Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Who They Are, Part VI - Korean War Aces


I've been meaning to get back to this series, Beans reminded me. This is the sixth post in the series, eventually I will create a separate page where I'll put all the links to the entire series.

From an old post I had this to say -
Now the Wall of Honor could be expanded to cover thousands of deserving men and women. For the most part I've used it for my own particular military heroes, most of whom are aircrew, most of whom are officers. A few I knew personally (and whose loss I still and shall forever mourn) and three of whom are Air Force enlisted guys.
One of you readers coined the term "Wall of Honor," I had forgotten how much I like the term. I will probably call the new page (when I get to it) by that name. I'll probably expand it to include other folks who merit a place there. (They just won't be "up top" with the men, and one lady, who already fill that space. Deservedly so.)

Now I first wrote of Colonel Jabara in a Friday Flyby in October 2013. This is what I had to say back then...

Colonel James "Jabby" Jabara
Distinguished Service Cross
15 Aerial Victories
1923 - 1966
From Wikipedia:
James "Jabby" Jabara (10 October 1923 – 17 November 1966) was the first American jet ace in history. Born in Oklahoma, he lived in Kansas where he enlisted as an aviation cadet at Fort Riley after graduating high school. Jabara attended four flying schools in Texas before he received his pilot's wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. During World War II Jabara flew two tours of combat duty in Europe as a North American P-51 Mustang pilot. He scored 1.5 air victories against German aircraft.

After World War II, Jabara flew his first jet aircraft in 1948, the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star before transitioning to the North American F-86 Sabre. Jabara used this aircraft to shoot down multiple Soviet-built MiG-15 jets during the Korean War. He achieved his first confirmed air victory of the war on 3 April 1951. A month later he scored his fifth and sixth victories, making him the first American jet ace in history. He eventually scored 15 victories, giving him the title of "triple ace". Jabara was ranked as the second-highest-scoring U.S. ace of the Korean War. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross for his accomplishments in combat.

Following the war, Jabara held a series of commands at various Air Force bases across the United States. He flew the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and later the Convair B-58 Hustler. In 1966, Colonel Jabara was traveling with his family to their new home when his daughter crashed the car he was in, killing them both. They were buried together at Arlington National Cemetery. In recognition of his contributions to military aviation, an airport outside of Wichita, Kansas was named in his honor and each year the United States Air Force Academy alumni association bestows the Jabara Award upon an Academy graduate whose aerospace accomplishments demonstrate superior performance.
The Colonel's Jet

The Colonel and His Daughter's Final Resting Place
Arlington

(Source)
I had the privilege of visiting the Colonel's grave at Arlington. I had not known the circumstances of his death until I saw his grave site. When I saw that his 16-year old daughter was buried with him, I had to know the whole story. Here's what I found...

From Wikipedia:
While traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where his family would stay while he returned to combat in Vietnam, Jabara and his 16-year old daughter Carol Anne died in a car accident in Delray Beach, Florida on 17 November 1966. The Jabara family were in two cars that day, on their way to a new home in South Carolina where his wife Nina and their children—James Jr., Carol Anne, Jeanne, and Cathy—would reside during Jabara's combat tour. Carol Anne was driving a Volkswagen with her father as a passenger in the back seat. She lost control of the car going through a construction zone, when she initially veered onto a grass median. She swerved back onto the highway but during the rapid turn, she lost control and the vehicle returned to the median where it rolled several times. Jabara sustained head injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at a Delray hospital, and Carol Anne died two days later. A memorial service was held for Jabara at Homestead Air Force Base with a missing man formation fly-by. Jabara and his daughter were buried together in a single grave at Arlington National Cemetery. His grandson Lt. Nicholas Jabara, a 2001 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, was killed during pilot training in a T-37 accident on 31 January 2002.

Some families give so much for our freedom.




I read of Captain McConnell's victories in the Korean War when I was young, I read a lot of history books back then (still do actually). One of the reasons Captain McConnell caught my eye is that he was a fellow New Englander, a New Hampshireman by birth.

Here's my entry on him from the same Flyby I link to above...

