Major Chuck Kettle’s Medal of Honor
We’ve been writing about Chuck Kettle’s Medal of Honor since last year. Today it happened that his Distinguished Service Cross was moved up a notch in the White House. TSO is there taking pictures for us and I’ve already informed the Secret Service of the danger that comes with him. I’ll update this post as I get more pictures, but here’s the first one;
Here is the citation for his DSC, which I imagine, won’t change much;
Major (Field Artillery) Charles S. Kettles (ASN: 0-1938018), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with 176th Aviation Company (Airmobile) (Light), 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, Americal Division. Major Kettles distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 15 May 1967 while serving as aircraft commander of a helicopter supporting infantry operations near Duc Pho. An airborne Infantry unit had come under heavy enemy attack and had suffered casualties. Major Kettles immediately volunteered to carry reinforcements to the embattled force and evacuate their wounded from the battle site. Although friendly artillery had pounded the hostile positions, the enemy was well entrenched and fighting fiercely. Major Kettles led a flight of helicopters into the landing zone through a savage barrage. Small arms and automatic weapons fire raked the landing zone and inflicted heavy damage to the ships, but Major Kettles refused to leave the ground until all the craft were loaded to capacity. He then led them out of the battle area. He later returned to the battlefield with more reinforcements and landed in the midst of a rain of mortar and automatic weapons fire which wounded his gunner and ruptured his fuel tank. After leading more wounded aboard, he nursed the crippled craft back to his base. He then secured another ship and led a flight of six helicopters to extract the Infantry unit. All but eight men had been loaded when Major Kettles directed the flight to take off. Completely disregarding his safety, he maneuvered his lone craft through a savage enemy fusillade to where the remainder of the Infantrymen waited. Mortar fire blasted out his windshield, but he remained on the ground until the men were aboard. The enemy concentrated massive firepower on his helicopter and another mortar round badly damaged his tail boom, but he once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged ship to safety.
Category: Real Soldiers
Physics would tell you that the weight ratio of the aircraft vs. Maj Kettle’s massive testicles would not allow the aircraft to generate enough lift to fly, however, due to the enormous mass of the Major’s hairy space hoppers, they were able to generate their OWN anti gravitational force that allowed the Major to complete these unbelievable, practically paranormal, feats.
The End.
you win.
And it took those IDIOTS, this long to give him the M.O.H.????
Pretty much covers it. Sometimes you CAN change the laws of physics. Or at least bend them some. Do you see this man, you fakes and posers? This is what real valor looks like.
This American Hero told the laws of physics to get fucked and hoisted his shattered Huey into the air by sheer badass will alone. Who knew that collective stick in his left hand would support the weight of the who aircraft?
I am not worthy to stand on the same planet as this man.
Note: the above described acts of flight apply only to the legitimately ballsy. All others should use an engine to achieve (or maintain) flight. Only super ballsy helicopter pilots will achieve flight via their own “anti gravitational force”. Engines, on the other hand, will require fuel.
We now return you to actual feats of spectacular heroism performed by real military heroes and not delusional fakes who had to stoop to photoshopping the medals of others to appear heroic.
And don’t forget to put fuel in your aircraft.
Shows what I don’t know about science. I had just assumed his gigantic stones simply hung out of the aircraft and dragged along the ground, cutting large swaths thru jungle and enemy alike.
Salute!
Holy crap. That is seriously ballsy.
Bravo Zulu, sir!
This is one reason in particular that I detest phonies who pretend to be Army Aviators who flew in Vietnam. Many Vietnam Army Aviators were heroic beyond understanding.
Michael J. Novosel. Brue P. Cranston and Ed J. Freeman. Today, Chuck Kettle. Plus many others.
Also, while growing up I knew two Army Aviators personally who flew in Vietnam. Both of them were damn fine men, if not MoH heroic. Yeah – it kinda bothers me when someone falsely claims to be one of that group.
So to all of you phonies out there who are falsely claiming to be Army Aviators with Vietnam service: you are cordially invited to go fornicate yourselves. Preferably with about an 18″ section of fresh ocotillo stalk.
How, pray tell, did he make it through several layers of security/ metal detectors to be there with those huge brass balls??
o7
I’m thinking they’re solid granite. Granite doesn’t set off metal detectors. (smile)
The man clanks when he walks…..total weapons grade BAMF.
BZ sir!
Sign of the Cross to you Major.
Hold a hover on a hot LZ while every weapon is pointed at your huge magnet with you in a front row seat for all to see. I’ve seen them do it but I never understood how.
Salute!!
As an aside, TSO’s being present at the White House ceremony has to be cranking Bernasty’s tractor.
That alone makes my day a little brighter.
Ain’t that the truth. I suppose that the e-mails are flying off his phone/laptop, whatever he uses to communicate his idiocy with. Oh, and the back and forth calls to “wIlLiE tHe WiNo” up in Orange City.
