San Diego, CA
New Mount Soledad plaque honors Naval pilot who earned Medal of Honor in Vietnam
It was after midnight on June 19, 1968, when U.S. Navy Lt. Clyde Lassen and his helicopter crew flew into the jungle of North Vietnam to rescue two Navy aviators whose fighter jet had been shot down.
Taking on enemy fire in the predawn darkness and wary of the thick vegetation, Lassen attempted several difficult maneuvers to rescue the stranded pilots, at one point striking a tree and losing a door, but managing to keep his UH-2A Seasprite airborne. After several attempts, Lassen brought the aircraft to a low hover, his crew retrieved the men on the ground and Lassen piloted the group back to a waiting ship, landing with less than five minutes worth of fuel in the tank.
For his bravery, Lassen was awarded the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s highest decoration, by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1969.
Lassen, who retired from the Navy as a commander and died in 1994, was honored Sunday afternoon by the Naval Helicopter Association Historical Society with a plaque at the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial. The ceremony concluded with a flyover by three helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75 out of Naval Air Station North Island.
The Mount Soledad ceremony wrapped up a weekend of events honoring Lassen. On Saturday, Naval Base Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island held a dedication ceremony for a new helicopter memorial that now sits outside the main gate of the base. The monument, a full-size formerly operable helicopter, is known as the CDR Clyde E. Lassen, USN (Ret.) Medal of Honor SH-60F Oceanhawk Memorial Display.
Lassen is one of only 3,526 Medal of Honor recipients, and one of just three Navy pilots to receive the decoration during the Vietnam War. He is the 32nd Medal of Honor recipient with a plaque on Mount Soledad, where the privately owned memorial currently features more than 6,600 plaques made from the same black granite as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Neil O’Connell, the executive director of the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, said there is no particular wall dedicated to admirals or generals or other high-ranking leaders.
“If you look on these walls, it’s a mosaic of our society,” O’Connell said. “Every era of conflict and history and sacrifice is represented at this beautiful memorial.”
Retired Navy Capt. Sandy Clark told the gathered crowd that Lassen was a humble, modest man who was a 26-year-old lieutenant when he piloted the rescue flight that early morning in Vietnam. He praised Lassen and his crew, who were awaken in the middle of the night and believed initially they were being sent on a training mission, only to end up instead conducting the harrowing rescue.
“Nothing ever good happens in Naval aviation without the help of a lot of people,” Clark said. “Clyde didn’t fly there by himself, he had a whole crew there… Clyde was brave, but it took the whole team to make it work properly.”
Clark praised Lassen and his crew for never quitting.
“There were ample opportunities to abandon the rescue,” Clark said. “They were low on fuel, they were being shot at, the aircraft was severely damaged, but he was focused enough to be able to pick those guys up and save them from certain death.”
The Navy named a guided missile destroyer after Lassen. The ship was commissioned in 2001 and was originally homeported in San Diego but is now stationed in Lassen’s home state of Florida. In addition to the helicopter memorial bearing Lassen’s name now situated outside Naval Base Coronado, there are buildings named after Lassen on Navy bases in Florida and Tennessee. There is also a veterans’ nursing home that bears his name in Florida.
On Thursday, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County recorded its largest increase since Sept. 28, 2023, rising 8.7 cents to $4.894, its highest amount since Nov. 13.
The average price has increased 15 consecutive days, rising 28.7 cents, including 7 cents on Wednesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 22.4 cents more than one week ago, 38.6 cents higher than one month ago and 14.5 cents greater than one year ago.
The average price has dropped $1.541 since rising to a record $6.435 on Oct. 5, 2022.
“Gas prices are rising primarily due to a recent surge in crude oil following strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel,” Kandace Redd, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s senior public affairs specialist, told City News Service. “Any conflict with Iran can send oil prices higher, as Iran is a major oil producer and about a fifth of the oil consumed globally travels through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.
“Gas prices are increasing because of seasonal factors too. Refineries are beginning the switch to more expensive summer-blend fuel, and demand is picking up as we head into the spring break season with more people on the road.”
The national average price rose 5.3 cents to $3.251, its highest amount since Sept. 11, 2024. It has risen five consecutive days, increasing 26.9 cents, including 8.9 cents on Wednesday.
The national average price is 26.8 cents more than one week ago, 36 cents higher than one month ago and 14.4 cents greater than one year ago. It has dropped $1.765 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
UNLV Rebels (16-14, 11-8 MWC) at San Diego State Aztecs (19-10, 13-6 MWC)
San Diego; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: UNLV faces San Diego State after Kimani Hamilton scored 24 points in UNLV’s 92-65 victory over the Utah State Aggies.
The Aztecs have gone 13-2 in home games. San Diego State is eighth in the MWC with 9.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Miles Heide averaging 2.0.
The Rebels have gone 11-8 against MWC opponents. UNLV ranks eighth in the MWC shooting 34.4% from 3-point range.
San Diego State averages 79.1 points per game, 0.6 more points than the 78.5 UNLV gives up. UNLV averages 7.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 fewer made shots on average than the 9.1 per game San Diego State allows.
The teams play for the second time in conference play this season. San Diego State won the last meeting 82-71 on Jan. 24. Miles Byrd scored 23 points points to help lead the Aztecs to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reese Dixon-Waters is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Aztecs, while averaging 13 points. Byrd is averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is shooting 50.9% and averaging 20.6 points for the Rebels. Hamilton is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Aztecs: 5-5, averaging 74.9 points, 28.9 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.0 points per game.
Rebels: 6-4, averaging 84.1 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.8 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.
The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.
Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.
Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.
The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.
As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.
The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.
Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”
Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
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