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Minnesota Marine receives Bronze Star for heroism in Vietnam
by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio
August 19, 2004

Gov. Tim Pawlenty congratulates Jeff Savelkoul, after presenting him with the Bronze Star. (MPR Photo/Laura McCallum)

It took 37 years, but a Minnesota veteran has finally received a Bronze Star for heroism in combat while serving in Vietnam.

St. Paul, Minn. — A Minnesota Marine who pulled a fellow Marine from a burning helicopter during the Vietnam War received a Bronze Star Thursday for his heroism.

"I don't feel like I did anything more than they would have done for me," Jeffrey C. Savelkoul said, after accepting one of the military's highest honors.

The delayed honor came about after another Marine heard about Savelkoul's heroics four years ago and began looking into why he hadn't been recognized.

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Savelkoul, now 56, was a radio operator with an eight-man reconnaissance patrol when their helicopter came under heavy enemy fire. The rear fuel tank was hit, igniting a fierce fire and causing the aircraft to crash, killing four of its members.

Burned over 75 percent of his body and with both knees crushed, Savelkoul crawled back into the burning helicopter to rescue an unconscious colleague.

"Realizing that other members of his patrol and the crew were still trapped inside the helicopter, Lance Corporal Savelkoul tried to assist other members but was not successful," according to the official citation that earned him the medal.

He didn't receive the medal earlier because he spent two years in the hospital after the incident and he thought everyone in his group had died. Plus, he didn't think he'd done anything out of the ordinary.

"It was a chaotic day," he said. "It was just one of those things the Marine Corps trained you to do."

It's nice to be recognized, but more importantly, it recognizes the guys who didn't come home. This is for them. - Jeffrey Savelkoul

Savelkoul had moved on with his life, working in East Bethel as an electrician.

At a reunion four years ago, he was talking to a fellow Marine and they realized they'd served in the same unit 45 days apart. When former Lt. Bill Muter heard Savelkoul's story, he started making inquiries into why he hadn't received a Bronze Star.

In the military, medals must be awarded by someone from up the chain of command.

"They were all dead," Muter said.

All but one, as he found out. An executive officer had transferred into the battalion three days before Savelkoul's action and was the missing link that led to the award.

"It's nice to be recognized, but more importantly, it recognizes the guys who didn't come home," Savelkoul said. "This is for them."

Savelkoul's father, Donald Savelkoul - a state representative in the 1960s and World War II veteran with a Bronze Star himself - died earlier this year and didn't get to see his son receive the award.

But the younger Savelkoul has already decided where he'll display his medal.

"I'm going to put it right up next to my dad's Bronze Star," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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