Lt Col Leon Vance Medal of Honor

 

Lt Col Leon Vance

Source 

 

Lt Col Leon Vance, for whom Vance AFB OK was named is a Medal of Honor recipient who didn't survive WWII although this was under unusual circumstances.

Speaking of unusual circumstances, many things happened on the Mission that very well describe the courage shown by Lt Col Vance in saving the lives of most of his crew.

Source

 

So...On with the tale.

His career began in 1939 where he was commissioned and sent to what would now be called Pilot Training. After getting his wings, he was assigned as an Instructor through December 1941 when something happened in Hawaii.  He was quickly promoted to captain on April 6 and major on July 17, 1942. In September 1943 he was promoted to Lt Colonel.  He was assigned to Wendover Utah and promoted to Lt Col and assigned as Deputy Group Commander. 

For those of you that wonder about Military Promotions.  That was 4 promotions in less than 4 years.  But, Hey! There's a war on.  

In April of 1944, he and his bomber group were ordered to deploy to Europe, one of the last groups to arrive. 

 

B-24 from Base where Lt Col Vance was Deputy Commander  

Source

 On the critical mission in which he earned the Medal of Honor, the aircraft he was commanding the mission from was severely damaged and only had one engine available which eventually was also lost.  The Citation for the award is extremely well written and I can't improve on it's description of events, so I'm going to skip ahead to an unfortunate turn of events.

With the pilot severely injured, he took command of the aircraft and flew it out to the Channel where upon reaching land in England he ordered the crew to bail out.  He thought that the radio operator was still on board and wouldn't survive a bail out.  So, he ditched the aircraft in the ocean, but couldn't find the radio operator on board.  He started swimming for shore and was picked up by a RAF Air-Sea Rescue boat and was rescued.  He spent a couple of months in a hospital in Great Britain before being put on an C-54 to fly him home for extended treatment.  Unfortunately, the aircraft was lost with all aboard lost. 

Damn! 

 Citation for the Award of the Medal of Honor to LtCol Leon Vance

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 5 June 1944, when he led a Heavy Bombardment Group, in an attack against defended enemy coastal positions in the vicinity of Wimereaux, France. Approaching the target, his aircraft was hit repeatedly by antiaircraft fire which seriously crippled the ship, killed the pilot, and wounded several members of the crew, including Lt. Col. Vance, whose right foot was practically severed. In spite of his injury, and with 3 engines lost to the flak, he led his formation over the target, bombing it successfully. After applying a tourniquet to his leg with the aid of the radar operator, Lt. Col. Vance, realizing that the ship was approaching a stall altitude with the 1 remaining engine failing, struggled to a semi-upright position beside the copilot and took over control of the ship. Cutting the power and feathering the last engine he put the aircraft in glide sufficiently steep to maintain his airspeed. Gradually losing altitude, he at last reached the English coast, whereupon he ordered all members of the crew to bail out as he knew they would all safely make land. But he received a message over the interphone system which led him to believe 1 of the crew members was unable to jump due to injuries; so he made the decision to ditch the ship in the channel, thereby giving this man a chance for life. To add further to the danger of ditching the ship in his crippled condition, there was a 500-pound bomb hung up in the bomb bay. Unable to climb into the seat vacated by the copilot, since his foot, hanging on to his leg by a few tendons, had become lodged behind the copilot's seat, he nevertheless made a successful ditching while lying on the floor using only aileron and elevators for control and the side window of the cockpit for visual reference. On coming to rest in the water the aircraft commenced to sink rapidly with Lt. Col. Vance pinned in the cockpit by the upper turret which had crashed in during the landing. As it was settling beneath the waves an explosion occurred which threw Lt. Col. Vance clear of the wreckage. After clinging to a piece of floating wreckage until he could muster enough strength to inflate his life vest he began searching for the crew member whom he believed to be aboard. Failing to find anyone he began swimming and was found approximately 50 minutes later by an Air-Sea Rescue craft. By his extraordinary flying skill and gallant leadership, despite his grave injury, Lt. Col. Vance led his formation to a successful bombing of the assigned target and returned the crew to a point where they could bail out with safety. His gallant and valorous decision to ditch the aircraft in order to give the crew member he believed to be aboard a chance for life exemplifies the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

 Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Vance 

Now What?

