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Ronald Roy Blohm
RONALD ROY BLOHM
Birth Dec. 12, 1942
Hometown Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Parents LeRoy W. and Dorothy Ann (Steinhoff) Blohm
Military branch Army
Early Life
Ronald Roy Blohm was born on Dec. 11, 1942 in Clinton, Iowa to LeRoy W. and Dorothy Ann (Steinhoff) Blohm. LeRoy Blohm served as an Army Technical Sergeant during World War II. Blohm’s brother, Stephen, served in the Air Force. He had two sisters, Julie and Bette Anne. The Blohm family lived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Blohm graduated from high school in Eau Claire in June 1961.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Blohm attended UW-Platteville intermittently from 1961 to 1966. He was majoring in business administration and was a member of the Lambda Sigma Pi fraternity.
Military
Blohm joined the Army in the fall of 1966 and received basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. After basic training, he attended the Army Primary Helicopter Center at Fort Wolters, Texas and was a member of the Class 67-17 4th Warrant Officer Class. Follow up training took place at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Having orders to Vietnam, Warrant Officer Blohm married Donna Louise Mousel in Eau Claire on Oct. 28, 1967.
Warrant Officer Blohm’s tour in Vietnam began on Nov. 11, 1967, and he was assigned to the 176th Assault Helicopter Company, 14th Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group, 23rd Infantry (Americal) Division where he flew UH-1 (Huey) helicopters. After six months in Vietnam, Blohm met his wife Donna in Hawaii for R&R.
On Sept. 10, 1968, while commander on his aircraft, it was hit by hostile ground fire in a hot landing zone during a combat assault. The Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded posthumously, citation provides details of the incident. "Warrant Officer Blohm distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions while serving as light fire team leader on a mission to escort a flight of troop-carrying helicopters during a combat assault near Quang Ngai. When he was informed that the prestrike gunships had received enemy fire, he immediately positioned himself on the south side of the formation. As the formation began its final approach, Warrant Officer Blohm moved ahead and positioned himself between the formation and the southern part of the landing zone. Ignoring the intensity of the enemy fire, he continued to hold his aircraft in its tactical position until the slicks were on the ground. Remaining undaunted, he continued to screen the formation until he was hit and mortally wounded by a heavy caliber machinegun bullet. As the rounds struck the ship, it went out of control but his last reactions of pulling the cyclic back, kept the aircraft from crashing to the ground until the co-pilot could regain control. Warrant Officer Blohm died minutes later. His rare and exceptional bravery undoubtedly kept the enemy gunners from attacking his defenseless comrades and prevented the destruction of many aircraft and lives."
Ronald Blohm was posthumously promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 and was buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Among Chief Warrant Officer 2 Blohm’s awards are the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with Numeral 21, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars, Vietnam Military Merit Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Valorous Unit Award, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation. He was also authorized the Army Aviator Badge, Expert Badge with automatic rifle bar, and the Sharpshooter Badge with pistol bar.
Ronald Blohm’s name appears on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. on panel W44, line 14.
