Valor
Valor Friday
Having been to the USS Midway Museum, I’ve seen the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog landed on her deck by South Vietnamese Air Force Major Buang-Ly. Major Buang stole the plane, loaded his wife and five children into the nominally 4-seat observation airplane, and flew out to sea. He did so because it was April 1975 […]
Valor Friday
I’ve talked several times about multi-war veterans. Some of those have earned valor awards for gallantry in action in service spanning several decades. Pascal Poolaw was one such man. You’ll recall he earned four Silver Stars and three Purple Hearts. He did so across three different wars, earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart in […]
Valor Friday
I already had this week’s post locked and loaded when the death of Chuck Mawhinney was publicized last night. Instead, let’s take a brief look at him. He died just a few months after the Marine Corps shuttered the Scout Sniper School. I can’t help but feel that’s symbolic. From Military.com; It wasn’t until 1991 […]
Valor Friday
In any air force, in any war, there is always a special cadre of “aces.” An ace is a pilot (almost always a fighter pilot) who has scored at least five kills, that is to say a pilot that’s shot down five enemy aircraft. Within the category of aces, there are several sub-categories. During World […]
Valor Friday
During the Vietnam War, 235 men earned Medals of Honor. Since the end of that conflict, a further 33 have been awarded. In any such list, there’s always got to be a “first.” Roger Donlon was the first man to receive the Medal of Honor during Vietnam. Though Army Captain Humbert “Rocky” Versace, in 2008, […]
Valor Friday
I was recently reading an article about the much admired A-1 Skyraider. The single-engine light bomber and attack aircraft was designed and first flown during World War II. Coming too late to see service during that war, the aircraft is emblematic of the rapid advancements made in aviation during the period. A Skyraider is capable […]
Valor Friday
It’s been a long time since I talked about Doris Miller, a mess steward who rose to fame and everlasting glory as a hero of the day on 7 Dec 1941. Miller, untrained in the operation of an anti-aircraft gun, took the weapon and fired at the Japanese during their surprise attack on his ship […]
Valor Friday
Brendan O’Connor’s military service is a tad unorthodox. He started as an officer, but became an enlisted man. Reminds me a bit of Michael Novosel. Born in 1960, he came from a line of military men. His father was Mortimer O’Connor, a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point in, Class of 1953. […]
Recent Comments