Screenshot

Some of you may have noticed an inability to comment on juvat's Friday post, it ain't you, it ain't The Chant, it's Blogger, more than likely its parent, Google.

Google is a fairly faceless conglomerate, I mean, you can look up (I almost said "Google") who the boss is and it'll show you the guy. The guys who founded Google are also known. But these chaps aren't really "known" like Jeff Bezos, or say, Elon Musk. Or that Zuckerman fellow, ya know, the Facebook guy.

The Naviguesser once interviewed at Google HQ out in California. He was impressed with the facilities, the perks, and a number of other things (the salary was also nice he said), but from what he could see, they wanted you to work most of the time. The facilities were nice and the perks were nice so you would, as he saw it, spend most of your waking hours at work.

Google computer guys were expected to start innovating from Day One. And by innovate I think he meant "break things." Which they do, from time to time. It's not intentional, it just seems rather uncontrolled.

I did report the "can't comment" issue to Blogger, there's one of these things under the hood ...

Screenshot

You click the "Send Feedback" button and you can tell them your issue. I've clicked that button a few times, never, ever heard back from whoever is at the other end of that button. 

Normally when they break something, it gets fixed in a day or so. Sometimes it's something they did intentionally and regardless of how the user community likes it, if Google wants it, it stays.

Sigh, one gets used to change, sometimes it turns out to be okay, in the long run. But change simply for the sake of change?

We hates it Precious ...

I trust they'll fix the commenting bug. After all, what's the point of blogging if there is no back and forth in the comments? No point at all really.

So we wait and we hope.

Nasty tricksy programmers, we hates them Precious, yes we do.

Gerald Young Medal of Honor

 

 FYI there appears to be a glitch in publishing comments on Google Blogs.  They say they're working on it, But...

 Ok, in order to stay out of trouble, I will start this post with a very important statement.

Happy Anniversary, Honey.  These have been the happiest years of my life.  I look forward to many more. 

Now, while I'm using the time between comments to figure out where to make a reservation for dinner tonight....Reservation taken care of.

So...On with the show. 

 

Captain Gerald Young

Source

 

 OK, I was lucky as a fighter pilot, first the period of time I was flying in was remarkably peaceful.  I've never employed a weapon in anger and I'm grateful to the Lord for that.  I was ready if needed and wondered what it would be like, but realized the bad guys had a big vote in my life.  So...One of the groups of other pilots that I have a considerable amount of respect for, and a deep wish not to ever see them hovering over me unless I needed them was helicopter drivers.  Today's MOH Recipient was one of those guys deserving a lot of respect.  This is a pretty interesting tale with a lot of danger.  So hang on to your hats, here we go.

 

 

Sikorsky HH-3  

Source

As I was researching this hero, I found this data on Wikipedia.  Short, distinct and to the point,  I couldn't have written it better.  So..

On the night of November 8–9, 1967, Young's aircraft was one of two HH-3E Jolly "Green Giant helicopters sent to extract five survivors of a U.S. Army Special Forces reconnaissance team in Laos. The extraction site was known to be hot, surrounded by a North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam battalion. Two helicopters had already been shot down and destroyed in the area .Illuminated by a C-130 Hercules dropping LUU-2 parachute flares, Jolly 29 made a pickup of three survivors before being driven off by intense enemy fire. Young, piloting Jolly 26, then attempted to pick up the remaining two survivors, both now wounded. Fighting was intense both in the air and on the ground. A Para-Rescueman aboard Young's aircraft, Larry W. Maysey, jumped from the helicopter and ran down a steep slope, rescuing the two remaining men. Jolly 26 was now being hit with small arms fire. Just after Maysey had helped both survivors safely on board, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) struck the number one engine, fatally crippling the craft. The engine exploded, inverting the helicopter, which rolled and skidded down a deep ravine and burst into flames; Young and one other man survived the crash and escaped the burning wreckage. Despite severe wounds, Young evaded capture for 17 hours until being rescued later that day. As a result of Young's efforts, the other survivor of the crash was ultimately rescued and the bodies of those service members who perished were also recovered. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The para-rescueman, Maysey, was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross." Source

