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Lost Air Medal Returned To Vietnam Veteran

Tribune photo by DAVID KRAUT

Rob Whitlow has been reunited with a commendation he earned during the Vietnam War.

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By PETER BERNARD and RAY REYES

News Channel 8 and The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 5, 2008

TAMPA - The contents of an envelope found in an old desk described the valor of a Marine who flew more than 500 missions during the Vietnam War.

A letter mentioned that Lt. Rob Whitlow was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. A certificate known as an Air Medal, a commendation given for every 20 missions flown, was also in the envelope.

Starvos Laliotis of Tampa, who found the documents in a desk he bought five years ago at the Salvation Army on Nebraska Avenue, said he made it his mission to return the items to its owner.

"I looked him up and what do you know - he lives in South Tampa," Laliotis said Tuesday.

Laliotis called Whitlow and the two arranged to meet at a Tampa restaurant Tuesday. Laliotis had the commendations matted and framed by a family friend and presented them to Whitlow.

"That's pretty amazing," Whitlow said when he saw the documents for the first time in about 10 years. "When I cleaned out my desk, I thought I took everything. But apparently not."

Whitlow said he remembers storing the items in the desk when he managed the Tampa office for Nike, the shoe company.

During the Vietnam War, Whitlow was a forward air controller whose job was to guide fighter jets to enemy targets and direct airstrikes. He flew a Cessna L-19/0-1, also known as a "bird dog," that was used by the military for observation missions.

"Good news, I didn't have to walk around in minefields," said Whitlow, who retired as a captain. "The bad news, I had to fly around in a single-engine airplane for four or five hours a day."

Whitlow was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1968. He has held on to the medal for 40 years, but left its accompanying letter in the old desk.

The retired Marine also accumulated 26 Air Medals when he flew 530 missions in Vietnam. He had 25 of the certificates at his home, but mistakenly left the 26th in the desk that Laliotis eventually bought.

Laliotis said he first found the documents when he was cleaning out the desk five years ago. He put them in a box for safekeeping and forgot. Last week, Laliotis was cleaning out the box and rediscovered the documents.

That's when he decided to track down Whitlow.

"It kind of makes you realize exactly the tragedy of the war," Laliotis said. "After I met him today, it gave me goose bumps."

News Channel 8 reporter Peter Bernard can be reached at (813) 225-2718 or pbernard@wfla.com. Tribune reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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