Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

Friday, October 29, 2010

Jose C. Calugas, Sr (1907 – 1998)



Jose Calugas (December 29, 1907 – January 18, 1998) was a member of the Philippine Scouts during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Bataan.

At the age of 23, Calugas joined the Philippine Scouts of the United States Army and completed training as an artilleryman and served with different artillery batteries of the Philippine Scouts until his unit was mobilized to fight in World War II. After noticing one of his unit's gun batteries had been destroyed and its crew killed, he gathered several members of his unit together, dug in and attempted to defend the line. He was captured along with other members of his unit and forced to march to a distant enemy prison camp, where he was held as a prisoner of war. When he was released in 1943, he was secretly assigned to a guerilla unit the Philippines where he fought for the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese.
After retiring from the Army he settled in Tacoma, Washington and became a United States citizen.

Calugas was born in Barrio Tagsing, Leon, Iloilo, Philippines, December 29, 1907. In 1930, he enlisted in the United States Army and had received his basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Upon completion, he received additional training as an artilleryman, and then assigned to the 24th Artillery Regiment of the Philippine Scouts at Fort Stotsenburg, Pampanga. While stationed at Fort Stotsenburg, he married and began to raise a family. His next unit was the 88th Field Artillery Regiment of the Philippine Scouts. He was a Sergeant with Battery B when the United States and the Philippine Commonwealth, declared war with Japan in 1941. His unit was mobilized for duty and sent to Bataan in December 1941.

On January 6, 1942, his unit was covering the withdrawal of a portion of the U.S. Army Forces, Far East (USAFFE), with the 26th Cavalry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts and the 31st Infantry Regiment. Calugas was working as a mess sergeant in charge of a group of soldiers who were preparing the day's meals, known as KP duty. He noticed that one of his unit's guns had been silenced, and its crew killed. Without orders, he ran the 1,000 yards (914 m) across the shell-swept area to the inactive gun position. Once there, he organized a squad of volunteers who returned Japanese artillery fire. The position remained under constant and heavy fire for the rest of the afternoon. While Calugas and his squad maintained a steady fire on the enemy positions, other soldiers had time to dig in and defend the line. As the day ended and combat subsided, he returned to KP. For his actions on that day, his superiors recommended Calugas for the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. Before he could receive it, however, all American forces on Bataan surrendered to Japanese forces.

Arguably, the Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. During the final stage of the Battle of Bataan and after repeated assaults and artillery fire by Japanese forces, the communications and defenses of the allies on Bataan peninsula had been almost completely destroyed. On the last two days, the entire Allied defense collapsed, clogging all roads with refugees and fleeing troops. By April 8, the senior U.S. commander on Bataan, Major General Edward "Ned" P. King, Jr., recognized the futility of further resistance, and explored proposals for capitulation. On April 9, 1942, approximately 76,000 Filipino and American troops surrendered to a Japanese army of 54,000 men under Lt. General Masaharu Homma. This was the single largest surrender of one of its military forces in American history.

Route of the Bataan Death March. The section from San Fernando to Capas was by rail. Then they marched 8 miles to Camp O'Donnell.

After the surrender, Calugas and the other prisoners marched from Mariveles to Camp O'Donnell, a prison camp in the province of Tarlac. The Japanese, having expected the fighting to continue, anticipated about 25,000 prisoners of war and were inadequately prepared or unwilling to transport a group of prisoners three times the size. The majority of the POW’s, were immediately relieved of their belongings and endured a 61-mile (98 km) march in deep dust, over vehicle-broken macadam roads, and crammed into rail cars for the portion of the journey from San Fernando to Capas. Enroute, over 21,000 men and women died from disease, starvation, dehydration, heat prostration, untreated wounds, and wanton execution. The deaths of Filipinos to Americans, was disproportionately high: approximately 5,000–10,000 Filipino and 600–650 American prisoners of war died on the Bataan Death March. Calugas remained a prisoner at Camp O'Donnell until January 1943, when he was released to work for the Japanese.

His release placed him as a laborer in a Japanese rice mill, and while assigned there he secretly joined a guerrilla unit, #227 Old Bronco. As an officer of the guerrilla unit, he participated in the attack on the Japanese garrison at Karangalan. His unit fought in the continued campaign against the Japanese, which eventually led to the liberation of the Philippines.

After the liberation of the Philippines in 1945, he finally received the Medal of Honor for which he had been approved the beginning of the war. The Medal was presented to him by General of the Army General George Marshall. Calugas subsequently accepted a direct commission in the United States Army, and was later assigned to the 44th Infantry Regiment, which was assigned with the occupation of Okinawa. After the unit was disbanded in 1947, he was assigned to the Ryuku Command, on the Ryukyu Islands in the South China Sea, where he remained until 1953.
Although he had been born in a U.S. territory, and had fought in the United States' Army, Calugas technically was not a citizen. Following the Spanish American War in 1898, Philippine residents were classified as U.S. nationals. The 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act, or Philippine Independence Act, reclassified Filipinos as aliens, and set a quota of 50 immigrants per year to the United States, with the exception of those who joined the U.S. Navy, but not the U.S. Army. While serving in Okinawa, Calugas completed the process of becoming a naturalized United States citizen.
Calugas, eventually retired from the army with the rank of Captain, and in 1957, he moved to in Tacoma, Washington with his family. After retiring from the army he earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Puget Sound in 1961and worked for the Boeing Corporation. In addition to furthering his education and starting a new career, he was involved in several veterans groups within the Seattle and Tacoma area. He died in Tacoma on January 18, 1998 at age 90 and is buried at Mountain View Memorial Park in Tacoma, Washington.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Battery B, 88th Field Artillery, Philippine Scouts. Place and date: At Culis, Bataan Province, Philippine Islands, 16 January 1942. Entered service at: Fort Stotsenburg, Philippine Islands. Born: 29 December 1907, Barrio Tagsing, Leon, %Iloilo, Philippine Islands. G.O. No.: 10, 24 February 1942. Citation: The action for which the award was made took place near Culis, Bataan Province, Philippine Islands, on 16 January 1942. A battery gun position was bombed and shelled by the enemy until 1 gun was put out of commission and all the cannoneers were killed or wounded. Sgt. Calugas, a mess sergeant of another battery, voluntarily and without orders ran 1,000 yards across the shell-swept area to the gun position. There he organized a volunteer squad which placed the gun back in commission and fired effectively against the enemy, although the position remained under constant and heavy Japanese artillery fire.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Capt Lance P. Sijan 1942-1968



Lance P. Sijan was the first graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy to receive the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for heroism above and beyond the call of duty. His spirit and determination inspired a fellow prisoner of war to nominate him.

Sijan was born in April 1942 and graduated from Bay View High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He originally planned to attend the Naval Academy. However, he was attracted to the prestige and quality education of the Air Force school, plus he had developed a love of flying. He played football but quit the team in his senior year to concentrate more on his studies. After graduation in 1965 from the academy he attended pilot training where he received an F-4 Phantom II assignment. Eventually he was assigned to the 366th Fighter Wing, at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam.

On November 9, 1967, while on his 52nd mission, 25-year-old Sijan ejected from his F-4C after it was hit over North Vietnam. A search-and-rescue Jolly Green helicopter radioed to Sijan that they were going to lower someone to assist him. Sijan refused to put another person in danger and asked that a penetrator be lowered instead. However, he couldn't grab the dropped steel cable and after thirty-three minutes the rescue team, facing heavy enemy fire, had to depart.

Even with no food and very little water, Lance managed to avoid capture for forty-five days. Because of a serious compound fracture of the left leg, he was unable to walk but did manage to pull himself backward through the jungle. After his initial capture, in spite of the broken leg and now a skull fracture and mangled right hand, he was able to escape. Once recaptured he was taken to Vinh and thrown into a bamboo cell. He was 'interrogated' repeatedly and, despite his captor’s technique of twisting his damaged right hand, he refused to disclose any information but his name.

Sijan was soon moved to a POW camp at Hanoi. Even in his emaciated condition, he attempted more escapes, all meeting with failure. His physical condition continued to weaken without proper food or medical attention. In January 1968, he developed additional respiratory problems including pneumonia. After many months of ill treatment, his health broke. Sijan was removed from his cell during the night of January 21, 1968 and, according to his Vietnamese captors, died the following day at Hoa Lo's "Hanoi Hilton."

He was promoted posthumously to captain on June 13, 1968. On March 4, 1976 President Gerald Ford presented the Medal of Honor to his parents, Sylvester and Jane Sijan.
The U.S. Air Force Academy named Sijan Hall, a cadet dormitory, in honor of him on May 31, 1976. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force honors Air Force personnel who exhibit the highest example of professional and personal leadership standards with the Lance P. Sijan Award.

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 4th Allied POW Wing, Pilot of an F-4C aircraft. Place and date: North Vietnam, 9 November 1967. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 13 April 1942, Milwaukee, Wis. Citation: While on a flight over North Vietnam, Capt. Sijan ejected from his disabled aircraft and successfully evaded capture for more than 6 weeks. During this time, he was seriously injured and suffered from shock and extreme weight loss due to lack of food. After being captured by North Vietnamese soldiers, Capt. Sijan was taken to a holding point for subsequent transfer to a prisoner of war camp. In his emaciated and crippled condition, he overpowered 1 of his guards and crawled into the jungle, only to be recaptured after several hours. He was then transferred to another prison camp where he was kept in solitary confinement and interrogated at length. During interrogation, he was severely tortured; however, he did not divulge any information to his captors. Capt. Sijan lapsed into delirium and was placed in the care of another prisoner. During his intermittent periods of consciousness until his death, he never complained of his physical condition and, on several occasions, spoke of future escape attempts. Capt. Sijan's extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.

Colonel George Everette "Bud" Day


Colonel Bud Day - Ex-POW & Recipient of the Medal of Honor - On Torture
"I didn't expect to be reminded of my treatment some 36 years ago on this holiday weekend but our politicians find it worthy to ignore what some have tried to recount to them, who have actually been there."

