with the 5th Special Forces Group.  After completing covert operations in South America, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was promoted to Major and assigned to the 5th Special Forces group as the Commander of Detachment B5/410.  Headquartered at Can Tho, South Vietnam from the fall of 1963 to the summer of 1964 he was responsible for six operational A Detachments that conducted numerous operations throughout the Mekong Delta region[3].  Among his A Detachment Commanders were Special Forces legend, Larry Thorne and Medal of Honor winner Lee Mize.[4]  As a result of his success as a commander in counter-insurgency operations during a period that Special Forces were in their infancy, he delivered a briefing to senior officers at the Pentagon upon his return.  His observations and recommendations would shape the nature of the deployment of Special Forces to South East Asia for the remainder of the conflict.[5]  Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad's exemplary service during this time was noted in his Army Commendation Medal citation:

 

Upon arriving in the tactical zone of operations Major Gorvad immediately established a high rapport with his counterparts and was many times personally commended by Vietnamese officials for the outstanding relationship between the two forces.  Major Gorvad made almost daily visits to the A Detachments and on many occasions, accompanied patrols on combat operations against the Viet Cong.  Major Gorvad personally conducted thorough reconnaissance trips, often encountering hostile fire, to select new camp sites for A Detachments.  He was instrumental in devising a border surveillance plan and other contingency plans and other contingency plans that contributed greatly to the internal security of the Republic of Vietnam.  Major Gorvad personally supervised the supplying of A Detachments, ascertaining that needed supplies were received on time, thereby keeping the morale of his command at a high state.[6]

 

            Before leaving the 5th Special Forces Group, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad served as C Detachment Commander and made every effort to impart his knowledge of the nature of warfare in Vietnam on departing Special Forces Detachments. As his tour with the 5th Special Forces Group neared completion, he was chosen to lead a team that put on various displays and demonstrations at the World Fair in New York City during the summer of 1964.  This marked the first time that the capabilities of American Special Forces were demonstrated in full view of the world.

 

After completing the ‘long course’ and specializing in counter-insurgency at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was assigned to Camp Borden as the US Exchange Officer at the Tactics and Doctrine Division of the Combat Arms School.[7]  After his three-year tour at the school, he was faced with the decision of being assigned to the Pentagon and attending National War College or returning to Vietnam as a Battalion Commander.  He chose Vietnam.

 

 Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was assigned to the 3rd “Garry Owen” Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division as the Executive Officer on August 27th, 1968.  In this position, he was instrumental in organizing the 571mile move of the brigade by air, land and sea during Operation LIBERTY CANYON in October 1968 and organizing a major base complex at Quan Loi that allowed the brigade to commence operations quickly.[8] He held this position until late January 1969 when he assumed command of the 2/12th Cavalry at LZ GRANT, Tay Ninh Province.  Throughout the remainder of February and into early March Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s unit was responsible for interdicting a main enemy supply route in War Zone ‘C’ from Cambodia.  The 2/12th Cavalry was highly successful in locating caches of rice, weapons and ammunition.[9]  Further to the interdiction operations, LZ GRANT was under constant attack from the NVA 95C regiment.  None of these attacks were as fierce as the attack launched in the early hours of 8 March 1969:

 

The cramped interior of the tactical operations center of LZ GRANT was hot and stuffy.  Lieutenant Colonel Peter Gorvad, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry, had done all that he and his associates could at the moment.  All that was left was nervous waiting.  It was shortly after midnight, March 8.  The men in the TOC (Tactical Operations Centre) were tense, as were all the men on the base.  The firebase was on 100 percent alert, as it had been for the past several days while North Vietnamese gunners hurled mortar shells and rockets at its perimeter.  But tonight was different.  GRANT was the eye of a gathering storm.  All intelligence indicated that GRANT was swarming with North Vietnamese soldiers.  In the TOC there was the usual hum of voices, the hiss and squawk of radios, the monotonous droning of a fan in a losing struggle against the hot humid air.  Then there was a blinding flash and a deafening explosion.  An NVA gunner had gotten lucky and dropped a 122mm rocket with a delay fuse directly on top of the sandbagged TOC the big projectile sliced through three layers of sandbags and detonated inside…Major Billy Brown, the battalion operations officer, had been outside the TOC checking on the readiness of the base defense when the rocket hit.  He raced back to the TOC and found it demolished.  Peering through the smoke and dust of the interior he saw the crumpled body of the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad.  “The colonel was lying just about where I left him, sitting in a chair in front of the map board, “ Major Brown said in a later interview.[10]

