Independence-Born, Owens Valley Raised:

Remembering Captain James Birchim

By Debra Holm

The story of Captain James Birchim began on July 16, 1946, in Independence, California, a small town in the Owens Valley’s southern stretch, framed by the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Inyo Mountains to the east. His family had lived in the Owens Valley since the mid-to-late 1800s. James grew up there, attending Owens Valley elementary and high schools.

Taking a break from studying entomology in college in 1966, Birchim joined the Army, determined to open doors for his future. He excelled in training, completing Officer Candidate School along with specialized courses in both Chemical and Special Forces schools. After a short assignment at the Presidio in San Francisco, he received orders to report to Travis Air Force Base in July, 1968, with Vietnam as his destination.

By November 1968, then-First Lieutenant Birchim commanded an eight-man Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) under the 5th Special Forces Group, Command & Control North (FOB 2). On November 15, his team set out to locate a missing patrol but walked into an ambush. During the firefight, Birchim suffered a broken ankle and fragmentation wounds, yet he managed to call for extraction that evening.

When rescue helicopters arrived, the terrain prevented them from landing. The crews lowered McGuire rigs—ropes with harnesses—to lift the men out. Four soldiers went up in the first helicopter. The second aircraft carried only three rigs for the four remaining men. Captain Birchim secured his soldiers first, then, despite his injuries, clung to the back of another man’s rig in a desperate attempt to escape.

As the helicopter ascended, the rig tore through the trees, but Birchim held on. Thirty to forty-five minutes into the flight, a storm struck. Exhausted and wounded, he lost his grip and fell from roughly 2,500 feet.

Searchers scoured the area but never found his body. The Army declared him Missing in Action (MIA), and promoted him to Captain. Later this status was updated to Missing in Action and Presumed Dead. In 1972, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Captain Birchim’s name is etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Panel 39W, Line 69). He left behind his wife, Barbara, whom he had married just two years earlier, their infant daughter, Kim, and their unborn son, David. Only 21 when she lost him, Barbara devoted her life to uncovering the truth of his fate. In 1988, she traveled to Vietnam in search of answers. Her journey led her to co-author Is Anybody Listening? A True Story About the POW/MIAs in the Vietnam War, giving voice to families of the missing.

James Douglas Birchim’s life embodies extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty. Though his remains were never found, his legacy endures in the Owens Valley where he was born, and in the hearts of those who continue to honor his service.

About the Author:

Debra Holm has served as the art director/graphic designer of Chapter 78’s Sentinel since February 2012, and is also Chapter 78’s webmaster and social media manager.