I was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967...a squadron commander.

After I returned in 1973, I published two books that dealt a lot with "real torture" in Hanoi. Our make believe president is branding our country as a bunch of torturers when he has no idea what torture is.

As for me..put thru a mock execution because I would not respond...pistol whipped on the head...same event. Couple of days later...hung by my feet all day. I escaped and got recaptured a couple of weeks later...I got shot and recaptured. Shot was okay...what happened after was not.

They marched me to Vinh...put me in the rope trick, trick...almost pulled my arms out of the sockets. Beat me on the head with a little wooden rod until my eyes were swelled shut, and my unshot, unbroken hand a pulp.

Next day hung me by the arms...rebroke my right wrist...wiped out the nerves in my arms that control the hands..rolled my fingers up into a ball. Only left the slightest movement of my left forefinger. So I started answering with some incredible lies.

Sent me to Hanoi strapped to a barrel of gas in the back of a truck.

Hanoi...on my knees...rope trick again. Beaten by a big fool.

Into leg irons on a bed in Heartbreak Hotel.

Much kneeling--hands up at Zoo.

Really bad beating for refusing to condemn Lyndon Johnson.

Several more kneeling events. I could see my knee bone thru kneeling holes.

There was an escape from the annex to the Zoo. I was the Senior Officer of a large building because of escape...they started a mass torture of all commanders.

I think it was July 7, 1969...they started beating me with a car fan belt. In first two days I took over 300 strokes...then stopped counting because I never thought I would live thru it.

They continued day-night torture to get me to confess to a non-existent part in the escape. This went on for at least 3 days. On my knees...fan belting...cut open my scrotum with fan belt stroke...opened up both knee holes again. My fanny looked like hamburger...I could not lie on my back.

They tortured me into admitting that I was in on the escape...and that my two room-mates knew about it.

The next day I denied the lie.

They commenced torturing me again with 3, 6, or 9 strokes of the fan belt every day from about July 11 or 12th...to 14 October 1969. I continued to refuse to lie about my roommates again.

Now, the point of this is that our make-believe president has declared to the world that we ( U.S. ) are a bunch of torturers. Thus it will be okay to torture us next time when they catch us...because that is what the U.S. does.

Our make-believe president is a know nothing fool who thinks that pouring a little water on some one's face, or hanging a pair of womens pants over an Arabs head is TORTURE. He is a meathead.

I just talked to MOH holder Leo Thorsness who was also in my squad in jail...as was John McCain...and we agree that McCain does not speak for the POW group when he claims that Al Gharib was torture...or that "water boarding" is torture.

Our president and those fools around him who keep bad mouthing our great country are a disgrace to the United States. Please pass this info on to Sean Hannity. He is free to use it to point out the stupidity of the claims that water boarding...which has no after effect...is torture. If it got the Arab to cough up the story about how he planned the attack on the twin towers in NYC...hurrah for the guy who poured the water.




George Everette "Bud" Day (born February 24, 1925) is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and Command Pilot who served during the Vietnam War, to include five years and seven months as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. He is often cited as being the most decorated U.S. service member since General Douglas MacArthur, having received some seventy decorations, a majority for actions in combat. Day is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Day was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on February 24, 1925. In 1942 he quit high school and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served 30 months in the North Pacific during World War II as a member of a 5 in (130 mm) gun battery with the 3rd Defense Battalion on Johnston Island.
After the war, Day attended Morningside College on the G.I. Bill, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree, followed by law school at the University of South Dakota, receiving a Juris Doctor. Day passed the bar exam in 1949 and was admitted to the bar in South Dakota. In later life, Day was also awarded a Master of Arts degree from St. Louis University, a Doctor of Humane Letters from Morningside, and a Doctor of Laws from Troy State University. Day was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1977.
A member of the Army Reserve, in 1950 he received a direct commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Iowa Air National Guard, and was called to active duty in 1951 for Undergraduate Pilot Training in the U.S. Air Force. He served two tours as a fighter-bomber pilot during the Korean War flying the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, surviving a "no-chute" ejection in 1955. Promoted to captain, he decided to make the Air Force a career and was augmented into the Regular Air Force. He then transitioned to the F-100 Super Sabre in 1957 while stationed at RAF Wethersfield.
Anticipating retirement in 1968 and now a major, Day volunteered for a tour in Vietnam and was assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Tuy Hoa Air Base in April 1967. At that time he had more than 5,000 flying hours, with 4,500 of them in fighters. On June 25, 1967, with extensive previous service flying two tours in F-100s, Major Day was made the first commander of Detachment 1, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Phu Cat Air Base. Under the project name "Commando Sabre", twin-seat USAF F-100Fs were evaluated as a Fast Forward Air Control ("Fast FAC") aircraft in high threat areas, given that F-4 Phantom II aircraft were in high demand for strike and Combat Air Patrol (CAP) roles. Using the call sign Misty, the name of Day's favorite song, his detachment of four two-seat F-100Fs and 16 pilots became pioneer "Fast FACs" (Forward Air Controllers) over Laos and North Vietnam. All Misty FAC crews were volunteers with at least 100 combat missions in Vietnam and 1,000 minimum flight hours. Tours in Commando Sabre were temporary and normally limited to four months or about 50-60 missions.

Prisoner of war
On August 26, 1967, Major Day was flying F-100F-15-NA, AF Serial No. 56-3954, call sign "Misty 01", on his 26th Fast FAC sortie, directing a flight of F-105 Thunderchiefs in an air strike against a surface-to-air missile (SAM) site north of Thon Cam Son and west of Dong Hoi, 20 mi (32 km) north of the DMZ in North Vietnam. Day was on his 65th mission into North Vietnam and acting as check pilot for Captain Corwin M. "Kipp" Kippenhan, who was upgrading to aircraft commander. 37 mm antiaircraft fire crippled the aircraft, forcing the crew to eject. In the ejection, Day's right arm was broken in three places when he struck the side of the cockpit, and he also experienced eye and back injuries.
Kippenhan was rescued by a USAF HH-3E, but Day was unable to contact the rescue helicopter by survival radio and was quickly captured by North Vietnamese local militia. On his fifth night, when he was still within 20 mi (32 km) of the DMZ, Day escaped from his initial captors despite his serious injuries. Although stripped of both his boots and flight suit, Day crossed the Demilitarized Zone back into South Vietnam, becoming the only U.S. prisoner of war to escape from North Vietnam. Within 2 mi (3 km) of the U.S. Marine firebase at Con Thien and after 12–15 days of evading, he was captured again, this time by a Viet Cong patrol that wounded him in the leg and hand with gunfire.
Taken back to his original camp, Day was tortured for escaping, breaking his right arm again. He then was moved to several prison camps near Hanoi, where he was periodically beaten, starved, and tortured. In December 1967, Day shared a cell with Navy Lieutenant Commander and future Senator and Presidential Candidate John McCain who was even more seriously injured and emaciated. Air Force Major Norris Overly nursed both back to health, and McCain later devised a makeshift splint of bamboo and rags that helped heal Day's seriously atrophied arm.[4]
On March 14, 1973, Day was released after five years and seven months as a North Vietnamese prisoner. Within three days Day was reunited with his wife, Doris Sorensen Day, and four children at March Air Force Base, California. On March 4, 1976, President Gerald Ford awarded Day the Medal of Honor for his personal bravery while a captive in North Vietnam.
Day had been promoted to Colonel while a prisoner, and decided to remain in the Air Force in hopes of being promoted to Brigadier General. Although initially too weak to resume operational flying, he spent a year in physical rehabilitation and with 13 separate medical waivers, was returned to active flying status. He underwent conversion training to the F-4 Phantom II and was appointed vice commander of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Retirement
After being passed over for nomination to brigadier general, Day retired from active duty in 1977 to resume his practice of law in Florida. At his retirement he had nearly 8,000 total flying hours, 4,900 in single engine jets, and had flown the F-80 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet, F-100 Super Sabre, F-101 Voodoo, F-104 Starfighter, F-105 Thunderchief, F-106 Delta Dart, F-4 Phantom II, A-4 Skyhawk, A-7 Corsair II, CF-5 Tiger, F-15 Eagle jet fighters.
Following his retirement, Day wrote an autobiographical account of his experiences as a prisoner of war, Return with Honor, followed by Duty, Honor, Country, which updated his autobiography to include his post-Air Force years. Among other endeavors, in 1996 Day filed a class action lawsuit for breach of contract against the United States government on behalf of military retirees who were stripped of their military medical care benefits at age 65 and told to apply for Medicare. Although winning the case in the district court in 2001, the judgment against the U.S. was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2002. The U.S. Congress later redressed this situation by establishing the "TRICARE For Life" (TFL) program, which restored TRICARE military medical benefits for career military retirees over the age of 65, making the retirees eligible for both programs with Medicare as the primary payer and TRICARE as the secondary payer.

Political activity and controversy
Day is an active member of the Florida Republican Party, was involved in the 527 group Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, and campaigned with John McCain in 2000 and 2008. In the months leading up to the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Day appeared in television advertisements—along with other members of the 527 group Swift Vets and POWs for Truth—decrying John Kerry's anti-war activities following his military service during the Vietnam War and declaring him "unfit" for service and of a "dishonest" disposition for comments and actions made by Kerry after the Vietnam War, including his testimony at the Winter Soldier Conference in Washington, D.C. During a 2008 teleconference with reporters from the Miami Herald, Day made comments regarding John McCain's stance on the Iraq War, stating that "I don't intend to kneel, and I don't advocate to anybody that we kneel, and John [McCain] doesn't advocate to anybody that we kneel." Also during this interview he sparked controversy by making a broad generalization about what some see as an ideological divide between Islam and America: "the Muslims have said either we kneel, or they're going to kill us." In the same interview when questioned about the role of 527 organizations in contemporary American politics, particularly his work for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Day stated "the bottom line is this: 527 groups can do very effective, truthful things, and the Swift Boat attack was totally truthful."