 

While the unit was successful in defending GRANT, the death of ‘Roving Gambler 6’ was felt by all ranks in the battalion and the division.[11]  Sergeant Lonnie Murdock, who was in the TOC when it was hit recalls that “he died honourably and was in full command of the unit when we were hit.”[12]  For his conduct during the action, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was awarded the Silver Star:

 

When his unit’s perimeter came under intense, rocket, mortar and ground attack, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad exposed himself to the hostile barrage as he left the relative safety of his command bunker and moved to the perimeter where he adjusted air strikes and aerial rocket artillery on the advancing insurgents.  With complete disregard for his own personal safety, he moved from position to position, directing the base of fire from his men.  At this point, he returned to the command bunker and continued to direct the defense until a rocket hit the bunker and he was mortally wounded.[13]  

 

Remembered as a Commander who would at times, walk point during operations, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad had gained the respect of all ranks.  As Sergeant Al Christy commented, “Colonel Gorvad was an excellent commander, who truly had the soldiers’ well being at heart.”[14] Lieutenant Charlie Bader, a young Platoon Leader in the unit remarked, “I have always admired his leadership skills and I respected his ability to make decisions based on input from others and not automatically command by edict.”[15] For the 2/12th Cavalry’s successful defence of LZ GRANT, they were awarded the Valorous Unit Citation.

 

When the news of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s death reached the United States it was greeted with shock and disbelief.  Reverend Charles Gray, the Senior Chaplain at Fort Sill who had served with Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad in Korea immediately ‘hitchhiked’ by air to San Leandro, California to console the family of the Colonel.  Following his death the 1st Cavalry Divisions Base Camp at Phuoc Vinh was named in his honour.[16]  Furthermore, Colonel Art Conroy named a street after Colonel Gorvad at Camp Humphrey, South Korea in 1975.[17]  The Canadians, too, would honour the lost warrior.

 

            The news of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s death was also felt strongly at Borden, Captain John Roderick, the Adjutant of the Combat Arms School commented, “Everyone from the privates to the Commandant of the Combat Arms School were visibly shaken when the news of Colonel Gorvad’s death became known last Sunday.”[18]   Colonel Holmes, the Commandant of the school traveled to California with his wife to attend the funeral.

 

            Virtually everyone serving in Borden during the late 1960’s remembers that ‘well turned-out’ American Exchange Officer.  This is not surprising as Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was extensively involved in the training of a generation of Canadian combat arms officers.  Based on his experiences in Vietnam extensive training coupled with the combat experience of numerous Canadian officers and NCO’s he was instrumental in refining the course syllabus for training infantry officer candidates.  Three exercises were implemented, FORGED BAYONET, TEMPERED BAYONET and POLISHED BAYONET.[19]  These exercises diverged from the traditional method of training Canadian infantry officers which was plagued with a ‘spit and polish’ mentality, conventionalism and predictability.[20]  They were progressive and focused on leadership and testing the physical and mental fortitudes of candidates. Included in these exercises were a clandestine school, bushcraft, watermanship and rappel training. The final exercise, POLISHED BAYONET was a reliance and leadership exercise designed to test individuals and entire system of pre-commission training. Colonel Holmes commented, “I consider this final phase of our training as much a test of the training system as a test of the students themselves.  We can never be satisfied if we are to turn out tough, self-reliant infantry officers who can really lead men.”[21] Upon completion of this training, all students attended jump school before arriving in an Infantry battalion with the confidence and training to lead soldiers. 

