FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Col Bud Mahurin ~ May 24, 2010

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[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Col. Bud Mahurin

(Info found here.)

           

Thank you to alfa6 for his suggestion of this hero!  What an incredible story this man had!  He is home now, guarding the streets of heaven.  God rest his soul.

Colonel Walker Melville "Bud" Mahurin (December 5, 1918 – May 11, 2010) was a retired officer of the United States Air Force (USAF). During World War II, while serving in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), he was a notable flying ace.

Bud Mahurin was the first American pilot to become a double ace in the European Theater and the only ace to shoot down enemy planes in both the European and Pacific Theaters and the Korean War. During World War II he was credited with 20.75 aerial victories, making him the sixth-highest American P-47 ace. He was credited with shooting down 3.5 MiG-15s in Korea, giving him a total of 24.25 aircraft destroyed in aerial combat.

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Born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Mahurin joined the U.S. Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet on September 29, 1941 after several years as an engineering student at Purdue University. Graduating from pilot training on April 29, 1942, he was subsequently assigned to the 63d Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group and deployed to England with the group in January 1943. Based at Halesworth, England, Captain Mahurin became a flight leader in the 63rd FS and began flying missions in May.

On August 17, 1943, he scored his first two aerial victories by shooting down a pair of German Focke-Wulf Fw 190s while escorting B-17 bombers as part of the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission. One of these fighters was flown by Major Wilhelm "Wutz" Galland, Gruppenkommandeur of II/JG 26, and an ace with some 55 claims to his credit. He became an ace on October 4 after shooting down three Messerschmitt Bf110s. On November 26, Mahurin shot down three more Bf-110s to become the first American pilot in the European Theater of Operations to score 10 aerial victories. His primary aircraft, P-47D-5-RE 42-8487, bore the squadron codes UN:M and was nicknamed The Spirit of Atlantic City, N.J.

Mahurin was promoted to major on March 21, 1944, and on March 27, Major Mahurin's P-47 was heavily damaged by a German Dornier Do-217 bomber he helped shoot down, forcing him to bail out. He was picked up by French Resistance forces and, two months later, returned to England. Due to his knowledge of the French Resistance, he was grounded and sent home.

In October, he again went overseas as commander of the 3rd Fighter Squadron, the combat element of the composite 3rd Air Commando Group in the Philippines. While based at Mangaldan, Luzon, in January 1945 he was credited with a kill of a Japanese bomber. Mahurin was promoted to lieutenant colonel on May 28, 1945 and became commander of the 3rd Air Commando Group in September 1945.

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In 1950, at the start of the Korean War, Mahurin was serving in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. In July 1951 he became commander of the 1st Fighter Group, training in the North American F-86 Sabre. In December he began a 90-day tour of temporary duty with the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, serving as special assistant to the wing commander, Col. Francis S. Gabreski. Mahurin transferred to the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on March 18, 1952, to command its 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group. On May 13, 1952, while strafing ground targets, his F-86 was shot down by North Korean ground fire; after crash-landing, breaking his arm in the process, he was captured by enemy forces.

Mahurin spent 16 months in a North Korean prisoner of war (POW) camp. He endured torture that included intense questioning, solitary confinement, sleep deprivation, threats of execution, and brainwashing. While being questioned about false claims of the United States' use of biological warfare, he falsely admitted to dropping canisters of insects over North Korea. He was later released in September 1953, well after the war's end, and promoted to full Colonel. His experience in brainwashing techniques provided the U.S. with invaluable material to develop survival training courses. Nevertheless, he and other returning POWs were condemned by Senator Richard Russell, Jr. and others because of their false confessions.

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In 1956, Mahurin retired from the U.S. Air Force to accept a senior position in the aviation industry. While the Air Force attributes this to his own choice, stating that he was low on the promotion list to permanent colonel and unlikely to make general, a pilot under his command in Korea, Robert Smith, asserts that the Air Force dishonored itself by pressuring Mahurin to resign from the service as a result of political infighting over the confessions, just four years short of becoming eligible for retirement benefits.

Link to an interview with Col. Mahurin here.

More here.

Thank you, sir, for your service and sacrifice!

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and rest well, HJ. Thank you for your service to our country and for helping honor our troops.

[oldteen]

I agree. And then to call and ask if she could eat the beans? Some people have absolutely no sense whatsoever!

[Loud Mime]

Our family knew Col. Mahurin and his family. My Father served with him twice, and then worked with him at North American during the Apollo mission. Dad, as an OSI agent, was one of the people who interviewed Col. Mahurin after his release from Korea.

Both Mom and Dad said he was a good man. Both read of his death with sadness. But, on the good side, it has them contacting some of their old friends.

[Loud Mime]

Kathy....thanks for your work on this. It’s going to the entire family.

[Kathy in Alaska]

wh!!

Thanks, unique, for the woohoo!!

Taz.....#50!!
teen.....#100!!
HJ.....#150!!

[BIGLOOK]

Not very often. I get lulled by sun shiny afternoons even after all these years in Hilo and get caught in 'passing showers' everytime.

Our dryers here work overtime.

[oldteen]

When it changes that fast, does it dry out quick?

[oldteen]

Well folks, it’s that time. I need to wrap it up for the night. Have a great Monday and hope to be back tomorrow! G’night!! *HUGS* around!!

[BIGLOOK]

Sometimes.....

When I first came to the Big Island, the weather was perfect, rain during the night and sunny through the day. But in March it started raining, everyday, day and night for six months straight.

But on the bright side, it only took a month and a half to dry out, for which everyone was grateful.

[BIGLOOK]

But we always have these a plenty...



and so should you.

Aloha po, Teenster.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and sleep tight, teen *HUGS* Thanks for helping honor and entertain our troops. And a good Monday to you as well.

[Kathy in Alaska]

I can just imagine the dryer loads a day just to dry the “rain” stuff.

Gotta watch out for that lulling problem. LOL! I have an umbrella somewhere in my car, but I don’t mind being rained on because it means WE HAVE RAIN, and going across a parking lot is about as far as I need to go. And, unlike you, it doesn’t rain every day. That would mean I’d have to find my umbrella.

[BIGLOOK]

The Sandman's sneaking up on me, Night Owl. Time to hit the rack.

Keep watch over our plovers......will ya?



Aloha po

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Mac, for the Missing Man Setting as we remember those who have given their all that we may gather safe and secure.

[Kathy in Alaska]

I'll watch them...Good night, Hawaii, and sleep well. Thanks for helping honor and entertain our troops and thanks for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Mayor, and thanks for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and rest well, Mac. Thanks for helping honor our troops, past and present. Thank you for your service to our country.

[MEG33]

....... For Your Dad, Sandrat

[MEG33]

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