Awards and decorations
Medal of Honor, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with Combat "V" for Valor and three Oak Leaf Clusters (three Bronze Star Medals for "Valor" and one Bronze Star Medal), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Prisoner of War Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (three awards), Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" for Valor (four awards), Combat Readiness Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 14 campaign stars, Air Force Longevity Service Award, 5 oak leaf clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Medal, National Order of Vietnam, United Nations Service Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (individual award), Vietnam Gallantry Cross (unit citation), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Air Force Cross citation
The Air Force Cross is presented to George Everett Day, Colonel, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 16 July 1969 to 14 October 1969. During this period, Colonel Day was subjected to maximum punishment and torture by Vietnamese guards to obtain a detailed confession of escape plans, policies, and orders of the American senior ranking officer in the camp, and the communications methods used by the Americans interned in the camp. Colonel Day withstood this punishment and gave nothing of value to the Vietnamese, although he sustained many injuries and open wounds to his body. Through his extraordinary heroism and willpower, in the face of the enemy, Colonel Day reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Medal of Honor citation
Citation: On 26 August 1967, Col. Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire. His right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee was badly sprained. He was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured. After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Col. Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South Vietnam. Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few berries and uncooked frogs. He successfully evaded enemy patrols and reached the Ben Hai River, where he encountered U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, Col. Day swam across the river and entered the demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of direction and wandered aimlessly for several days. After several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was ambushed and recaptured by the Viet Cong, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hand and thigh. He was returned to the prison from which he had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his captors false information to questions put before him. Physically, Col. Day was totally debilitated and unable to perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many injuries, he continued to offer maximum resistance. His personal bravery in the face of deadly enemy pressure was significant in saving the lives of fellow aviators who were still flying against the enemy. Col. Day's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.

Edouard Victor Michel Izac 1891 – 1990



Edouard Victor Michel Izac (December 18, 1891 – January 18, 1990) was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War I, a Representative from California and a Medal of Honor recipient.
Born with the last name of Isaacs, the youngest of nine children, in Cresco, Howard County, Iowa, to Balthazar (born in Alsace-Lorraine) and Mathilda Geuth (born in Philadelphia, with the family heritage from Baden-Wurttemberg). An immigration officer changed the family name from Izac to Isaacs when Balthazar had entered the United States in the 1850s.
Izac attended the School of the Assumption, Cresco, Iowa, the high school at South St. Paul, Minnesota, and Werntz Preparatory School, Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1915. The day following his graduation from the academy he married Agnes Cabell (daughter of General De Rosey Carroll Cabell).
He first served on the battleship USS Florida (BB-30), then after he was promoted from ensign to lieutenant (junior grade), he signed up for the Naval Transport Service. During this time his daughter, Cabell (b. 1916), was born. He transferred to the USS President Lincoln in July 1917. From her maiden voyage in the U.S. Navy, October 18, 1917, she made five successful trips to Europe and back.
On May 31, 1918, his ship, President Lincoln was struck by three torpedoes from the German submarine U–90. Izac was taken aboard the U–90 as prisoner. Later, he escaped from a German prison camp. He was forced to retire in 1921 on account of wounds received while a prisoner of war in Germany. His awards included the Croce di Guerra of Italy and the Cross of Montenegro.
Izac then relocated to San Diego, California, and engaged in newspaper work and writing from 1922 to 1928. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1934 to the Seventy-fourth Congress, and a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1940 and 1944. Izac was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-fifth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1937-January 3, 1947). He lost his reelection bid in 1946 to the Eightieth Congress.
Interested in lumbering, Izac raised thoroughbred cattle on a farm in Gordonsville, Virginia, before residing in Bethesda, Maryland.
Izac was a resident of Fairfax, Virginia, from 1988 until his death in 1990. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1945, Izak traveled to Europe where he inspected the recently liberated concentration camp of Buchenwald.
Medal of Honor citation (He received the "Tiffany Cross" version of the medal)
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Aboard German submarine U-90 as prisoner of war, May 21, 1918. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: December 18, 1891, Cresco, Howard County, Iowa.
Citation:
When the U.S.S. President Lincoln was attacked and sunk by the German submarine U-90, on May 21, 1918, Lt. Izac was captured and held as a prisoner on board the U-90 until the return of the submarine to Germany, when he was confined in the prison camp. During his stay on the U-90 he obtained information of the movements of German submarines which was so important that he was determined to escape, with a view to making this information available to the U.S. and Allied Naval authorities. In attempting to carry out this plan, he jumped through the window of a rapidly moving train at the imminent risk of death, not only from the nature of the act itself but from the fire of the armed German soldiers who were guarding him. Having been recaptured and reconfined, Lt. Izac made a second and successful attempt to escape, breaking his way through barbed-wire fences and deliberately drawing the fire of the armed guards in the hope of permitting others to escape during the confusion. He made his way through the mountains of southwestern Germany, having only raw vegetables for food, and at the end, swam the River Rhine during the night in the immediate vicinity of German sentries.

Dr. Mary E. Walker 1832 - 1919



Dr. Mary Walker always stood out in a crowd. She was born 26 November 1832 in Oswego Town near Oswego, NY. As a child, she was distinguished for her strength of mind and her decision of character. She grew up an independent young woman. She always had an inclination to be useful in the world. A woman of great energy, in her early years she wore “bloomers,” the pantaloon-style garb of the radical feminists of the age. When she graduated, the only female in her class, from Syracuse Medical College in 1855, she became one of the few women physicians in the country. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 Dr. Walker, then twenty-nine, journeyed to Washington and applied for an appointment as an Army surgeon, much to the shock of the Medical Department, which rejected her with considerable verbosity. Not one to be discouraged, she stayed in Washington, serving as an unpaid volunteer in various camps and, when the patent office was converted into a hospital, she served as assistant surgeon and worked without pay. During that time, she was instrumental in establishing an organization which aided needy women who came to Washington to visit wounded relatives. Dr. Walker met with considerable abuse over her persistent demands to be made a surgeon, but also earned considerable respect for her many good works. Meanwhile she abandoned bloomers and adopted a modified version of male attire, with a calf-length skirt worn over trousers, keeping her hair relatively long and curled so that anyone could know that she was a woman. In November 1862 Walker presented herself at the Virginia headquarters of MG Ambrose Burnside and was taken on as a field surgeon, although still on a volunteer basis. She treated the wounded at Warrenton and in Fredericksburg in December 1862; almost a year later she was in Chattanooga tending the casualties of the battle of Chickamauga. After the battle she again requested a commission as an Army doctor. In September 1863 MG George H. Thomas appointed her as an assistant surgeon in the Army of the Cumberland, and she was assigned to the 52d Ohio Regiment, near Chattanooga, TN, a position in which she served well, wearing a somewhat modified version of the standard surgeon’s uniform. Many stories were told of her bravery under fire. However, she served in this capacity for but a short time. In April 1864 she was captured by Confederate troops, having remained behind to tend wounded upon a Union retirement. Charged with being a spy and arrested, her male attire constituting the principal evidence against her, Dr. Walker spent four months in various prisons, subject to much abuse for her “unladylike” occupation and attire, until she was exchanged for a Confederate surgeon on 12 August 1864. Years later she took great pride in this “man for man” exchange. In October 1864 Walker was granted a contract by the Medical Department as an acting assistant surgeon. Despite her repeated requests for battlefield duty, she was not again sent into the field. She spent the rest of the war as superintendent at a Louisville, KY, female prison hospital and a Clarksville, TN, orphanage. Released from government contract at the end of the war, Walker lobbied for a brevet promotion to major for her services. Secretary of War Stanton would not grant the request. President Andrew Johnson asked him if there was some other way to recognize her service. A Medal of Honor was prepared for Walker and presented to her in January 1866; she would wear it every day for the rest of her life. After the war Dr. Walker remained active in the women’s rights movement, and was a crusader against immorality, alcohol and tobacco and for clothing and election reform. Among her more unusual positions was that there was no need for a women’s suffrage act, as women already had the vote as American citizens. Her taste in clothes caused frequent arrests on such charges as “impersonating a man.” At one trial she asserted her right “to dress as I please in free America on whose tented fields I have served for four years in the cause of human freedom.” The judge dismissed the case and ordered the police never to arrest Walker on the charge again. She left the courtroom to hearty applause. In 1916 Congress revised the Medal of Honor standards to include only “actual combat with an enemy.” Several months later, in 1917, the Board of Medal Awards, after reviewing the merits of the awardees of the Civil War awards, ruled Dr. Walker’s Medal, as well as those of 910 other recipients, as unwarranted and it was revoked. She died on 21 February 1919, at the age of eighty-six. But Mary Walker was not forgotten. Nearly sixty years after her death, at the urging of a descendant, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records reviewed the case. On 19 June 1977, Army Secretary Clifford L. Alexander approved the recommendation by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records, to restore the Medal of Honor to her. Dr. Mary E. Walker remains on record as the sole female recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Attribution and citation
Rank and organization: Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian), U. S. Army. Places and dates: Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; Patent Office Hospital, Washington, D.C., October 1861; Chattanooga, Tenn., following Battle of Chickamauga, September 1863; Prisoner of War, April 10, 1864-August 12, 1864, Richmond, Va.; Battle of Atlanta, September 1864. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Born: 26 November 1832, Oswego County, N.Y.