 

Students who completed this training very well remember the influence of these exercises and the personal example that Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad set.  Major General Walter Holmes recalls Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad and Colonel Holmes circling around an exercise area firing blanks at candidates from the open door of a Twin Otter aircraft.[22] Others remember him shrewdly and quietly observing training from a distance.  Colonel ‘Ike’ Kennedy found him to be “reticent, extremely fit but not without humour.”[23]   His influence is best captured by the fond recollection of one student, “I later became a Ranger because Pete Gorvad was a Ranger!”[24] 

 

In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was employed as member of the Directing Staff for the pilot Company/Squadron Commander’s course in 1965.  The Chief Instructor on the course vividly recalls that, “ I put Pete Gorvad on the course as a student…well, it didn’t take me long to realize he was in the wrong spot, within a couple of days he was on the Directing Staff!”[25]At this point the idea of an all arms mechanized force was in its infancy in the Canadian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s mechanized experience from Germany and his unconventional approach to tactics were beneficial in developing what would become the Combat Team Commander’s Course.  Brigadier General Dean remembers:

 

Pete was a great field officer and certainly had tremendous influence on our officers attending the Combat Team Commanders Course.  He was a good tactician and his critiques were lessons in battlefield experience that few had.  The best part of the course was waiting for the critique so we could get more glimpses from the lessons in Vietnam.  This was a subject never talked about after training hours or in the mess because his thoughts on the war and the future were private unto himself.  He was teaching leadership from the front and looking after your soldiers.[26]

 

In addition to his critiques and observation on conventional subjects, he also introduced the subjects of guerrilla warfare, jungle warfare and heliborne operations.  Not only did this provide exposure to the challenges facing armies engaged in counter-insurgency operations it created another medium in which to conduct traditional infantry training.[27]

 

            Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was also very active in the Borden community and much of his spare time was devoted to developing a Base Judo Club.  Having mastered judo at university under the tutelage of the future American Olympic Judo coach, Yosh Uchida and then continuing to hone his skills throughout his career, he was the principle instructor at the club.  In the mid 1960’s as Judo replaced Boxing as the primary contact sport in the Canadian Army, he and other Judo enthusiasts drafted and conducted the first Canadian Army Judo course.  As a lithe figure, a fellow instructor remembers his skill and still remembers the speed with which he could throw, arm lock or strangle an opponent.[28]  Chris Puddicombe, a young judoka at the club recalls:

 

He was an amazing leader in my mind.  He taught is discipline, respect and fairness and didn’t have any trouble cracking a smile at the appropriate time.  I think he smiled on purpose every so often to let us know that life isn’t all that serious.  He was results oriented and we all looked up to him.

 

Many of his weekends were spent traveling to tournaments with members of the club and the club grew in numbers during his tenure.  Upon receiving the news that he was assigned back to the US, the students of the club wrote letters to the US department of Defense with a plea to have him remain in Borden. After his death, the Gorvad Memorial Judo Tournament was held in Borden for many years.

 

Like the Commandant of the Combat Arms School, Colonel Holmes, Colonel Gorvad was an ardent parachutist.  A Master Jumper, who completed two covert combat jumps with the Special Forces, he never turned down the opportunity to jump.  In addition to jumping during various exercises, his weekends not spent with the Judo club saw were spent acting as a jumpmaster in the Otter aircraft over the drop zone that would one day bear his name.

 

            After the death of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad, Colonel Holmes proposed the naming of the drop zone in his honour to the senior officers on the base.  All agreed that it would be a very fitting tribute to a brother officer who epitomized the qualities of a soldier and a gentleman.[29]  The Combat Arms School was very fortunate to have an officer of the caliber of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad serve in its ranks.  Although difficult to quantify, the influence that he had on the training of officers was unparalleled.  He injected a renewed focus on the importance of leadership, fitness and the intricacies of fighting an elusive enemy. 