 He survived the war and continued his Air Force Career retiring as a Lt Colonel.  He passed away in 1990 from a Brain Tumor.  Rest in Peace, Hero!

Source

 

Citation for the Medal of Honor to Gerald Young 

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Young distinguished himself while serving as a helicopter rescue crew commander. Capt. Young was flying escort for another helicopter attempting the night rescue of an Army ground reconnaissance team in imminent danger of death or capture. Previous attempts had resulted in the loss of 2 helicopters to hostile ground fire. The endangered team was positioned on the side of a steep slope which required unusual airmanship on the part of Capt. Young to effect pickup. Heavy automatic weapons fire from the surrounding enemy severely damaged 1 rescue helicopter, but it was able to extract 3 of the team. The commander of this aircraft recommended to Capt. Young that further rescue attempts be abandoned because it was not possible to suppress the concentrated fire from enemy automatic weapons. With full knowledge of the danger involved, and the fact that supporting helicopter gunships were low on fuel and ordnance, Capt. Young hovered under intense fire until the remaining survivors were aboard. As he maneuvered the aircraft for takeoff, the enemy appeared at point-blank range and raked the aircraft with automatic weapons fire. The aircraft crashed, inverted, and burst into flames. Capt. Young escaped through a window of the burning aircraft. Disregarding serious burns, Capt. Young aided one of the wounded men and attempted to lead the hostile forces away from his position. Later, despite intense pain from his burns, he declined to accept rescue because he had observed hostile forces setting up automatic weapons positions to entrap any rescue aircraft. For more than 17 hours he evaded the enemy until rescue aircraft could be brought into the area. Through his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellow man, Capt. Young reflected the highest credit upon himself, the U.S. Air Force, and the Armed Forces of his country. 

 

 

 

 

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_O._Young

David R. Kingsley MOH

 

 

Source

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47ieN_FFXrw

Ok, this is another of the several Medal of Honor recipients who were participants in raids on Ploesti in WWII.  This was not the B-24 raid, I've written about befor that had 5 Medal of Honor recipients involved.  This was a B-17 raid on the Oil refinery on June 23 1944.  Unfortunately, he did not survive this raid, but, IMHO his action during the raid absolutely met the standards of the Medal of Honor.  Lt Kingsley was a bombardier aboard a B-17.  The aircraft took severe damage from enemy aircraft and several crew members were injured.  The aircraft commander ordered the crew to bail out to save their lives.  One of the crew members could not find his parachute.  Lt Kingsley gave him his chute saving the crew member's life. Unfortunately, Lt Kingsley could not leave the aircraft and was killed on impact.  I'd say that met the standards  required of the Medal of Honor.   

 

 Second Lieutenant Kingsley's official Medal of Honor citation"