Citation:

Whereas it appears from official reports that Dr. Mary E. Walker, a graduate of medicine, "has rendered valuable service to the Government, and her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a variety of ways," and that she was assigned to duty and served as an assistant surgeon in charge of female prisoners at Louisville, Ky., upon the recommendation of Major-Generals Sherman and Thomas, and faithfully served as contract surgeon in the service of the United States, and has devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon; and Whereas by reason of her not being a commissioned officer in the military service, a brevet or honorary rank cannot, under existing laws, be conferred upon her; and Whereas in the opinion of the President an honorable recognition of her services and sufferings should be made. It is ordered, That a testimonial thereof shall be hereby made and given to the said Dr. Mary E. Walker, and that the usual medal of honor for meritorious services be given her

2nd Lt. John Cary "Red" Morgan 1914–1991




Born August 24, 1914, at Vernon, Texas, and the son of an attorney, Morgan graduated from a military school in 1931 and then attended several colleges, including Amarillo College, New Mexico Military Institute, NMMI, West Texas State Teachers College, and the University of Texas at Austin. While at Texas he learned to fly aircraft, and in 1934 dropped out of college. He worked in the Fiji Islands as a foreman on a pineapple plantation until 1938, when he returned to enlist as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps. However because of his poor education record, he was refused enlistment. Working at an oil-drilling site for Texaco, Morgan suffered a broken neck in an industrial accident, and as a result was later classified 4-F by the Selective Service System.
In August, 1941, Morgan joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, and after completion of flight training in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and RAF Church Lawford, England, was posted as a Sergeant Pilot with RAF Bomber Command. On March 23, 1943 he was transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force as a Flight Officer and assigned to the 92nd Bomb Group's 326th Bomb Squadron, RAF Alconbury, England.


Crisis in the Cockpit
By John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor Air Force Magazine -Published January 1984

The copilot, John Morgan, had two alternatives: pull the plug on a wounded friend or fight him for control of the stricken B-17
At mid-1940, with war raging in Europe and the United States sure to become involved, it looked as though John Morgan was never going to be an Army flyer. The 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound Texan had been classified 4-F by his draft board as a result of an earlier accident in which he had broken his neck. But the Royal Canadian Air Force, more interested in willing warriors than in medical history, welcomed Morgan into its pilot-training program. A year later, he was in England, wearing the RCAF uniform but flying bombers for the Royal Air Force.
In May 1943, Morgan transferred to the US Army Air Forces as a flight officer and was assigned to the 92d Bomb Group's 326th Squadron, based at Alconbury. Sixty days later, on July 18, Morgan sat in the right seat of a B-17 as copilot for 1st Lt. Robert Campbell, a huge, muscular Mississippian, as they climbed out over the North Sea, and headed for Hanover and one of the most remarkable bomber sorties of the war.
Before the bomber stream reached the Dutch coast, it came under heavy attack by Luftwaffe fighters. The intercom of Morgan's plane was shot out, the tail, waist, and ball-turret guns ceased firing, a cannon shell shattered the windshield on the copilot's side, and a machine-gun bullet struck pilot Campbell in the head, splitting open his skull. Campbell, semiconscious and in a crazed condition, fell forward, locking his arms around the control column.
Morgan knew that if the B-17 dropped out of formation it would be easy prey to German fighters. Flying with his right hand, he dragged Campbell off the controls, holding him back in the pilot's seat with his left arm. The wounded pilot continued to fight instinctively for the controls as Morgan maneuvered back into formation. He now had two alternatives: pull Campbell's oxygen mask off, which, at 26,000 feet, would have been fatal to the wounded man, or fight the crazed pilot for control of the B-17 as long as his strength lasted, hoping that another crew member might come up to the cockpit and help. He chose the latter alternative.
Once again enemy fighters came in. As they pulled up over the riddled B-17, the top turret gunner fell to the floor, one arm shot off at the shoulder. Morgan's navigator, Keith Koske, unable to apply a tourniquet, got the gunner into a chute and pushed him out the lower hatch, believing correctly that the minus 50-degree F. cold would stop the bleeding. The gunner survived, was cared for by German surgeons, and was repatriated in late 1944.
The navigator, bombardier, and engineer were aware from the B-17's erratic flight that something was wrong in the cockpit, but all were too busy fighting off attackers to leave their stations. For two hours, John Morgan held formation, all the time fighting to keep the irrational Campbell off the controls. Finally, after bombs-away, navigator Koske came up to the cockpit and, shocked by the grisly scene, helped Morgan get Campbell out of the pilot's seat.
As the formation let down over the North Sea, the gunners Morgan had believed to be dead appeared on the flight deck. Their oxygen system had been knocked out in the first fighter attack and they had been unconscious until the bombers descended to lower altitude. Campbell died minutes after Morgan landed the battered bomber at an RAF base near the English coast.
On Dec. 17, 1943, Lt. Gen. Ira Eaker, Commander of the Eighth Air Force, presented 1st Lt. John C. Morgan the Medal of Honor in recognition of his heroic acts over Germany that July day. General Eaker directed Morgan to fly no more combat. But Morgan decided that if the war was not over for the Allies, it wasn't over for him. He volunteered for several more missions, including the first Berlin raid of March 6, 1944. On that day, Morgan's war against Nazi Germany came to an end. His B-17 was shot down and he remained an unwilling guest of the Luftwaffe until V-E Day.
Morgan must surely be the only draft-classified 4-F to serve with the air forces of three nations, fly 26 combat missions (he says it really was only 25 and a half) with the RAF and the AAF, earn this country's highest decoration for valor, and spend 14 months as a POW. No American who survived World War II paid his dues more fully than that tough, tenacious Texan.


The following article is reprinted from Texaco Topics Publication, Special 75th Anniversary Edition ( Published in 1977) Texaco's Flying Pioneers | An American Hero

John C. Morgan 1914-1991

John Cary Morgan worked for Texaco for 42 years, with 37 of those being in the Aviation Sales Department. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism aboard the Ruthie II. John was later shot down over enemy territory in the first daylight bombing raid of Berlin. He spent the final 14 months of the war in a German prison camp. The book and eventual movie classic "Twelve O'clock High", is thought to be loosely based on the Mission of the Ruthie II. John Morgan passed away in 1991, a real life American Hero.

John C. "Red" Morgan's life story sounds like the script for a Hollywood adventure movie. But nothing in a movie based on his adventures would be fictional. The story would relate the exploits of an aviator whose courage in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The film would make it clear that this former Texan has had a passion for airplanes and the open, endless sky since he was a child.

This past April, John, who is Division Manager - Los Angeles in the International aviation sales Department, marked his 39th anniversary with Texaco. He joined the Company in 1938 as a truck operator at the Oklahoma City Sales Terminal.

At six feet, two inches, and 210 pounds, John Morgan is a powerfully built man who today looks younger than his 62 years. His head of thick white hair (once "flaming red in my flaming youth") gives him a very courtly appearance.

For a man who was recently inducted into the Colorado Historical Society aviation Hall of Fame and is honored in many university aviation displays and also one at the United States Air Force Academy, John Morgan is an unassuming, gregarious individual who exudes warmth and friendliness. He seems, in fact, to become a little embarrassed when he is asked to talk one more time of his wartime heroism.

"There are very few heroes," he tells a visitor. "Under the circumstances I think most people would have done the same." Here is what John says "most people" would have done:

By mid-July, 1943, young Flight Officer John Morgan had already received the Distinguished Flying Cross for safely flying home a B-17 bomber that had been damaged in a raid over France. On July 26, little more than a week later, John was the co-pilot on another B-17, one of 600 in an attack group from England with a mission to destroy some railroad yards in Hanover, Germany. Over the English Channel they were attacked by German fighters.

The first burst of machine gun fire from one fighter shattered the windshield for the cockpit and mortally wounded the pilot. Bursts from more enemy fighters wounded several other crewmen and knocked out the B-17's communications system and all but one of its machine guns. The oxygen system for the rear of the plane was also disabled, leaving five crewmen there unconscious.

John struggled to regain control of the plane, which was in a nose dive because the pilot, dying from a head wound, had slumped against the controls. The mortally wounded pilot lived almost four hours and instinctively fought John for control of the aircraft all of that time.

John chose not to abort his mission, even though he might have been able to request a fighter escort back to England.

It would be four hours before the bomber force completed its mission and returned to base. Through those hours, John Morgan, barely able to see through the shattered windshield, handled the many jobs meant for two men at a B-17's controls. All through those hours, enemy fighters attacked continually, and heavy flak from ground batteries exploded in deadly black puffs around the plane.

Four months after this flight, 29-year-old John Morgan was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His B-17 was never flown again. General Curtis E. LeMay, in his autobiography, Mission With LeMay: My Story, paid John this tribute: "He flew like a homing pigeon to the target in spite of the fact that he had every right and reason to turn back or bail out."

John was given the opportunity to be sent home after receiving the Medal, but he chose to stay with his unit. Eight months later, on March 6, 1944, he began his final mission: the first daylight bombing raid over Berlin. This was one of the biggest raids of the war, involving more than 1,000 airplanes.

"I was flying in the lead aircraft," John says. "We had just reached the target area when we were hit by flak, which resulted in control damage and fuel tank fire. The aircraft tumbled out of control, and subsequently exploded."

John was blown out of the plane minus one important item-he had not been wearing his chest-pack-type parachute. In the chaos, he just had time to tuck it under his arm. As he dropped 20,000 feet out of the flak-filled sky over Berlin, he frantically worked to snap the chute onto his chest harness. Finally, at approximately 400 to 500 feet above the ground, it was snapped on, and the chute was opened. John had unintentionally accomplished what newspaper accounts later called "one of the most spectacular free falls in history."

"I didn't think I was dead," John muses about that fall. "There was no question about it. Strangely, when you are in that situation you are no longer afraid. I have learned that the unknown is usually the most frightening."

Captured approximately "10 seconds" after landing in the middle of Hitler's Berlin, John spent the final 14 months of the war in a prison camp.

John has been fascinated with flight since he was a four-year-old boy in Vernon, Texas, and watched a barnstorming pilot in an old biplane zoom over his home. He had all of three and a half-hours of flight instruction when he made his first solo flight as a University of Texas freshman in Austin. His father, an attorney, was not exactly thrilled.

"My father had been a regular passenger in the early airline days," drawls John in a soft Texas accent, "and he felt it took a super human and a genius to fly those contraptions." He pauses. "There was some question in his mind whether or not I fit that description."