Bwwwahahahaha
THAT has got to be driving the both of them more batshit crazy than they already are!!!
Come to think of it, both Jonn AND TSO have been to The White House while Those two Dutch Rudder Boys can’t even get arrested!
After getting out of the shit storm with his ass intact initially, a reasonably cautious man might find that he might not go two for two, let alone more. Kettles must have told Caution to go screw itself and went in again, and again, and again. Major Balls.
Pretty sure his guardian angel said “screw this, I’m outtahere”
That’s funny.
More like when he was told he was violating The Laws of Physics he just said “SCREW THAT, write up the damned ticket, I’m getting my mission accomplished!”.
He is indeed a Brass-Balled WARRIOR.
CLANK! CLANK!
Aye, brass balls clankage!
Clankage? That’s a keeper.
Not licensed, open sourced … free to use!
I know that MOH recipients get a monthly stipend. I sure hope they backdate it to the day of the event.
I would not mind flying with this pilot… EVER.
I am humbled by men and women such as this.
As an aside, do any know if the Medal of Honor recipient has a say as to who presents this Sacred Award? I’m thinking this real man, Major Kettle, a Man of Steel, would prefer a real man present the award. I would like to know. Anyone know?
No, the beat one could do is render himself unavailable to receive it from the President or his designee. But that’s just not done. It isn’t polite.
Asshole is the duly elected Pres (and that is the REAL problem…he was elected. Twice.) We in Service uphold and defend the process that put Asshole there. I would look at it as the President of the USA presented the award.
Agree.
While the person who currently resides in the office of President of the USA may not be my favorite, he does represent us in these functions.
He might should of said “On behalf of the great people of the United States of America (who I am unworthy of representing) I present this MoH to you, (who have more manhood in your little toe than I do in my whole body)…”
The important part is that a hero has been recognized and honored.
Thanks to both …
You read about this stuff and you wonder where do we get such men?
I guess we grow them right here in the Good Ol’ USA…
I’m with UPI reporter Joe Galloway when he says that every generation has its finest and greatest.
Well, this man would fit in perfectly in that description as one of America’s Greatest Generation.
“They fought like tigers”…
Yes, I do believe that they did…
And not one of these heroic men or women was recruited from the chow line in boot camp and sent to secret squirrel school to perfect their awesome powers. They worked endlessly and when a hero was needed, they stepped up.
Just one more reason I despise stolen valor ‘secret squirrel/my records are sealed’ turds, many of whom were canned in boot camp. They can’t live with the thought they are non-hackers so they invent a new, improved military life. F#&* them.
(three thumbs up, with two hands)
My hat is off to you Good Sir, I wish my Stolen Valor asswipe brother would read this article, but since he would not have the balls to do that, I may just have to send him this link! You Sir are a Real Hero!
Wonder if the crew got valorous awards? The Major was aircraft commander and deserves the MOH but the crew was on board too. The door gunners must have melted some barrels.
It’s a good point and a fair question. The citation states that he made several trips, so it is possible that he had different crew members for different missions and that awards for the crew might depend on what missions (or how many) they were a part of.
It looks like MAJ Kettle was also in Korea, I wonder if he was a helicopter pilot then as well.
Doc, he did swap out crew members and birds. His first crew chief had a leg blown off and received a DFC.
I believe he was a fixed wing Birddog pilot who transitioned to rotor wing Hueys.
P.S. That Crew Chief and one of the Door Gunners was at the ceremony yesterday.
Oops, I was wrong. It was the Door Gunner on the first go-around that was wounded in the leg, not the Crew Chief.
My bad.
Thanks for the reply and info Claw. I was actually wondering if any of those who flew with him or that he rescued were there yesterday-I really appreciate the feedback.
I do believe the Aerospace industry needs to find a way to replicate the materiel this man’s balls are made of.
If they do the craft they make will defy all laws of gravity and physics. We will colonize Mars with a few of these ships, and any hostile aliens would simply implode at he site of it.
What strikes me, because I think along wierd tangents, after reading about Maj.Kettle’s mission,
He pulled over 40 guys out of there, most of them young kids in their late teens and early 20’s.
How many of them went on to have kids, and grandkids, and probably now a few great grand kids.
That’s a lot of people walking around , living their lives because of this man.
With full knowledge of the intense enemy fire awaiting his arrival, Kettles returned to the battlefield. Bringing additional reinforcements, he landed in the midst of enemy mortar and automatic weapons fire that seriously wounded his gunner and severely damaged his aircraft. Upon departing, Kettles was advised by another helicopter crew that he had fuel streaming out of his aircraft. Despite the risk posed by the leaking fuel, he nursed the damaged aircraft back to base. Despite the intense enemy fire, Kettles maintained control of the aircraft and situation, allowing time for the remaining eight soldiers to board the aircraft. In spite of the severe damage to his helicopter, Kettles once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged aircraft to safety. Without his courageous actions and superior flying skills, the last group of soldiers and his crew would never have made it off the battlefield.