Charles L. Deibert

Charles Larry Deibert is Oregon’s Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) following a twenty-two year military service career; his rescue actions as a pilot in the Vietnam War resulted in countless saved lives. He is the recipient of various honors, including the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. Additionally, Deibert was conferred the dedication of Oregon National Guard’s tactical deployment center, named: “Major Charles L. Deibert Flight Operations Facility.” As CEO and owner of various enterprises, Deibert continues his life of service to our county and in volunteer work. Deibert is a direct descendant of the infamous fur-trader John Clarke and Josephte Kanhopitsa (a Salishan-Colville North American Native).
Beginnings
Deibert was born in Longview, Washington, June 2, 1936. His family moved to Hood River, OR, in 1946. After graduating from Wy'East High School, Deibert worked in the logging industry and on tugboats. Deibert volunteered for the draft and shortly thereafter joined the United States Marine Corps, with a two-year commitment of service.
Military career
As a U.S. Marine, Deibert completed boot camp at Hood River; also, he attended radio telegraph school. Both of these completions were prior to his introductory tour with the 1st Marine Regiment, whose Division was located at Camp Pendleton (CA).
Following draft-requirement fulfillment, Deibert was in the Marine Reserves, briefly, as he accepted an invitation from colleagues to attend the Oregon Army National Guard Drill (Hood River, OR) for service with Company D-162 Engineer Battalion, 41st Infantry Division. Deibert’s transition from the Marines to the Army National Guard was straightforward and uncomplicated.
Next, Deibert entered Class Four of the Oregon Military Academy. Commission followed and a prompt transfer to a Portland (OR) Aviation Unit, at the Portland Airbase. Then immediately attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, graduating in May, 1964. Due to his reported enjoyment of flying fixed-wing craft (like the 0-1 Dog Bird) Deibert volunteered for flying duty in the Vietnam conflict.
Consequently, Charles "Larry" Deibert was the eldest (age 30, at the time) student at the Airborne School of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. His nickname, to his younger fellows, was “Pop,” which he reportedly welcomed. Following Jump School (parachute training) and three weeks of flying in the Dominican Republic as a barely-experienced unrated Huey pilot, Deibert moved on to Fort Bragg, now being qualified to fly the H-13, indicative of his professional capabilities to fly both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. After three Jungle School badges (three separate training sessions) Deibert officially completed training, signifying his readiness to enter the Vietnam conflict as an actively engaged, certified serviceman.
January 15, 1967, marked his first day serving in Vietnam. He was commissioned with the 220th Recon Airplane Co, which was composed of Ford Air Controllers in the I-Corp Area; Deibert was in the First Platoon, located in Quang Tri (Vietnam province). He flew missions for the First Marine Division, Army Special Forces, as well as the Republic of Vietnam’s Army; moreover, Deibert flew multiple naval gunfire missions.
After just three months Deibert was assigned as Second Sergeant (S-2) and commanded the 224th Platoon; he was in control of the 3rd Marine Division. Now, Captain Deibert, he achieved 723 flying hours; equated, in other terms, Deibert’s 723 hours of flight translate into 570 missions in Vietnam. Seventy-three of those missions were coded “Banjo,” one of which would, unequivocally, change the course of Deibert’s life.
On September 10, 1967, Charles L. Deibert was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross (second in honors only to the Congressional Medal of Honor) because of his unplanned rescue flight that provided emergency assistance to overwhelmed Marine forces. Deibert’s actions resulted in the avoidance of many needless deaths, as well as resulting in a successful battle for the Marine division; Deibert’s facilitation that day, in multiple ways, allowed for aircraft to assist Marines in danger that otherwise would not have had such opportunity. Additionally, Deibert's actions provided opportunity for medevac involvement—resulting in countless saved lives.
Moving forward in Deibert’s life, he spent the next five years with the 41st Infantry Aviation section of the Oregon National Guard. He then transferred to the Army Reserves 104th Training Division (Vancouver, WA) becoming a Division Aviation Officer. Deibert retired as a U.S. Army Major; his active service career spanned twenty-two years. Some of Deibert’s distinguished honors are listed (below). Deibert’s military career was highlighted by his involvement in these installations: The United States Marine Corps, The Oregon Army National Guard, The United States Army, and The United States Army Reserve.