After attending several different Texas colleges, John decided school wasn't for him. So, at age 20, he went off to the Fiji Islands, where he supervised laborers on a pineapple plantation and cannery and later worked in a gold mine.

When he returned to America in 1938, he joined Texaco where he remained until he entered military service in 1940 in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He transferred to the United States Air Corps in May, 1943, while in England.

When he was released from the service after the war ended, John returned to Texaco as an aviation Representative in the Sales Department in Chicago. While there he met a young Texaco secretary, Chris Ziegler, who became his wife in 1947.

During the Korean War, John took a leave of absence from his job to serve six months as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and was recalled to active military duty in 1950, serving until 1953.

He still holds a commercial pilot's license but doesn't use it. Occasionally, he says, he will go up "for a spin" with pilot friends. When he gets together with other pilots, the talk usually centers on current developments in aviation.

"I have great respect for the others who have the Medal [there are 286 living recipients], but I really don't think about it for myself," he says. "I'm very proud to have it. Many good things have come to me because of it. I've met interesting and fine people and been privileged to work in aviation and for Texaco for most of my adult life."

"But I don't dwell on the past. Frankly, I think it would be boring for people to hear about it."

John Morgan is anything but boring. After spending time with him, a visitor comes away with the feeling of having had the good fortune to meet a real-live American Hero.

John C. Morgan is buried in Section 59 of Arlington National Cemetery


Congressional Medal of Honor Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while participating on a bombing mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe, 28 July 1943.

Prior to reaching the German coast on the way to the target, the B17 airplane in which 2nd Lt. Morgan was serving as copilot was attacked by a large force of enemy fighters, during which the oxygen system to the tail, waist, and radio gun positions was knocked out. A frontal attack placed a cannon shell through the windshield, totally shattering it, and the pilot's skull was split open by a .303 caliber shell, leaving him in a crazed condition. The pilot fell over the steering wheel, tightly clamping his arms around it. 2nd Lt. Morgan at once grasped the controls from his side and, by sheer strength, pulled the airplane back into formation despite the frantic struggles of the semiconscious pilot. The interphone had been destroyed, rendering it impossible to call for help. At this time the top turret gunner fell to the floor and down through the hatch with his arm shot off at the shoulder and a gaping wound in his side. The waist, tail, and radio gunners had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen and, hearing no fire from their guns, the copilot believed they had bailed out. The wounded pilot still offered desperate resistance in his crazed attempts to fly the airplane. There remained the prospect of flying to and over the target and back to a friendly base wholly unassisted. In the face of this desperate situation, 2nd Lt. Officer Morgan made his decision to continue the flight and protect any members of the crew who might still be in the ship and for 2 hours he flew in formation with one hand at the controls and the other holding off the struggling pilot before the navigator entered the steering compartment and relieved the situation.

The miraculous and heroic performance of 2nd Lt. Morgan on this occasion resulted in the successful completion of a vital bombing mission and the safe return of his airplane and crew.

Major Pierpont Morgan Hamilton 1898 – 1982



Pierpont M. Hamilton was born in Tuxedo Park, New York on August 3, 1898 to William Pierson Hamilton (great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton) and Juliet Pierpont Morgan (daughter of John Pierpont Morgan). He attended Harvard University where he attained a bachelor's degree and master's degree. In August 1917, as the United States joined World War I, he entered military service, receiving flight training first at the Aviation Ordnance School atCornell University and then at flying schools at Hazelhurst Field, New York and Ellington Field, Texas. On May 8, 1918 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Officer's Reserve Corps and served as an instructor pilot at Ellington Field for the remainder of the war.
Hamilton married Marie Louise Blair, daughter of C. Ledyard Blair, on September 11, 1919. The wedding was held near Bernardsville, New Jersey, with a lavish reception at Blairsden Mansion. They had three children before divorcing: Philip, David and Ian. He married Rebecca Stickney on January 3, 1930. The second marriage also ended in divorce, with no children. His third and final marriage was on August 21, 1946 to Norah Soutter. Hamilton adopted her son Harold from a previous marriage.
In World War II, Hamilton returned to active duty, joining the Army from New York City. By November 8, 1942 had risen to the rank of major. On that day, he participated in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa. He volunteered to act as an interpreter on a mission to meet with the French commander near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, and broker a cease fire. After landing on the beach under hostile fire, Hamilton and Colonel Demas T. Craw approached the French headquarters in a light truck. They came under machine gun fire, leaving Craw dead and Hamilton captured. Although imprisoned, Hamilton succeeded in persuading the French to surrender. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor two months later, on January 23, 1943. Craw was also awarded the medal later in 1943 for his part in the mission.
Hamilton reached the rank of major general before leaving the military. He died at age 83 and was buried in Santa Barbara Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California.

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, 8 November 1942. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 3 August 1898, Tuxedo Park, N.Y. G.O. No.: 4, 23 January 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. On 8 November 1942, near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, Lt. Col. Hamilton volunteered to accompany Col. Demas Craw on a dangerous mission to the French commander, designed to bring about a cessation of hostilities. Driven away from the mouth of the Sebou River by heavy shelling from all sides, the landing boat was finally beached at Mehdia Plage despite continuous machinegun fire from 3 low-flying hostile planes. Driven in a light truck toward French headquarters, this courageous mission encountered intermittent firing, and as it neared Port Lyautey a heavy burst of machinegun fire was delivered upon the truck from pointblank range, killing Col. Craw instantly. Although captured immediately, after this incident, Lt. Col. Hamilton completed the mission.

Colonel Donald Gilbert Cook USMC 1934-1967



Donald Gilbert Cook was born in Brooklyn, New York, August 9, 1934, he was a career military officer and earned the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. He was reported missing in action on December 8, 1967 and was declared dead on February 26, 1980. He had been seriously wounded and reported dead while, in fact, he had been captured by the Viet Cong on December 31, 1964 while on a temporary 3-day assignment in Vietnam.



He subsequently died in a prisoner of war camp on December 8, 1967 and was buried in the jungle by his fellow prisoners. On February 26, 1980 he was officially declared dead and the Medal of Honor was presented to his wife by the Secretary of the Navy. He was a Captain when captured but continued to receive promotions while in captivity. He has a "In Memory Of" stone in Memorial Section MI of Arlington National Cemetery.

Colonel Donald Gilbert Cook, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam while held prisoner by the Viet Cong from December 1964 to December 1967, was born August 9, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Xavier High School in June 1952, then attended St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont, where he graduated in 1956.

Shortly after his December 1956 marriage to Miss Laurette A. Giroux at St. Anthony’s Church in Burlington, Vermont, Cook left Vermont for the Officers Candidate School at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, April 1, 1957.

He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant October 1, 1958 while stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. In 1960 he attended Army Language School in Monterey, California, studying Chinese and graduated near the top of his class. Lieutenant Cook was assigned to Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, in 1961 and was promoted to captain March 1, 1962.

In 1964 the Cook family returned to Vermont when Captain Cook was transferred to Okinawa. In December 1964, Cook was sent to Vietnam where he was captured by the Viet Cong on December 31, 1964 while serving as an advisor with a Vietnamese Marine battalion.

Colonel (then Captain) Cook was in the vicinity of Benh Gia, Phouc Tuy Province, Republic of Vietnam, while participating as a Marine advisor to the South Vietnamese, and went to the site of a helicopter crash with a South Vietnamese unit to check for survivors. When the Viet Cong surrounded the area, Cook was shot in the leg while attempting to assist members of his unit to safety, and was then captured. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty during his three years of captivity resulted in his posthumous award of the Medal of Honor.
Mrs. Laurette A. Cook, widow of Colonel Cook, received the Medal of Honor on behalf of her husband May 16, 1980 during ceremonies at the Hall of Heroes in the Pentagon. The Honorable Edward Hidalgo, Secretary of the Navy, presented the Medal to Mrs. Cook while Cook’s parents and four children looked on along with General Robert H. Barrow, Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Donald Cook was an advisor to the 4th Battalion, Vietnamese Marine
Corps operating in the Delta when they engaged the enemy on New Year's Eve,
1964. Cook was wounded in the leg during the battle and subsequently captured
by the Viet Cong. Cook was then 30 years old.
During his years of captivity in camps north of Saigon, Cook set an example
difficult to emulate by his fellow POWs. He jeopardized his own health and
well-being by sharing his already meager supply of food and scarce medicines
with other prisoners who were more ill than he. According to one released POW,
Cook was so hard-nosed that he "would have stopped shitting if he had thought
Charlie was using it for fertilizer." Cook became nearly legendary in his
refusal to betray the Military Code of Conduct.
Air Force Colonel Norman Gaddis, upon his return from captivity, described the
impossible task of adhering to the Code of Conduct. Gaddis said that he did not
know anyone who had refused to cooperate with their captives after having been
tortured to do so, and those who had refused were "not with us today."
Cook refused to cooperate with his captors in any way. On one occasion, a
pistol was put to his head as a threat to cooperate. Cook calmly recited the
nomenclature of the parts of the pistol. He would give them nothing.
According to the Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) list provided to
the U.S. in Paris in 1973, Donald Cook died of malaria in South Vietnam on
December 8, 1967 while being moved from one camp to another. The Vietnamese
provided this information to the U.S. in 1973, but have not yet "discovered"
the location of his remains. For his extraordinary actions during his
captivity, Donald Cook was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and has
been promoted to the rank of Colonel. Alive or dead, Donald Cook is still a
prisoner of war.