 

Jigaro Kano, the founder of judo stated that, “whatever the objective, it can best be attained by applying to maximum effect one’s mental and physical energy for that purpose.”[30] Peter Gorvad embraced this maxim and it resonated in his dedication to his chosen profession. He leaves a legacy that few could match.  A close friend recently recalled, “I will just say that no finer officer has ever deserved all of the tributes that Pete has received.  He was made from a special mold.  He was a real gentlemen, a devoted servant to his country and friend that you could always count on. Impartial but just, a soldier first but a friend with his heart in his hand.”[31]

 

            Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was survived by his wife and two children and is buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California.  His son was subsequently killed in a tragic hiking accident in the summer of 1972 and is buried alongside his father.  Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s widow, daughter and grandson continue to reside on the US West Coast.

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Notes

 

[1] Borden Citizen Staff Writer, “Tragic Weekend at Borden”, Borden Citizen, March 12 1969.

[2] The camp was named in honour of WO Ben Humphrey, a close friend of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad who was killed in a helicopter crash in Korea in 1962 and is also buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery.  Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad was instrumental in having Camp K6 named in his honour.   Correspondence with Colonel Art Conroy, Williamsburg, Virginia, February 2001.

[3] Correspondence with Colonel Ola ‘Lee’ Mize, a Korean War 3rd Infantry Division Medal of Honor Winner, Gadsden, Alabama, January 2001.  Colonel Mize was an A Detachment Commander (A-414 at Long Phu and Luong Tan) and served in Major Gorvad’s B Detachment.  See also Francis J. Kelly, The Green Berets in Vietnam.  (New York:  Brassey’s, 1991.) and Shelby Stanton, Green Berets at War.  (New York:  Random House, 1985.)

[4] See note 3 for Colonel Mize’s position.  Captain Larry Thorne who fought under three flags at various points in his life (Finland, Germany, American) commanded A-734 at Chau Lang.  He went missing in 1965 and his death is still shrouded in controversy.  See Robin Moore, The Green Berets, (New York:  Crown Publishing, 1965).  As a civilian Robin Moore complete the Special Warfare Qualification Course and was attached to Thorne’s detachment in April 1964.  His book later became the basis for a 1968 movie, The Green Berets starring John Wayne.  It is undetermined whether Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad is portrayed in the book as all personalities were given pseudonyms.  See also H.A. Gill, Soldier Under Three Flags:  Exploits of Special Forces’ Captain Larry Thorne, (Ventura:  Pathfinder Publishing, 1998).  For the details regarding the search for Captain Thorne see Jeffrey B.  McDowell, “The Search for Larry A Thorne”, Military Review, May-June 2002, p.  30.

[5] Correspondence with Colonel Art Conroy, Williamsburg, Virginia, February 2001.

[6] Department of Defense, “Army Commendation Medal Citation for Major Peter L. Gorvad, 069 051”, May 1964.

[7] There were two courses offered at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at this time.  They were dubbed the ‘short course’ and the ‘long course’.  Students on the long course had the opportunity to specialize their studies.  Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad focused on counter-insurgency.  Counter-insurgency and the implementation of the Pentomic organization were widely debated topics at this time.  There was a strong rift in thought between those who had served in Vietnam and those who had not.  See David Hackworth, About Face, New York:  Simon and Schuster, 1989.  Members of the 1965 class included Colonel Charlie Beckwith of Special Forces fame, Colonel Ivan Boon who would assume command of the 2/12th Cavalry after the March 8 action and Lieutenant Colonel Don Schroeder who would also be killed while commanding and infantry battalion in the 9th Infantry Division. See CGSC Bell Yearbook, 1965, (Fort Leavenworth:  CGSC, 1965).  Personalities on the ‘short course’ during this time included Colonel David Hackworth, Colonel Lee Mize and Captain Larry Thorne (both of whom were A Detachment Commanders in B5/410 in Vietnam 1963/1964.  

[8] Department of Defense, “Legion of Merit Citation for Lieutenant Colonel Peter L. Gorvad, 069 051”, March 17 1969.