Honors and affiliations
In 2003 Deibert was appointed for the position of Oregon’s Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) which is a protocol-equivalency ranking of a three star general. Deibert has been reappointed to this position four times.
Charles “Larry” Deibert’s awards and honors include: two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service Medals, three Vietnam Crosses (one with a silver star, one with a bronze star, and one with a palm leaf), in addition to twenty-five separate (individually awarded) air medal honors.
Moreover, in August 2010, the (former) Salem Aviation Center was dedicated to Charles L. Deibert and named the Oregon National Guard’s, “Major Charles L. Deibert Flight Operations Facility”, a tactical hub for deployment (especially in response to domestic tragedies).
Further, Deibert’s affiliations include: The Legion of Valor: U.S. membership (with whom Deibert served as National Commander from 2001-2002), a lifetime member of the International Birddog Association, a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), as well as myriad other military organizations.(OMDa, 2010)</ref>
Civilian and family life
Following Deibert’s inarguably successful military career, he was hired as a sales manager with the Yellow Pages®. Next, he transitioned into developing his own advertisement agency: National Management Services, Inc. Among Deibert’s successes are the following titles and companies: Owner and CEO of National Management Services, Inc; The Hallmark Yellow Pages Selling Group, Inc. — d.b.a. Tel-Ad National Marketing Services, Inc; Wild Web Works, Inc; Gorge of the Gods Ranch of Excellence; and, The Combat Zone (a computer gaming center). In addition Deibert's joint ownerships included: The Sierra Group - d.b.a. NMS LTD, and The Howard Pierson Group.
Presently, Deibert resides in Corbett, OR, with his wife Suzanne Deibert, where they own an exotic animal breeding ranch and volunteer time at the local “Helping Hands Food Bank.” Deibert played and coached softball for many years.
Heritage and Native American lineage
Notably, Charles “Larry” (L.) Deibert is a descendant of the infamous fur trader, John Clarke. Clarke, of Montreal, Quebec, was instrumental in the fur trade business with the Northwest Company. Also, Clarke was sent by John Jacob Astor of the Pacific Fur Company to establish a trading post on the Spokane River (WA). Clarke then worked for the Hudson's Bay Company.
Clarke’s first wife was Josephte Kanhopitsa, who was native to North America, and directly binds Deibert’s heritage to North American Native Americans. Pointedly, Kanhopitsa’s community was part of the Colville peoples. The Colvilles, a Salishan group, lived between the Kettle Falls River and a fur-trading post, the Spokane House. Although decreased to a minimal number (a few hundred) by 1904, the Salishans were (1850 and prior) a multitudinous tribe, a substantive percentage of the Colvilles representing a stand-alone population of many thousands. Unsubstantiated findings argue that Kanhopitsa’s brother may be a man called Kolaskin (or Skolaskin) who was a Columbia Plateau “dreamer prophet.”
That being said, Charles L. Deibert is descended from John Clarke and Josephte Kanhopitsa, his “great, great, great” grandparents. Illustratively, Josephte Clarke was the daughter of John Clarke and Josephte Kanhopitsa; Josephte Clarke was wed to John McKay (or "McKay Rouge," a nickname derived as a description of his flaming red hair and volatile temper) who was also well known to the fur-trading industry. John McKay’s son was Charles McKay (great grandpa to Charles “Larry” Deibert); Charles McKay wedded Elizabeth Sanders (whose mother was Lizette de Dalles, wife of John Pierre Alexander Sanders and probable descendent of the Native North American Natchez peoples of the Mississippi Valley). Lizette de Dalles marks Deibert’s secondary Native American lineage (his initial lineage connection, as previously established, being Kanhopitsa of the Salishan-Colvilles).
Point-in-fact, Bertha Louise McKay is the daughter Charles McKay and Elizabeth Sanders - who married Charles Monroe Deibert; Charles Monroe Deibert and Bertha Louise McKay had a son named William Joseph Deibert, who was wed to Stella Pauline Stief, parents of Charles “Larry” (L.) Deibert.

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