A list of Colonel Cook’s medals and decorations includes: the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart with one bronze star, the POW medal the Combat Action Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Aegis Guided Missile Destroyer Donald Cook (DDG 75) was commissioned in
December in Philadelphia.
Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, was the
ceremony's principal speaker. Laurette Cook, widow of the ship's namesake,
is the ship's sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition, Mrs. Cook gave
the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
The ship honors Col. Donald G. Cook, US Marine Corps (1934-1967), who was
posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for gallantry as a prisoner of war.
While assigned to the Communications Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd
Marine Division in Saigon, Republic of Vietnam, in Dec. 1964, Cook volunte
ered to conduct a search and recovery mission for a downed American
helicopter. Ambushed on arrival at the site, he was wounded in the leg and
captured.
Despite enduring deprivation, exposure, malnutrition and disease, Cook
committed himself to providing inspiration for his fellow prisoners to
endure and survive during his incarceration in a prison camp near the
Cambodian border. Resisting all
attempts to break his will, he never veered from the Code of Conduct. He
shared food, led daily exercises, provided first aid for injured prisoners
and distributed what meager quantities of medicine were available, often
surrendering his own rations and medicine to aid fellow prisoners whose
conditions were more serious than his own. Reports indicate Cook died in
captivity after he succumbed to malaria on Dec. 8, 1967.
Donald Cook is the 25th of 51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers currently
authorized by Congress. The destroyer carries Tomahawk cruise missiles, as
well as Standard missiles to intercept hostile aircraft and missiles at
extended ranges. Donald Cook is also equipped with the Phalanx Close-In
Weapons System and Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles, which are fired from
stand-alone launchers.
Donald Cook is crewed by 25 officers and 350 enlisted personnel. The ship
was built at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, is 505 feet in length, has a
waterline beam of 66 feet and displaces approximately 8,580 tons when fully
loaded. Four gas-turbine engines power the ship to speeds in excess of 30
knots.

Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while interned as a Prisoner of War by the Viet Cong in the Republic of Vietnam during the period 31 December 1964 to 8 December 1967. Despite the fact that by so doing he would bring about harsher treatment for himself, Colonel (then Captain) Cook established himself as the senior prisoner, even though in actuality he was not. Repeatedly assuming more than his share of harsh treatment, Colonel Cook willingly and unselfishly put the interests of his comrades before that of his own well-being and, eventually, his life. Giving more needy men his medicine and drug allowance while constantly nursing them, he risked infection from contagious diseases while in a rapidly deteriorating state of health. This unselfish and exemplary conduct, coupled with his refusal to stray even the slightest from the Code of Conduct, earned him the deepest respect from not only his fellow prisoners, but his captors as well. Rather than negotiate for his own release or better treatment, he steadfastly frustrated attempts by the Viet Cong to break his indomitable spirit, and passed this same resolve on to the men whose well-being he so closely associated himself. Knowing his refusals would prevent his release prior to the end of the war, and also knowing his chances for prolonged survival would be small in the event of continued refusal, he chose nevertheless to adhere to a Code of Conduct far above that which could be expected. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death reflected the highest credit upon Colonel Cook, the Marine Corps. and the United States Naval Service.

LTJG John Kelvin Koelsch 1923 – 1951



John Kelvin Koelsch (December 22, 1923 – October 16, 1951) was a United States Navy officer and a recipient of America's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in the Korean War. He was the first helicopter pilot to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
John Kelvin Koelsch joined the U.S. Naval Reserve as an Aviation Cadet on September 14, 1942 and was commissioned as an Ensign on October 23, 1944 after completing flight training. During the next few years, he served at Naval Air Stations at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Norfolk, Virginia, and subsequently flew with Composite Squadron 15 and Torpedo Squadrons 97 and 18. Promoted to Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on August 1, 1946, he became an accomplished torpedo bomber pilot. After the outbreak of Communist aggression in Korea, he joined Helicopter Squadron 1 (HU-1) at Miramar, California, in August 1950. As Officer in Charge of a helicopter detachment, he joined USS Princeton (CV-37) in October for pilot rescue duty off the eastern coast of Korea. He served in Princeton until June 1951 when he joined Helicopter Squadron 2 (HU-2) for pilot rescue duty out of Wonsan, Korea, then under naval blockade. He provided lifeguard duty for pilots who were downed either in coastal waters or over enemy-held territory. On June 22, he rescued a Naval aviator from the waters of Wonsan Harbor, southeast of Yo Do Island.
Late in the afternoon of July 3, 1951, Lt(jg) Koelsch responded to a distress call from a Marine aviator, Capt. James V. Wilkins, whose Corsair had been hit by enemy fire during an armed reconnaissance mission about 35 miles southwest of Wonsan. Capt. Wilkins parachuted from his burning plane at low altitude; and, though severely burned about the legs, he survived. Despite approaching darkness, worsening weather, and enemy ground fire, Lt. Koelsch located the downed aviator in the Anbyon Valley and began his pickup. Thick fog prevented the air cover from protecting the unarmed HO3S helicopter, and intense enemy fire downed the craft as the Lieutenant's crewman, George M. Neal, AM3, hoisted the injured pilot toward the helicopter. All three men survived the crash; and, after hiding in the mountains from enemy patrols for 3 days, they began a slow march to the coast. After 6 more days, they reached a coastal village where they were captured the following day while hiding in a hut. During his captivity, though beaten and abused, Koelsch refused to aid his captors or submit to interrogation. His fortitude and personal bravery inspired his fellow prisoners. John Koelsch died of malnutrition and dysentery on October 16, 1951, while a prisoner of war. On August 3, 1955, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) John Kelvin Koelsch was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. His grave can be found in section 30, grave 1123-RH, Map Grid V/U 36.5.
Medal of Honor citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with a Navy helicopter rescue unit in North Korea on 3 July 1951. Although darkness was rapidly approaching when information was received that a Marine aviator had been shot down and was trapped by the enemy in mountainous terrain deep in hostile territory, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Koelsch voluntarily flew a helicopter to the reported position of the downed airman in an attempt to effect a rescue. With an almost solid overcast concealing everything below the mountain peaks, he descended in his unarmed and vulnerable aircraft without the accompanying fighter escort to an extremely low altitude beneath the cloud level and began a systematic search. Despite the increasingly intense enemy fire, which struck his helicopter on one occasion, he persisted in his mission until he succeeded in locating the downed pilot, who was suffering from serious burns on the arms and legs. While the victim was being hoisted into the aircraft, it was struck again by an accurate burst of hostile fire and crashed on the side of the mountain. Quickly extricating his crewmen and the aviator from the wreckage, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Koelsch led them from the vicinity in an effort to escape from hostile troops, evading the enemy forces for 9 days and rendering such medical attention as possible to his severely burned companion until all were captured. Up to the time of his death while still a captive of the enemy, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Koelsch steadfastly refused to aid his captors in any manner and served to inspire his fellow prisoners by his fortitude and consideration for others. His great personal valor and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice throughout sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the United States naval service.

Sergeant William D. Port 1941 – 1968



William D. Port (October 13, or October 31, 1941 – November 27, 1968) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.
Port joined the Army from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and by January 12, 1968 was serving as a private first class in Company C, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Division. During a firefight on that day, in the Que Son Valley, Quang Tin Province [2], Republic of Vietnam, rescued a wounded comrade and then smothered the blast of an enemy-thrown grenade with his body to protect other soldiers. Port survived the blast, but was seriously wounded and captured by the enemy. He died while a prisoner of war ten months later. Port was promoted to Sergeant and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.
Port, aged 27 at his death, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia. In Huntingdon, Pennsylvania there is a bridge across the Juniata River named after William Port. A plaque describes his heroism.

Quote from: Steve Loving "Bill was drafted at a much older age than most of us kids - we were mostly 18 or 19 and even the officers were in their early 20's. Bill was in his late 20's. While most of us always seemed to have something to gripe about, I can never recall Bill saying anything negative. He was a quiet, private guy and he led his life that way—with quiet dignity. That dreadful day in January is a day that our platoon will never forget, and many of us are able to celebrate life because of Bill's sacrifice. He will never be forgotten by any of us who served with him."

Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Company C, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division. Place and date: Que Son Valley, Heip Duc Province, Republic of Vietnam, January 12, 1968. Entered service at: Harrisburg, Pa. Born: October 13, 1941, Petersburg, Pa.
Most people don't realize it, but he was left for dead on the battlefield, and taken prisoner by North Vietnamese and kept in a junglee POW camp run by the Viet Cong. Port died from starvation and non-treatment of his wounds by his Vietnamese captors.
I did not know William Port personally, only through my POW research on T15 camp where he died, and email correspondence with POWs Frank Anton and Dr. Hal Kushner, who were with Bill until he died.
I have the MOH paperwork and supporting eyewitness statements from Port's fellow soldiers to use as a basis for for starting research for an article in Vietnam magazine. I am looking to hear from anyone who knew Bill from childhood and Army service, especially the men who were involved in the MOH incident.


Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Port distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman with Company C, which was conducting combat operations against an enemy force in the Que Son Valley. As Sgt. Port's platoon was moving to cut off a reported movement of enemy soldiers, the platoon came under heavy fire from an entrenched enemy force. The platoon was forced to withdraw due to the intensity and ferocity of the fire. Although wounded in the hand as the withdrawal began, Sgt. Port, with complete disregard for his safety, ran through the heavy fire to assist a wounded comrade back to the safety of the platoon perimeter. As the enemy forces assaulted in the perimeter, Sgt. Port and 3 comrades were in position behind an embankment when an enemy grenade landed in their midst. Sgt. Port, realizing the danger to his fellow soldiers, shouted the warning, "Grenade," and unhesitatingly hurled himself towards the grenade to shield his comrades from the explosion. Through his exemplary courage and devotion he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers and gave the members of his platoon the inspiration needed to hold their position. Sgt. Port's selfless concern for his comrades, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest tradition of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

Captain Harl Pease Jr. 1917-1942



Captain Harl Pease, Jr., (April 10, 1917-October 8, 1942) was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during World War II. He is the namesake for Pease Air Force Base.

Captain Harl Pease, born and raised in Plymouth, New Hampshire, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939 after graduating from the University of New Hampshire the same year with a degree in Business Administration and becoming a brother of Theta Chi Fraternity.