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, June 23, 1944 near Ploesti, Romania, while flying as bombardier of a B17 type aircraft. On the bomb run 2d Lt. Kingsley's aircraft was severely damaged by intense flak and forced to drop out of formation but the pilot proceeded over the target and 2d Lt. Kingsley successfully dropped his bombs, causing severe damage to vital installations. The damaged aircraft, forced to lose altitude and to lag behind the formation, was aggressively attacked by 3 Me 109 aircraft, causing more damage to the aircraft and severely wounding the tail gunner in the upper arm. The radio operator and engineer notified 2d Lt. Kingsley that the tail gunner had been wounded and that assistance was needed to check the bleeding. 2d Lt. Kingsley made his way back to the radio room, skillfully applied first aid to the wound, and succeeded in checking the bleeding. The tail gunner's parachute harness and heavy clothes were removed and he was covered with blankets, making him as comfortable as possible. Eight Me 109 aircraft again aggressively attacked 2d Lt. Kingsley's aircraft and the ball turret gunner was wounded by 20mm. shell fragments. He went forward to the radio room to have 2d Lt. Kingsley administer first aid. A few minutes later when the pilot gave the order to prepare to bail out, 2d Lt. Kingsley immediately began to assist the wounded gunners in putting on their parachute harness. In the confusion the tail gunner's harness, believed to have been damaged, could not be located in the bundle of blankets and flying clothes which had been removed from the wounded men. With utter disregard for his own means of escape, 2d Lt. Kingsley unhesitatingly removed his parachute harness and adjusted it to the wounded tail gunner. Due to the extensive damage caused by the accurate and concentrated 20mm. fire by the enemy aircraft the pilot gave the order to bail out, as it appeared that the aircraft would disintegrate at any moment. 2d Lt. Kingsley aided the wounded men in bailing out and when last seen by the crewmembers he was standing on the bomb bay catwalk. The aircraft continued to fly on automatic pilot for a short distance, then crashed and burned. His body was later found in the wreckage. 2d Lt. Kingsley by his gallant heroic action was directly responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner. type aircraft. On the bomb run 2d Lt. Kingsley's aircraft was severely damaged by intense flak and forced to drop out of formation but the pilot proceeded over the target and 2d Lt. Kingsley successfully dropped his bombs, causing severe damage to vital installations. The damaged aircraft, forced to lose altitude and to lag behind the formation, was aggressively attacked by 3 Me 109 aircraft, causing more damage to the aircraft and severely wounding the tail gunner in the upper arm. The radio operator and engineer notified 2d Lt. Kingsley that the tail gunner had been wounded and that assistance was needed to check the bleeding. 2d Lt. Kingsley made his way back to the radio room, skillfully applied first aid to the wound, and succeeded in checking the bleeding. The tail gunner's parachute harness and heavy clothes were removed and he was covered with blankets, making him as comfortable as possible. Eight Me 109 aircraft again aggressively attacked 2d Lt. Kingsley's aircraft and the ball turret gunner was wounded by 20mm. shell fragments. He went forward to the radio room to have 2d Lt. Kingsley administer first aid. A few minutes later when the pilot gave the order to prepare to bail out, 2d Lt. Kingsley immediately began to assist the wounded gunners in putting on their parachute harness. In the confusion the tail gunner's harness, believed to have been damaged, could not be located in the bundle of blankets and flying clothes which had been removed from the wounded men. With utter disregard for his own means of escape, 2d Lt. Kingsley unhesitatingly removed his parachute harness and adjusted it to the wounded tail gunner. Due to the extensive damage caused by the accurate and concentrated 20mm. fire by the enemy aircraft the pilot gave the order to bail out, as it appeared that the aircraft would disintegrate at any moment. 2d Lt. Kingsley aided the wounded men in bailing out and when last seen by the crewmembers he was standing on the bomb bay catwalk. The aircraft continued to fly on automatic pilot for a short distance, then crashed and burned. His body was later found in the wreckage. 2d Lt. Kingsley by his gallant heroic action was directly responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner.

 

As the Summer Fades ...

OAFS Photo

The Missus Herself landed safely in Korea after a flight of some fourteen hours and change. I remember that flight well, having done it a number of times. The Pacific is a very big ocean, from altitude it's miles and miles of nothing but sea and cloud.

I awakened in the very wee hours of Wednesday and decided to check FlightAware for the progress of milady's flight. Let me backtrack first ...

Her trip started on Saturday last when she flew out to Las Vegas where she would meet up with two of her sisters, the ones who would be traveling with her to Korea. One sister lives in Las Vegas, the other is but a "short" drive away in Arizona, five hours give or take, short compared to the way to Maryland and over some rather inhospitable terrain as well.