Captain Joseph C. McConnell, USAF
Distinguished Service Cross
16 Aerial Victories
1922 - 1954
From Wikipedia:
Joseph Christopher McConnell, Jr. (30 January 1922 – 25 August 1954) was the top American flying ace during the Korean War. A native of Dover, New Hampshire, Captain McConnell was credited with shooting down 16 MiG-15s while flying North American F-86 Sabres with the U.S. Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for his actions in aerial combat. McConnell was the first American triple jet-on-jet fighter ace and is still the top-scoring American jet ace.
During World War II, McConnell entered the U.S. Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet training program. His dream of becoming a pilot was dashed when, instead of being sent to pilot training, he was assigned to navigator training. After completing this course, he flew combat missions in Europe as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator navigator. He remained in the Army Air Forces after the war, eventually entering flight training. In 1948, McConnell finally achieved his goal of becoming a fighter pilot.
After returning to his home in Apple Valley, California, McConnell was stationed at George Air Force Base and continued flying F-86s. On 6 August the people of Apple Valley gave a new home, the "Appreciation House", to Capt. McConnell. The house was completed in 45 hours with all land, material, and labor donated.
In 1954 he was temporarily assigned to the service test program for the new F-86H. This was the last and most powerful version of the Sabre, and was intended to be a nuclear-capable fighter-bomber. On 25 August 1954, while testing the fifth production F-86H-1-NA (serial number 52-1981) at Edwards Air Force Base, McConnell was killed in a crash following a control malfunction. The cause of the accident was attributed to a missing bolt. Then-Major Chuck Yeager was assigned to investigate the crash and replicated the malfunction at a much higher altitude. This height advantage allowed him to safely regain control of the aircraft before it hit the desert floor. The 1955 film The McConnell Story, starring Alan Ladd and June Allyson, chronicles his life story. The book Sabre Jet Ace (1959) by Charles Ira Coombs chronicled his experiences as a fighter pilot in Korea in a fictionalized biography for young readers.
In May 2008 Pearl McConnell, Beautious Butch, died at the age of 86. She had never remarried and was buried with Captain McConnell.


The top two American Aces of the Korean War. Some call it the Forgotten War, not me, every morning when I look upon my beautiful wife and think of my precious children and grandchildren, I remember the price paid by so many for her family's freedom. For my wife's family the Korean War was very real, many of them lived through it.

I will never forget.


The First Five Parts of This Series:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Why Some Are There, And Some Are Not



36 comments:

  1. I wonder what the difference is between the solid red stars, and the ones that have something in the center?

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    1. I think it’s “D” for “Damaged”?

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    2. And the 3 P’s are “Probable” kills?

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    3. I think a bear nails it. Odd that I hadn't noticed that before...

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  2. I learned to splice eyes in the BSA. A really well done splice is a thing of beauty... And this post brings up your "Wall of Honour" series in a smooth, really nice eye splice, way. Seamless...

    Looking forward to learning more from you. I really like the way you closed out the post, too. Well done.

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  3. I remember reading about about these two warriors during my university days but had forgotten how they had died. Perhaps Korea was over-shadowed by the "good war" preceding it and the "moral morass" that came after. America wasn't so keen to be in a war with the Communists in a far away land so soon after World War II. Both captains were only one and two years younger than my own dad....(sigh). A thumbs up on a well-done post Sarge. Ya, a bear.... can see "D" and "P" in those red stars, sounds good to me.

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    1. I remember when I first saw Colonel Jabara's grave at Arlington. I knew the name immediately, then read the whole thing. Having been on many road trips with my own kids, that really struck home. Then to read later on (when researching the original post) that Jabby's grandson had also been a pilot and had lost his life in a training crash, damn, just damn.

      Captain McConnell's death struck home too, lost because of a missing bolt. I know of pilots who have lost their lives due to a maintenance error, having been in aircraft maintenance I know how easy it is to overlook something in the rush to get things done. It's why the checklist is your Bible, don't work the jet without it!

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  4. Always had a soft spot for the Sabre, it was the first model kit I ever had. Dad bought it for me and helped me build it. We even made a wooden stand with a wire to hold it “airborne” because it came with a hole in the tail for a clear plastic prop.

    That, and it just “looks” right to me.

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    1. It is truly an elegant and deadly bird. One of my favorites. It was really cool to actually see them when I was stationed at Kunsan. Though they didn't look quite right in camouflage, they are still cool little jets. (I say little because compared to the F-4 they are tiny.)

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  5. I remember seeing “The McConnell Story” when it came out.
    Always have liked the lines of the F86 (like the P51 a lot, too).

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  6. McConnell lost because someone wanted to make a pure fighter into a nuke-capable fighter-bomber, when they already had a high-performance (actually 2 high performance) nuke capable fighter bombers (F-84G (straight wing) and F-84F (swept wing.) And for a friggin bolt. Gah.

    As to Jabara, people forget more are lost in training and peacetime than in war-war. Just the deaths during war-war seem more meaningful. Dang. Total loss of control in a Bug. Dang.

    Thank you for continuing these stories, and please make sure your POCIR is set, as it will give your muse a rest when she goes spring galavanting in the garden...

    Firefox report: So far FF works, but, dang, is it slow as molasses to load. Dang...

    I seem to be saying 'Dang' a lot today.

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    1. Back in the old days they would play around with a new aircraft even though they already two that worked just fine. These days they retire something that works fine just to buy the new and shiny thing that industry has convinced them that they absolutely need and which has yet to prove itself. (Yes, I'm looking at you F-35, at you LCS and Zumwalt, and definitely you Army for wanting to not buy any new CH-47s as it doesn't fit some theoretical "concept" but you have no new helos to replace it with. The Marines are relatively innocent as they normally get hand-me-downs or whatever Big Navy decides they "need.")

      What base hardware are you running? Somehow I picture you clinging desperately to an old 80386 IBM clone, refusing to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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    2. A now 3 year old HP2000 laptop with Win10. And I, on a regular schedule, run Disc Cleanup and AVG PC Tuneup. So why does it run so darned slow... Because I own it?