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant a year later and awarded pilot rating upon completion of flight training at Kelly Field, Texas. He was immediately called to active duty and participated in B-17 bombing missions in the Pacific Theater.
It was during one of these missions, on August 6, 1942, that one engine of Captain Pease's B-17 failed, and he was forced to return to his base in Australia. His unit, the 19th Bomb Group, was scheduled to deploy to Papua, New Guinea, to support a maximum effort mission on August 7. It would require all available aircraft. Captain Pease and his crew, with their aircraft out of commission, were not scheduled for the mission.

Determined not to "miss the big show", the crew voluntarily selected and worked over one of several unserviceable B-17s at the base. They rejoined the 19th at Port Moresby, Papua, New Guinea at 1 a.m. after having flown almost continuously since early the preceding morning.

With only three hours rest, Captain Pease took off with the group to bomb targets at Rabaul, New Britain. Forty to fifty miles from the target, the group was attacked by more than 30 Japanese fighters. Captain Pease and his crew shot down several of the enemy, fought their way to the target, and bombed successfully.
After leaving the target, Captain Pease’s crippled B-17 fell behind the rest of the formation. Once again attacked by more than 30 Japanese fighters, he was seen to drop a bomb bay gasoline tank which was aflame, and it is believed that he and his crew were subsequently shot down in flames. However, as his aircraft lost altitude, Pease and another crew member bailed out. They were both captured and taken to a POW camp in Rabaul. He languished there until October 8, 1942. On that date, Pease, along with three other Americans and two Australians, were forced to dig their own grave and they were beheaded.

On December 2, 1942, the Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously to Captain Pease for his heroism in combat, was presented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the hero’s parents. His actions represent the true spirit of New Hampshire’s patriots.
The beheaded men were buried by local missionaries. It was not until 1946 that their bodies were recovered for a full military burial.

Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on 6–7 August 1942. When 1 engine of the bombardment airplane of which he was pilot failed during a bombing mission over New Guinea, Capt. Pease was forced to return to a base in Australia. Knowing that all available airplanes of his group were to participate the next day in an attack on an enemy-held airdrome near Rabaul, New Britain, although he was not scheduled to take part in this mission, Capt. Pease selected the most serviceable airplane at this base and prepared it for combat, knowing that it had been found and declared unserviceable for combat missions. With the members of his combat crew, who volunteered to accompany him, he rejoined his squadron at Port Moresby, New Guinea, at 1 a.m. on 7 August, after having flown almost continuously since early the preceding morning. With only 3 hours' rest, he took off with his squadron for the attack. Throughout the long flight to Rabaul, New Britain, he managed by skillful flying of his unserviceable airplane to maintain his position in the group. When the formation was intercepted by about 30 enemy fighter airplanes before reaching the target, Capt. Pease, on the wing which bore the brunt of the hostile attack, by gallant action and the accurate shooting by his crew, succeeded in destroying several Zeros before dropping his bombs on the hostile base as planned, this in spite of continuous enemy attacks. The fight with the enemy pursuit lasted 25 minutes until the group dived into cloud cover. After leaving the target, Capt. Pease's aircraft fell behind the balance of the group due to unknown difficulties as a result of the combat, and was unable to reach this cover before the enemy pursuit succeeded in igniting 1 of his bomb bay tanks. He was seen to drop the flaming tank. It is believed that Capt. Pease's airplane and crew were subsequently shot down in flames, as they did not return to their base. In voluntarily performing this mission Capt. Pease contributed materially to the success of the group, and displayed high devotion to duty, valor, and complete contempt for personal danger. His undaunted bravery has been a great inspiration to the officers and men of his unit.

Colonel Leo K Thorsness 1932 -



Leo K. Thorsness (born February 14, 1932) is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the medal for an air engagement on April 19, 1967. He was shot down two weeks later and spent six years in captivity in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war. After his military service, Thorsness served one term in the Washington State Senate.

Thorsness was born in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, where he earned the Eagle Scout award from the Boy Scouts of America. He is one of only seven known Eagle Scouts who also received the Medal of Honor. The others are Aquilla J. Dyess and Mitchell Paige of the U.S. Marine Corps, Robert Edward Femoyer and Jay Zeamer, Jr. of the U.S. Army Air Forces, Benjamin L. Salomon of the United States Army, and Eugene B. Fluckey of the United States Navy.

He enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 19 because his brother was then serving in Korea. Through the Aviation Cadet program, Class 54-G, he received his commission and his wings with a rating of pilot. He earned a Bachelors degree from the University of Omaha, and a Masters in systems management from the University of Southern California. Thorsness completed training as a fighter pilot and flew both F-84 and F-100 jets before transitioning to the F-105 Thunderchief.

In the autumn of 1966, after completing "Wild Weasel" training, he was assigned to the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, flying as aircraft commander in F-105F's, tasked with locating and destroying North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites.

On April 19, 1967, Major Thorsness and his Electronic Warfare Officer, Capt. Harold E. Johnson, flying F-105F 63-8301, led Kingfish flight (three F-105F Weasel aircraft and an F-105D single-seater) on a Wild Weasel SAM suppression mission.[2] The strike force target was JCS target 22.00, the Xuan Mai army training compound, near heavily defended Hanoi.[3] Thorsness directed Kingfish 03 and 04, the second element of F-105s, to troll north while he and his wingman maneuvered south, forcing defending gunners to divide their attention. Thorsness located two SAM sites and fired a Shrike missile to attack one, whose radar went off the air. He destroyed the second with cluster bombs, scoring a direct hit.

The F-105F 63-8301 flown by Maj. Thorsness and Capt. Johnson on 19 April 1967.After this initial success, matters turned for the worse. Kingfish 02, crewed by Majors Thomas M. Madison and Thomas J. Sterling, flying aircraft F-105F 63-8341, was hit by anti-aircraft fire and both crewmen had to eject. Unknown to Thorsness, Kingfish 03 and 04 had been attacked by MiG-17s flying a low-altitude wagon wheel defensive formation. The afterburner of one of the F-105s wouldn't light and the element had disengaged and returned to base, leaving Kingfish 01 to fight solo.

As their F-105 circled the parachutes of Kingfish 02-alpha and 02-bravo, relaying the position to Crown, the airborne search and rescue command HC-130, Johnson spotted a MiG-17 off their left wing. 8301, though not designed for air-to-air combat, responded well as Thorsness attacked the MIG and destroyed it with 20-mm cannon fire, just as a second MiG closed on his tail. Low on fuel, Thorsness outran his pursuers and left the battle area to rendezvous with a KC-135 tanker over Laos.

Thorsness described the incident: It appeared the MiG was going after the chutes so I took off after him. I was a little high, dropped down to about 1000 feet, and headed north after him. We were doing about 550 knots and really catching up fast. At about 3000 feet (range) I fired a burst but missed. I lined him up again and was closing very fast. I was a bit below him now. At 700 feet or so I pull my trigger and pulled the pipper through him. Parts of his left started coming off. Suddenly I realized that Harry Johnson was frantically trying to get my attention. There were a couple of MiGs on our tail! If I had hit that MiG dead on, we probably would have swallowed some of his debris. But we got him! I lit the burner, dropped down as low as possible, and ducked into the hills west of Hanoi. The MiGs could not keep up with us.

As this occurred, the initial element of the rescue force—a pair of A-1E "Sandies"—arrived to locate the position of the downed crewmen before calling in the waiting HH-53 Jolly Green helicopters orbiting at a holding point over Laos. Thorsness, with only 500 rounds of ammunition left, turned back from the tanker to fly RESCAP (rescue combat air patrol) for the Sandies and update them on the situation and terrain. As Thorsness approached the area, briefing the Sandies, he spotted MiG-17s in a wagon wheel orbit around him and attacked, probably destroying another that flew across his path.

He commented: One of the MiGs flew right into my gunsight at about 2000 feet (range). I pulled the trigger and saw pieces start falling off the aircraft. They hadn't seen us, but they did now! Johnson shouted at me that we had four more MiGs on our tail and they were closing fast. I dropped down on the deck, sometimes as low as fifty feet, hit the burner, and twisted through the hills and valleys trying to lose them.

Pairs of MiGs attacked each propeller-driven Sandy as it came out of its turn in search orbit, shooting down the leader (Maj. John S. Hamilton in A-1E 52-133905) with cannon fire when he failed to heed warnings from Sandy 02 to break into the attack, and forced the wingman into a series of repeated evasive turns. Sandy 02 reported the situation and Thorsness advised him to keep turning and announced his return.

Although all of his ammunition had been depleted, Thorsness reversed and flew back to the scene, hoping in some way to draw the MiGs away from the surviving A-1. However as he re-engaged, Panda flight from the 355th TFW strike force arrived back in the area.[8] It had dropped its ordnance on the target and was enroute to its post-strike aerial refueling when Kingfish 02 went down. Panda had jettisoned its wing tanks, making the rescue radar controller reluctant to use it to CAP the rescue effort, but it filled its internal tanks and returned to North Vietnam at high altitude to conserve fuel.

Panda's four F-105s burst through the defensive circle at high speed, then engaged the MiGs in a turning dogfight, permitting Kingfish 01 to depart the area after a 50-minute engagement against SAMs, antiaircraft guns, and MiGs. Panda 01 (Capt. William E. Eskew) shot down a MiG, during which the surviving Sandy escaped, and he and his wingman Panda 02 (Capt. Paul A. Seymour) each damaged one of the others. Two other MiGs were shot down by members of a third F-105 strike flight, Nitro 01 (Major Jack W. Hunt) and Nitro 03 (Major Theodore G. "Ted" Tolman), in another of the 17 MiG engagements on this mission.

Again low on fuel and facing nightfall, Thorsness was headed towards a tanker when Panda 03 (Capt. Howard L. Bodenhammer), an F-105 of the flight that had rescued Sandy 02, transmitted by radio that he was lost and critically low on fuel. Thorsness quickly calculated that Kingfish 01 had sufficient fuel to fly to Udorn, near the Mekong River and 200 miles closer, so he vectored the tanker toward Panda 03. When within 60 miles of Udorn, he throttled back to idle and "glided" toward the base, touching down "long" (mid-runway) as his fuel totalizer indicated empty tanks.

