Posts Tagged ‘United States Navy’
Wednesday’s Hero
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By href="http://mjgolch.blogspot.com">Michael
border="1" alt="Lt. Cmd. Edward Henry "Butch"O'Hare">
From St. Louis, Missouri
Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3)
March 13, 1914 – November 26, 1943
From Butch O’Hare’s Medal Of Honor citation:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of
Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to
Lieutenant Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare (NSN: 0-78672), United States
Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in aerial combat, at
grave risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, as section
leader and pilot of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3), attached to the
U.S.S. LEXINGTON, on 20 February 1942. Having lost the assistance of
his teammates, Lieutenant O’Hare interposed his plane between his ship
and an advancing enemy formation of nine attacking twin-engine heavy
bombers. Without hesitation, alone and unaided, he repeatedly attacked
this enemy formation, at close range in the face of intense combined
machinegun and cannon fire. Despite this concentrated opposition,
Lieutenant O’Hare, by his gallant and courageous action, his extremely
skillful marksmanship in making the most of every shot of his limited
amount of ammunition, shot down five enemy bombers and severely
damaged a sixth before they reached the bomb release point. As a
result of his gallant action–one of the most daring, if not the most
daring, single action in the history of combat aviation–he
undoubtedly saved his carrier from serious damage.
The U.S. Navy’s first Flying Ace. Awarded the Medal Of Honor, Navy
Cross, 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses & the Purple Heart. An airport
and a Navy destroyer named after him. And a connection to Al Capone.
You can read much more about Lt. Cmd. O’Hare
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_O%27Hare">here.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that
others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I
am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And
Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
SIZE>
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more
information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on
your site, you can go
href="http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com/2006/08/wednesday-hero-blogroll.html">here.
border="1" alt="Wednesday Hero Logo">
1 Comment »
Wednesday’s Hero
78 years old from Pensacola, Florida
Attach Squadron 153
April 3, 1929 – March 17, 2008
From the citation upon being awarded the Silver Star:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander David John Sperling (NSN: 0-555189), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action as the Pilot of a jet aircraft while attached to Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE (VA-153), embarked in U.S.S. CORAL SEA (CVA-43). On 25 October 1967, Commander Sperling flew as a major group leader in a coordinated Air Wing assault on the Phuc Yen Air Base near Hanoi, North Vietnam. Being the prime operating base for MiG fighter aircraft, Phuc Yen was defended by the most concentrated and formidable array of surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft artillery and automatic weapons to be found in all of North Vietnam. Courageously leading his group of attack aircraft over 120 miles of hostile territory into this bastion of defensive armor, Commander Sperling exhibited outstanding airmanship and unwavering determination while maneuvering for the highly vulnerable attack position. In spite of the unprecedented barrage of surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire, he calmly established the essential bombing pattern and delivered his ordnance with exceptional accuracy on the revetted enemy airplanes to destroy or damage several parked MiG aircraft. His resolute actions and professional skill set the tone for the remainder of his force and succeeded in turning a potentially disastrous situation into a highly successful assault on the enemy. Commander Sperling’s gallant and inspirational leadership upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Cmd. Sperling’s obituary.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
1 Comment »