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    3. Odd, that should have more than enough "oomph" (technical term - aka horsepower, gigahertz, smash) to run Firefox.

      So yeah, it has to be because you own it. Didn't you mention something the other day about having some sort of weird magnetic field around and about your person? Ya know, shorts out transformers, fries electrical circuits, etc.? Maybe it's just "Florida." I mean you're not all that far from the mythical Bermuda Triangle. (Is that even still a "thing.")

      Truth be told, I'm baffled.

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    4. How much empty space is on your hard drive, Beans? If that's too full, that can dreadfully slow you down.

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    5. Um yeah, what juvat said. (Dang! Why didn't I think of that?)

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    6. Aboot half full 2100 MB full, 1800 MB available, not defragmented, AVG anti-virus running, I hit Disc Cleanup at least once every other day, use AVG blah blah once a week, have it set for auto-defrag, don't go to NYTimes (I have caught more viruses and spyware from them than from, um, uh, less reputable sites...)

      I even, once a month, check to see which programs are running, look them up and get rid of stuff that isn't supposed to be there, or deactivate stuff that I can't get rid of easily (like Cortana or Happy Face, thanks MicroSerf for those memory hogs, ya bastiges...) I'm not IT savvy, but I was one smart staff ass(istant) though groking and writing software was back in the days of an Apple IIC.

      So, yeah, must be me...

      I guess I need to migrate all my Traveller ships and manuals over to a flash drive and open up some space there (yeah, during a dark moment in time I downloaded as much Traveller stuff as I could find, and have writeups and deckplans for beaucoup ships, boats, fighters, drones, stations, etc...) Migrating other non-essential bullscat might garner me some open space. Will have to think about that.

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    7. My winemaker friend's HD just crashed. I've ordered a VERY large hard drive for him, while doing so, I looked at a SSD to use as his boot drive and the regular drive for data/file storage. The specs on the SDD drive showed time from power on to desktop at about 10 seconds. (Mine is more like 10 minutes. Ok it's not that bad, but slow as molasses this time of year up in Sarge's homeland). Price wasn't astronomical either.

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    8. Oh, and 2 GB free isn't much nowadays, that could be your issue. (I misread your opening sentence.)

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    9. But 5GB is a huge drive (1GB dedicated, 2GB full, 2GB empty.) when I bought the cobonculator...

      I will endeavor to transfer my little used files to other media and see how much I can free up.

      Youse guys have been very helpful. Danke.

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    10. Regretfully if your HD sizedoesn't have digits followed by Tb it's a small drive. Fortunately, it doesn't require an awful lot of moolah to upgrade. While I was looking into my wine maker friend's problem a multi-TB drive was right around $100.

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    11. Sad to say but yes, gigabyte drives these days are yesterdays megabyte drives. I need to get another drive, the 1 Tb that came with the machine is starting to fill up.

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  7. On Jabby -

    I think to have survived Korea and all those MiG encounters - only to die in a stupid accident in a Volkswagen at age 43 - Fate is the hunter.

    I also think of Lex's surviving all those years - over the Persian Gulf, night carrier landings, some in conditions I am sure he kept from his family as not to upset them, only to leave us the way he did...

    We never know...

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    1. Most deaths suck. It's the life the person led that makes some more sucky than others.

      I originally wrote "All deaths.." but there are things that look human that when they die, the world is a much shinier place.

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  8. BTW, and to get off of Tech Support, Great Post, Sarge.

    My Dad knew one or the other of those guys. I can't remember which, but he told me about them when I was younger. He said that whomever was a Good Guy, great pilot. Unfortunately, asking him for clarification on which was which, isn't possible.

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    1. I did rather wonder if your Dad had ever met either of those guys.

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  9. I saw those dates on his tombstone before reading the wiki excerpt and worried about something more tragic, like she couldn't handle his death. Once I read it, I realized just how tragic it actually was. Not the way a fighter pilot should go- which is at 110 years old, or in an airplane.

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    1. Same when I saw the tombstone while at Arlington. Really tragic, I cannot imagine the pain of that family.

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  10. Another great post Sarge. As I grew older it seemed to me that military Aviation just seemed to accept staggering numbers of fatal accidents in the air. It wasn't until the air frames + electronics reached staggering costs that it appeared that anybody greatly cared. When we were standing up one of our new squadrons, the local one lost 5 sailors in just under 6 months. 2 motorcycle, 1 murdered, 1 ND with a brand new gun he bought, and one car accident. That was 5 x more than all the other squadrons combined including the 3 playing over in the sandbox at any given time. It seems there is a karma that plays with fate.

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    1. Good point on the accident rates, seems nothing changes until those who hold the purse strings notice. But how does one explain just what the heck the Navy is up to these days? Retire Truman, keep all the cruisers in "modernization" until Congress isn't paying attention then decomm them. Zumwalt? LCS?

      If there is a karma that plays with fate (and I think there is), we have a tough road ahead. I've heard that Chinese is difficult to learn...

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  11. I knew someone, retired Air Force, who said that the F-86 was the nicest aircraft he ever flew.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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