The mission was recreated by The History Channel as part of Episode 12 ("Long Odds") of its series Dogfights, and first telecast on January 19, 2007.

On April 30, 1967, on his 93rd mission (seven shy of completing his tour), Thorsness was shot down by a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 over North Vietnam while flying aircraft F-105F 62-4447. He had flown the morning mission to the Hanoi area as Wild Weasel leader, then assigned himself as a spare aircraft for the afternoon mission because of a shortage of crews. One of Carbine flight aborted with radio problems, and Thorsness filled in as Carbine 03, leading the second element.

While still inbound over northwest North Vietnam, communications were disrupted when an ejection seat emergency beeper went off aboard one of the F-105s. Despite being observed by early warning radar locations, two MiG-21s approached Carbine flight from behind and unseen. Just as Thorsness got an instrument indication that the flight was being painted by airborne radar, he saw an F-105 going down in flames that eventually was identified as his own wingman, Carbine 04 (1LT Robert Abbott, in F105D 59-1726), shot down by an Atoll missile. Within a minute, his own aircraft was also hit with a heat-seeking missile fired by the MiGs.

He and his backseater, Capt. Harold Johnson, ejected. Separated by a ridge, they were the object of a three-hour rescue effort involving the entire strike force as a covering force. Two F-105D aircraft were directed by Crown to provide RESCAP (as Tomahawk flight) until the search and rescue (SAR) forces could arrive on station. Both aircraft were hit by Atoll missiles from MiG 21s, with F-105D 61-0130, piloted by Capt. Joe Abbott being shot down, and wingman Maj. Al Lenski limping back to Thailand. In addition, one of the A-1 "Sandy" aircraft was hit while one of the rescue Jolly Greens developed hydraulic problems and had to abort, thus ending the SAR mission. Poor communications, heavy MiG engagements and standard operating procedures which did not allow only one SAR helicopter to remain on station,[12] made the effort futile and all the men were captured. SAR forces were again launched the next day but none of the downed airmen were located. The mission is described in great detail, including verbatim transcripts of radio transmissions, in both Thud Ridge and Thud, written by Col. Broughton, member of Waco flight and another of the RESCAP crews involved in the incident.

His uncooperativeness towards his captors earned him a year in solitary confinement and severe back injuries due to torture. The Medal of Honor was awarded by the United States Congress during his captivity, but not announced until his release in 1973 to prevent the Vietnamese from using it against Thorsness, as was the Air Force Cross awarded to Capt. Johnson for the same mission. Capt. Abbott was released from captivity on February 18, 1973, while Thorsness, Johnson, and 1LT Abbott were released on March 4, 1973. Injuries incurred during the ejection and aggravated by the torture Thorsness was subjected to disqualified him medically from further flying and he retired on October 25, 1973.


Valor Magazine
April, 1985
Wild, Wild Weasel
by John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor

Leo Thorsness fought most of North Vietnam in one of the epic solo battles of the SEA war.

The Wild Weasel crews, flying two-seat F-105Gs, took on the most dangerous and demanding mission of the air war in Southeast Asia. Their job was to precede a strike force into the target area, entice enemy surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft radars to come on the air, and knock them out with bombs or with missiles that homed on the radar's emissions. Often they were in a high-threat area for half an hour while the strike force attacked its targets and withdrew. The business of offering themselves as targets for enemy gunners was made even more hazardous by the presence of MiG fighters. Only the top pilots were selected to fly F-105Gs.

Head Weasel of the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Takhli Air Base in Thailand was Maj. Leo Thorsness. On April 19, 1967, he and his backseater, Capt. Harold Johnson, fought one of the epic solo battles of the war in a wild 50-minute duel with SAMS, AAA, and MiGs.

The target that day was an army compound near Hanoi, the most heavily defended area in the history of aerial warfare. Thorsness, leading a flight of four Weasels, heard the rattling in his headset that signaled enemy radars coming on long before they reached the target. Directing two of his F-105s to the north, Thorsness and his wing man stayed south, forcing enemy gunners to divide their attention. Johnson's scope in the back seat showed many SAMs in the area. Thorsness fired a Shrike missile at one of the sites, and moments later its radar went off the air. He then silenced another with a direct bomb hit.

Things quickly began to go sour. First, Thorsness's wingman, Tom Madison, was hit by flak. Both he and his backseater, Tom Sterling, ejected. Thorsness flew toward their chutes, somehow finding time to fire at another SAM site along the way. Then the two Weasels he had sent north were attacked by MiGs. The afterburner of one F-105 wouldn't light; the element was forced to return to Takhli, leaving Thorsness alone in a hornet's nest of SAMS, AAA, and MiGs.

As Thorsness circled the two chutes, Johnson spotted a MiG off their left wing. The big F-105, designed for delivering nuclear weapons at low altitude, was never intended for air-to-air combat. But never mind that. Thorsness attacked the MiG, destroying it with 20-mm cannon fire as another MiG closed on his tail. Low on fuel, he broke off and rendezvoused with a tanker.

In the meantime, two prop-driven A-1E Sandys and a rescue helicopter had arrived to look for Madison and Sterling. Thorsness, with only 500 rounds of ammunition left, turned back from the tanker to fly cover for the rescue force, knowing there were at least five MiGs in the area. Using the last of his ammunition, he hit and probably destroyed one of them. Then, in a wild supersonic dash at 50 feet, he shook off four more MiGs that had come up fast behind him.

Once more, Thorsness started for the rescue scene, where MiGs had downed one Sandy. Out of ammunition, he hoped at least to draw the MiGs away from the remaining Sandy in what might well have been a suicidal maneuver. In the nick of time, an element of the strike force, which had been delayed, arrived and hit the enemy fighters.

It wasn't over yet. Again low on fuel, Thorsness headed for a tanker just as one of the strike force pilots, lost and almost out of fuel, called him for help. Thorsness knew he couldn't make Takhli without refueling. Rapidly calculating that he could stretch it to Udorn, some 200 miles closer, without taking on fuel, he directed the tanker toward the lost pilot. Once across the Mekong, he throttled back to idle and "glided" toward Udorn, touching down as his tanks went dry. That four-hour mission had been, as Johnson said, "a full day's work."

Eleven days later, while Thorsness was on his 93rd mission, a MiG popped up from behind a mountain and put a missile up the tailpipe of his F-105. He and Johnson ejected at 600 knots, Thorsness suffering severe injuries. Both men spent almost the next six years in North Vietnam's prisons. Because of his "uncooperative attitude," Thorsness was denied medical attention, spent a year in solitary, and suffered severe back injuries under torture. On March 4, 1973, both men walked away from prison, Thorsness on crutches. No one could ever say that Leo Thorsness hadn't paid his dues in full.

On Oct. 15, 1973, President Nixon presented the Medal of Honor to Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness for extraordinary heroism on that April day in 1967. Maj. Harold Johnson was later awarded the Air Force Cross. No longer able to fly fighters because of his back injuries, Leo Thorsness retired as a colonel. He is now Director of Civic Affairs for Litton Industries.

Honoring the American Flag


From a speech by Leo K. Thorsness, recipient of The Congressional Medal of Honor.


You've probably seen the bumper sticker somewhere along the road. It depicts an American Flag, accompanied by the words "These colors don't run."

I'm always glad to see this, because it reminds me of an incident from my confinement in North Vietnam at the Hao Lo POW Camp or the "Hanoi Hilton," as it became known. Then a Major in the U.S. Air Force, I had been captured and imprisoned from 1967-1973. Our treatment had been frequently brutal.

After three years, however, the beatings and torture became less frequent. During the last year, we were allowed outside most days for a couple of minutes to bathe. We showered by drawing water from a concrete tank with a homemade bucket.

One day as we all stood by the tank, stripped of our clothes, a young Naval pilot named Mike Christian found the remnants of a handkerchief in a gutter that ran under the prison wall. Mike managed to sneak the grimy rag into our cell and began fashioning it into a flag. Over time, we all loaned him a little soap, and he spent days cleaning the material. We helped by scrounging and stealing bits and pieces of anything he could use.

At night, under his mosquito net, Mike worked on the flag. He made red and blue from ground-up roof tiles and tiny amounts of ink and painted the colors onto the cloth with watery rice glue. Using thread from his own blanket and a homemade bamboo needle, he sewed on the stars.

Early in the morning a few days later, when the guards were not alert, he whispered loudly from the back of our cell, "Hey gang, look here."

He proudly held up this tattered piece of cloth, waving it as if in a breeze. If you used your imagination, you could tell it was supposed to be an American flag. When he raised that smudgy fabric, we automatically stood straight and saluted, our chests puffing out, and more than a few eyes had tears.

About once a week, the guards would strip us, run us outside, and go through our clothing. During one of those shakedowns, they found Mike's flag. We all knew what would happen. That night they came for him. Night interrogations were always the worst.

They opened the cell door and pulled Mike out. We could hear the beginning of the torture before they even had him in the torture cell. They beat him most of the night.

About daylight, they pushed what was left of him back through the cell door. He was badly broken; even his voice was gone.

Within two weeks, despite the danger, Mike scrounged another piece of cloth and began another flag. The Stars and Stripes, our national symbol, was worth the sacrifice to him.

Now whenever I see the flag, I think of Mike and the morning he first waved that tattered emblem of a nation. It was then, thousands of miles from home, in a lonely prison cell, he showed us what it is to be truly free.


Medal of Honor
Silver Star (plus oak leaf cluster)
Distinguished Flying Cross (with five oak leaf clusters)
Purple Heart (with oak leaf cluster)
Air Medal (with 15 oak leaf clusters)
Prisoner of War Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award (with four oak leaf clusters)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Medal
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal


Medal of Honor Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F-105 aircraft, Lt. Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wing man attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles, and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In the attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wing man was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the 2 crew members abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crew members in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon being advised that 2 helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's position and that there were hostile MlGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted 4 MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MlGs, damaging 1 and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely. Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self_sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.