FReeper Canteen ~ Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross ~ March 5, 2007

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[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thank you Star, for this awesome thread.
SSG Thomas Field was a friend of ours who was killed there..

http://www.nightstalkers.com/tfranger/memorial/field/index.html

Ms.B

[jblair]

Great thread-feature.

Two DFC winners you've never heard of... Hal Dortch and Jim Alder from the 333rd TFS out of Takhli.

Steve Ritchie from the 555rd, Triple Nickle. TEN DFCs, if I'm not mistaken. Incredible.

[luvie]

Awesome.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thank you, Capt Glenn Rojohn, for your service to our country.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Evenin' Sissy!
*HUG*
Ms.B

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, CWO4 Durant, for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Gotta run out for a few. Be back shortly.

[luvie]

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[luvie]

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[luvie]

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[luvie]

Hey there, Sis! (((((hugs)))))

Didja have a good day today?

Did Mr. B have a good birthday? What did ya fix him for dinner?

Is it very cold there tonight?

[SandRat]

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS/PURPLE HEART

Bombing the Oberpfaffenhofen/Wessling Airdrome, Munich

13 June, 1944--a week after D-Day. Target was the Oberpfaffenhofen/Wessling airdrome in Munich, Germany. Twenty-six planes dropped 36 tons of fragmentation bombs. Flak over the target was heavy and enemy fighters made a pass at the formation and damaged several planes before P-51 and P-38 escorts drove them off. One plane failed to return. Flight time for the mission was 6 hours and 5 minutes. During that mission, my father was cited for bravery in action, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, even though it would be 40 more years before he found out about it!

CITATION

DONALD WISE, Serial No. 0-752796, 1st Lt. 15th Air Force, 463rd Bomb Group. Date Awarded: 2 August, 1944. Major General Twining, Commanding.

"For extraordinary achievement in aerial flight as bombardier of a B-17 type aircraft. On 13 June, 1944, Lt. Wise participated in a bombing mission against a heavily defended air field in Germany. Approaching the target, his ship encountered heavy opposition from enemy flak and fighters which severely damaged his ship, and painfully wounded Lt. Wise in the hand and neck. While on the bombing run the squadron lead ship was unable to release its bombs and, immediately assuming the lead of his squadron, with great professional skill and outstanding leadership, despite being painfully wounded, Lt. Wise directed his bombs and those of his formation on the target in the face of continued enemy opposition. His personal courage and devotion to duty, as evidenced throughout fifty (50) combat missions, have reflected great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America."

Despite his wounds and the speedy last-minute changes, Don's bombing accuracy was apparently superb. On 19 June 1944, the Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Allied Air Force issued a commendation to the 463rd crews for their outstanding work on 13 and 14 June, 1944; specifically for their superb bombing accuracy.

The Commendation stated in part:

. . . "I have just studied carefully the strike and pru photographs of our valuable targets for the last two days. The accuracy of your bombing is tremendously impressive. It appears to me that your Air Force has never done two better days work."

Read Don Wise's Recollections of This Mission

C O N T E N T S:

Distinguished Flying Cross

"Pig Chaser" & Its Crew

The "Best Seat in the House"

List of 50 Missions

The Ploesti Campaign

---

Medals and Citations

From the Newspaper

About Don Wise

Links to Other Sites

Return to Home Page

[SandRat]

Coast Guard Air Crew
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

SOS Coast Guard Rescue NIGHT FLIGHT on Discovery Channel
"Clearwater Coast Guard Air Station attempts a rescue inside Hurricane Katrina"

 
From left to right (first photo): Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenyon Bolton, rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Cain, flight mechanic, Lt (j.g.) David Sheppard, co-pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Craig Massello, pilot, Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, and Rear Admiral D. Brian Peterman.

The Coast Guard Commandant Awards the Crew
the U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Flying Cross

CLEARWATER, FLA - Four members of a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater Jayhawk flight crew were awarded for a daring rescue that took place on Aug. 26, 2005. The crew was tasked with flying through the ferocious 85-knot winds and violent 40-foot seas of Hurricane Katrina to rescue three persons on the distressed fishing vessel Mary Lynn located only 10 miles from the eye of the hurricane, 210-nautical miles southwest of Air Station Clearwater.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Tom Collins presented the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lt. Cmdr. Craig Massello, Lt. j.g. David Sheppard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Cain and Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenyon Bolton for their extraordinary heroism while participating in an aerial rescue.

[luvie]

Good work...good research, Sandy!

God bless all these heroes!

[SandRat]

US NAVY WWII Pilots of Torpedo Squadron 31 That Got the DFC

Lt. Edward E. Wood - Commanding Officer VT-31
Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross


Lt. G. Packenham
Distinguished Flying Cross

Lt. (jg) John Russell
Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart

Ens. Richard Mellin
Distinguished Flying Cross

Ens. L. O. Bacon
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal


Air Crewmen
PhoM1c Howard Webster Jr.
Navy and Marine Medal
Purple Heart

AMM2c Robert Drake
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

AMM2c Ira Bewley
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

AMM2c Warren Bennett
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart


Radiomen
ACRM Thomas Legett *
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

ARM2c Leslie Walters
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

ARM2c Cornelius Kelly
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

Pilots assigned to VT-31 December 1944 for 2nd Tour of Duty

Lt. Carter L Wilson - Executive Officer VT-31
Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal
Gold Star in Lieu of 2nd Air Medal
Gold Star in Lieu of 3rd Air Medal

[luvie]

Psssst....where'd everybody go? Did they stay on page one somehow? :D

[SandRat]

You're not going to believe this but, Mass. has a Distinguished Flying Cross Plate. That's right Mass. has a vehicle plate for those awarded the DFC.

[SandRat]

I'm waiting too.

[HiJinx]

Okay, The Gladiator is over now.
Time to see what's going on...

[SandRat]

FAMED KANSANS MEET--U.S. Vice President Charles Curtis from Kansas is shown here presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to Amelia Earhart by the U.S. Congress at Los Angeles on July 29, 1932. Gov. James Rolph (right) of California attended the ceremony which also dedicated the new state building in Los Angeles. Amelia was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross.