Luscinski, James Timothy

James T Luscinski

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

Quick Facts

Significance:

Company D, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division

Place of Birth:

Murfreesboro, TN

Date of Birth:

January 1, 1939

Place of Death:

Quang Tri, South Vietnam

Date of Death:

October 8, 1969

Place of Burial:

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Cemetery Name:

Stones River National Cemetery

James Timothy Luscinski was born on January 1, 1939 and had his home of record as Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee. He enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard in 1958 and graduated from the Tennessee Military Academy. He volunteered for active duty during the Vietnam War and started his tour on June 17, 1969.

Luscinski served as a Captain in the US Army in Company D, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, was trained as a helicopter pilot, and specialized as a Rotary Wing Aviator. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and posthumously awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, a Silver Star, and a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in place of a second Silver Star.

He earned his Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for actions taken on July 21, 1969, also for gallantry in action. Luscinski was acting as Pilot and Gunner of an AH-1G attack helicopter in a combat extrication when he conducted a low-level flight through cloudy mountains near Hue, Republic of Vietnam. Once he reached the site, he fired at the enemy to defend the extrication aircraft, firing through worsening weather while it started to get dark and continuing enemy fire, only flying back when his fuel ran too low.

Luscinski's Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for actions he took on August 4, 1969. He was flying an AH-1G Cobra Helicopter in the A Shau Valley, South Vietnam to back lift helicopters that were unarmed. When one of them was fired on, Luscinski fired back at the enemy. His helicopter was hit twice, causing him to make an emergency landing. He and his co-pilot protected the downed helicopter until help arrived.

His first Silver Star was awarded for actions taken on October 8, 1969, the day he died, for gallantry in action. He was flying one of two AH-1G Cobra Helicopters on a search and rescue mission for an aircraft that had crashed. Despite it being dark and the bad weather conditions, Luscinski volunteered to lead the mission. He flew for over an hour before going back to refuel, upon which he was fired on from the ground, causing his helicopter to crash in Quang Tri province, South Vietnam, killing Luscinski and the other pilot, Chriss L. Roediger.

He is one of Rutherford County’s most decorated Vietnam soldiers. Luscinski is honored at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on panel 17W, line 51 and is buried at Stones River National Cemetery in plot Q-6845.