[9] Major General Kingston had his S2 (Battalion Intelligence Officer) research the supply routes and cache locations.  He found that these locations had remained constant throughout history.  The Chinese had used the same routes and cache locations hundreds of years before. The 2/12th Cavalry had effectively shut down these supply routes.  Telephone interview with Major General Joseph Kingston, 6 November 2000. Phil Speirs, an Artillery Officer from the 1/30 Field Regiment recalled that supported the 2/12th Cavalry at LZ GRANT recalls meeting Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad in January 1969 and warning him about the vulnerability of the area.  See www.geocites.com/~hardchargers/history/rvn69.htm  

[10] J.D. Coleman, Incursion.  (New York:  St Martin’s Press, 1991.)  pp.  75-76.  See also Shelby Stanton, 1st Air Cavalry:  Anatomy of a Division,  (Novato:  Presido Press, 1987.)  pp.  165-166.   Major General Kingston notes that the direct hit on the TOC wasn’t luck at all.  In fire plans that were captured after the battle, he found that the exact location of the TOC was pinpointed.  This is not surprising as LZ GRANT was at the junction of a small river and a commonly used trail. Correspondence with Major General Joseph P. Kingston, January 2001.

[11] Correspondence with Major General Joseph P Kingston, Centre, Alabama, December 2001.  ‘Roving Gambler 6’ was Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad’s callsign.  Major General Kingston was the Commander of the 1st ‘All the Way Brigade’ of the 1st Cavalry Division in 1969.

[12] Correspondence with Sergeant-Major Lonnie Murdock, June 25 2001.  Sergeant-Major  Murdock was the Operations Sergeant in the TOC on the night of March 8 and was severely wounded and subsequently evacuated to the CONUS.

[13] Department of Defense, “Silver Star Citation for Lieutenant Colonel Peter L. Gorvad, 069 051”, March 1969.

[14] Correspondence with Sergeant Alan Christy, Westlake, Ohio, February 2001.

[15] Correspondence with Charles Bader, Houston, April 2001.

[16] Correspondence with Reverend Charles Gray, Definiuk Springs, Florida, February 2001.

[17] Correspondence with Colonel Art Conroy, Williamsburg, Virginia, February 2001.

[18] “Tragic Weekend at Borden”, Borden Citizen.  March 12 1969.  It should also be noted that the recently established Canadian Airborne Regiment sent flowers in memory of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad.  This was the first occasion that money from the fund had been expended.  Many former instructors from Borden were amongst its ranks.  Interview with Major John Hunter, July 2003.

[19] “Phase Training Graduation”, Borden Citizen.  August 3 1967.

[20] Correspondence with Brigadier General Ian Douglas, March 2001. 

[21] Sentinel Staff Writer, “The Combat Arms School…And Infantry”, Sentinel, November-December 1967, p. 12.

[22] Interview with Major General Walter Holmes, Toronto, Ontario, April 2004.

[23] Correspondence with Colonel ‘Ike’ Kennedy, May 28 2003.

[24] Interview with Colonel J. Lappare, Edmonton, Alberta, November 2000.

[25] Interview with Major B.C. Rutherford, Leith, Ontario, September 2000.

[26] Correspondence with Brigadier General Darrel Dean, June 12 2001.

[27] The official role of the US Exchange Officer included:  Instructor in Tactics and Staff Duties in the Royal Canadian School of Infantry; Member of the Infantry Board and US Liaison Officer.  It is interesting to note that upon the departure of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad, a British SAS officer with experience in Borneo assumed similar duties to that of the departed US Exchange Officer.  Job Description:  US Army Interchange Officer (Infantry).  This document was included on the Personal File of Lieutenant Colonel Peter L. Gorvad.

[28] Correspondence with Brigadier General Darrel Dean, June 12 2001.  During the four courses that Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad taught on there were many students that would become very senior officers in the Canadian Forces. Among others these included General John De Chastelain, Lieutenant General James Gervais, Major General Brian Vernon, Major General John Sharpe and Brigadier General Ian Douglas.  It is interesting to note that upon the departure of Lieutenant Colonel Gorvad, a British SAS officer with experience in Borneo assumed similar duties to that of the departed US Exchange Officer.    

[29] Correspondence with Brigadier General D.E. Holmes, February 2000.

[30] Brian Watson, The Father of Judo, New York:  Kodansha, 2000, p.  7.

[31] Correspondence with Vince Ripoll, June 26 2001.