Her flight to Korea left late on Tuesday, Vegas time, early on Wednesday, Little Rhody time. So, where was I?

Ah yes, I awakened in the wee hours and thought to check her progress. Somewhere off the southern coast of Alaska as it were. I had gone to bed very late, last minute chat with The Missus Herself before boarding, dontcha know. Hit the rack around 0230. Around 0500 I needed to have a pee. Now there's a danger in awakening the brain in the middle of the night ...

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The brain was now fully awake and refused to reenter REM sleep.

So at or about 0700 I dragged my tired ass out of bed, had breakfast and said to myself, "I can always take a nap later."

Thing is though, I don't nap, once I go down, I go down hard. Unless it's the middle of the night and I've got loved ones traveling over large bodies of water.

Yeah, four hours is really plenty of sleep.

Compared to no hours.

Been there, done that.

It's tiresome.

I'd write more but I need to sleep ...

Ciao!

John Walmsley Medal of Honor

 

 

Source

OK, when I saw this picture for the first time, I had to chuckle.  He looks like he had a sense of humor.  Gotta like that in an Air Force Pilot!  But, this is his official picture., so he's definitely a guy who's not afraid to take a risk.

Anyhow....On with the tale.   

Source

 

 Captain Walmsley joined the Army Air Forces in 1944, a little late to join in the fighting but served as a Flight Instructor (known nowadays as an Instructor Pilot or IP). In 1946 he was transferred to Japan and flew the B-26.  Once the Korean war started he was flying interdiction missions dropping 260lb fragmentation bombs and strafing with 50 caliber machine guns.

 

Source

 Not a particularly effective mission, but, hey, you got to fight with what you've got.

After a bit, the B-26 mission and Lt Walmsley along with it were switched over to night interdiction.   A bit (small bit) safer mission as we shall see.

 "The mission involved having a very large searchlight installed on the aircraft which would allow them to search out enemy trucks and vector in attacking aircraft.  One big problem with it is that searchlight is highly visible from the ground. September 12 raid was extremely successful; in it, Walmsley's B-26 attacked a convoy with 500 pounds (230 kg) bombs, destroying or damaging 16 trucks, and forcing many of the vehicle drivers off the road.Emboldened by this successful mission, Walmsley opted on September 14 to bring his bomber named "Skillful 13" (tail number 44-34314), to a mission alone in North Korea." Source

 A very successful mission which might have had an impact on what happened next

On Sept 14, Lt Walmsley and crew went out again at night taking off from Kunsan AB (a base I know quite well). They found a train on the tracks in North Korea and attacked it.  They damaged it but did not stop it, so called in another B-26.  When it arrived, he told them he would make a pass illuminating it with his arc light.  The second bomber would then attack. He made three passes taking AAA hits all three times. He and the other bomber were able to destroy the train, however the AAA hits caused fuel to leak from the tanks and caught fire.  Lt Walmsley started to retreat, but only got a few miles before the fire damaged the flight controls and the bomber crashed.  Killing all but one of the crew who, though injured, managed to survive the crash only to be caught by the Chinese ground troops and kept as a POW.

Four weeks after this mission, the arc lights and Operation Strangle were abandoned, as leaders felt the risks and casualties of the operation outweighed the benefits.  

No Kidding?  A slow(ish) aircraft flying with a searchlight turned on could expect to not be seen and shot at?  YGBSM!

In any case, Lt Walmsley and his crew performed their mission as ordered.  He received the Medal of Honor, his crew received Distinguished Flying Crosses as did the one survivor after he was freed from the Chinese POW camp after the war. 

 

 

Source

 Discovered an interesting piece of trivia.  There were 4 members of the Air Force that received the  Medal of Honor  in the Korean War.  There was no USAF Medal of Honor medal at the time.  These four heroes, all killed in action, received the US Army Medal of Honor instead.

Rest in Peace, Warriors! 

Citation for the Medal of Honor to  Lt John Springer Walmsley Jr.

Capt. Walmsley, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While flying a B-26 aircraft on a night combat mission with the objective of developing new tactics, Capt. Walmsley sighted an enemy supply train which had been assigned top priority as a target of opportunity. He immediately attacked, producing a strike which disabled the train, and, when his ammunition was expended, radioed for friendly aircraft in the area to complete destruction of the target. Employing the searchlight mounted on his aircraft, he guided another B-26 aircraft to the target area, meanwhile constantly exposing himself to enemy fire. Directing an incoming B-26 pilot, he twice boldly aligned himself with the target, his searchlight illuminating the area, in a determined effort to give the attacking aircraft full visibility. As the friendly aircraft prepared for the attack, Capt. Walmsley descended into the valley in a low level run over the target with searchlight blazing, selflessly exposing himself to vicious enemy antiaircraft fire. In his determination to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, he refused to employ evasive tactics and valiantly pressed forward straight through an intense barrage, thus insuring complete destruction of the enemy's vitally needed war cargo. While he courageously pressed his attack Capt. Walmsley's plane was hit and crashed into the surrounding mountains, exploding upon impact. His heroic initiative and daring aggressiveness in completing this important mission in the face of overwhelming opposition and at the risk of his life, reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S._Walmsley_Jr. 

 

 

And So It Begins ...

A view of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung Palace, dressed in the autumn colors of the changing foliage.
(한국어: 단풍으로 물든 가을옷을 입은 경복궁 향원정의 풍경)

Source

Once again it is that time of year, when The Missus Herself returns to her homeland for a visit with her family. She and two of her sisters (both of whom live in the US) went last year, and then again this year. (I don't know if they'll go next year, everyone is getting on in years, we shall see.)

So once again Your Humble Scribe is left to fend for himself. I don't mind, not really, I've always been something of a solitary beast. Very catlike in that regard. I don't mind company, but I don't really crave it. If that makes any sense.

So Sarge, you might be asking, why didn't you go as well?

I have been there, once for nearly four years, once for a month, it's lovely, the people are nice but, well, it ain't home, is it? It is for my better half, sure, but not me.

I once understood a lot of the language, and even spoke a bit of it, but that was forty four years ago. I'm a bit out of practice. We speak English at Chez Sarge. When we were first married I mentioned that given my knack for language, perhaps The Missus Herself should teach me Korean.

She pointed out that as the plan was for us to live in the United States, her becoming fluent in English should be the priority. I bowed to her logic. Still and all, I wish I'd picked up more of her native tongue.

That being said, I'm on my own, my knee is getting better, I've a full larder and a hard drive full of computer games I can spend all day and night playing. No one to say, "Aren't you going to bed?"

Nope, I'm footloose and fancy free. My oldest daughter, The Nuke, worries that I'll turn feral, lose all that training her mama put me through. She'd rather I come down to Maryland where she can "take care of me." Yeah, you know, keep an eye on me.

My biggest concern at the moment is finding someone to cut my grass, and not temporarily, as Danny Glover said, in the Lethal Weapon series, I'm getting too old for that shit. I mean, I can do it, I just don't want to. We also travel a lot, if I'm not there to cut it, well, it doesn't get cut. So having a crew to do that for me would be just the thing.

Not easy to do, so far. Everyone wants to just sit on their riding mower, swirl around for a bit, then walk off with my money in their pocket. Our backyard has lots of flower beds, had one fellow say he'd do it, then he backed out when I told him he couldn't use the riding mower in the backyard. Not that I wouldn't let him, it was just not feasible.

Sigh ...

It ain't like the old days where every teenage boy in a ten mile radius was looking for a lawn mowing job to make a bit o' cash in the summer. Now they all want to be interns in an office and poke at a computer all day.

Sigh ...

We'll find someone, eventually.

First World problems, neh?