Memorial Remembrance

[Suzuki Johnny]

WWII uncovered: Leonard Funk: The Most Decorated Paratrooper of World War II and Hero of Holzheim
First Sergeant Leonard Funk, Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division was the most decorated paratrooper of World War II, earning the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts, in addition to his Medal of Honor. .
First Sergeant Funk's Medal of Honor Citation reads as follows:
On January 29th, 1945 First Sergeant Leonard Funk distinguished himself by gallant, intrepid actions against the enemy. After advancing 15 miles in a driving snowstorm, the American force prepared to attack through waist-deep drifts. The Company Executive Officer became a casualty, and 1st Sgt. Funk immediately assumed his duties, forming Headquarters soldiers into a combat unit for an assault in the face of direct artillery shelling and harassing fire from the right flank. Under his skillful and courageous leadership, this miscellaneous group and the 3rd Platoon attacked 15 houses, cleared them, and took 30 prisoners without suffering a casualty. The fierce drive of Company C quickly overran Holzheim, netting some 80 prisoners, who were placed under a four-man guard, all that could be spared, while the rest of the understrength unit went about mopping up isolated points of resistance. An enemy patrol, by means of a ruse, succeeded in capturing the guards and freeing the prisoners, and had begun preparations to attack Company C from the rear when 1st Sgt. Funk walked around the building and into their midst. He was ordered to surrender by a German officer who pushed a machine pistol into his stomach. Although overwhelmingly outnumbered and facing almost certain death, 1st Sgt. Funk, pretending to comply with the order, began slowly to unsling his submachine-gun from his shoulder and then, with lightning motion, brought the muzzle into line and eliminated the German officer. He turned upon the other Germans, firing and shouting to the other Americans to seize the enemy's weapons. In the ensuing fight 21 Germans were eliminated, many wounded, and the remainder captured. First Sgt. Funk's bold action and heroic disregard for his own safety were directly responsible for the recapture of a vastly superior enemy force, which, if allowed to remain free, could have taken the widespread units of Company C by surprise and endangered the entire attack plan. (US Army)
After the war Leonard returned to McKeesport Pennsylvania and worked for the Veterans Administration near Pittsburgh until his retirement in 1972. In May 2018, he was inducted into the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame.
Pictured Leonard poses with Shorty, an 8-month-old puppy, attached to his parachute equipment. The pup belonged to a fellow soldier and went with him — successfully — on the jump.
First Sergeant Leonard Funk passed away on November 20, 1992 at the age of 76. He lies in rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Lest We Forget.
#ww2uncovered #honorourveterans #ww2 #airborne #AirborneAllTheWay #ww2veteran #greatestgeneration #WWIIveteran #AATW #MedalOfHonor #worldwar2 #paratrooper #worldwartwo #WorldWarII #armyairborne #82ndairbornedivision #82ndairborne #wwii #lestweforget
Original description and photo sourced by the following: US Signal Corps Archive, United States Army Center of Military History and ancestry.com

[Suzuki Johnny]

WWII uncovered: Staff Sergeant Donald Crossley: Highest Scoring Tail Gunner Ace of the ETO
Donald W. Crossley, of Wellsburg West Virginia, enlisted with the US Army on August 14, 1942 at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. Don was 21 years old. He was assigned to the 333BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF.
Staff Sergeant Crossley served as a tail gunner with the 95th Bomb Group- he is pictured in a position inside a B-17 Flying Fortress on the cover of the New York Times Magazine after being named "Tail Gunner of the Year" in the October 1943 issue.
"The Distinguished Flying Cross and an Oak Leaf Cluster- the equivalent of two DFC honors- have been award simultaneously to S/Sgt Donald Crossley, tail gunner of the US 8th Air Force. Crossley, the highest scoring aerial gunner in the ETO, has shot down 12 German planes in 23 heavy bomber missions. The possessor of the Air Medal and the Oak Leaf Clusters, Crossley added a second cluster to his new DFC within a few days when his twelfth "target" was confirmed. Crossley flew 321 combat missions between 1943 and 1945 that ranged from bombing a German aircraft factory while under heavy enemy fire to transporting liberated prisoners from Austria, France and England." (Original AP description on back of photograph)
After the war Don returned to Wellsburg West Virginia and resumed his position with the Follansbee Steel Company. Staff Sergeant Donald W. Crossley passed away on November 7, 1992 at the age of 71. He lies in rest at Brooke Cemetery in Follansbee West Virginia. Lest We Forget.
#ww2uncovered #worldwar2 #worldwarii #worldwartwo #greatestgeneration #ww2 #ww2veteran #ww2history #wwiiveteran #usarmy #SaluteToService #ww2planes #wwiihistory #WWII #WestVirginia #wv #lestweforget #Salute #ARMYAIRFORCE
Original description and photo sourced by: IWM, American Air Museum in Britain database, Wheeling News Register, New York Times Magazine (personal collection) and ancestry.com

[Suzuki Johnny]

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-ar ... dtf0N9OB7A

[Suzuki Johnny]

Dr Hal Kushner served with the 1st Squadron, 9th US Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He was captured today in 1967 just west of Tam Ky. The Viet Cong returned him home 6 years later to his wife and children in a prisoner exchange. He remained in the Army until 1986 when he retired at the rank of Colonel.
“We prisoners endured unspeakable horror, brutality and deprivation, and saw and experienced things no human should ever witness. Our mortality rate was almost 60%.
I cradled 20 dying men in my arms as they breathed their last and spoke of home and family; then we buried them in crude graves, marked with stones and bamboo, and eulogized them with words of sunshine and hope, country and family. The eulogies were for the survivors of course; they always are.
At my release in Hanoi six years later, I was shocked by the hair and dress of the reporters. Once home, I saw television and movies with frank profanity and sex. When I first deployed, Lucy and Desi slept in twin beds. I left Ozzie and Harriet and returned to Taxi Driver. What happened to my country? Why did we suffer and sacrifice?
When my helicopter crashed in 1967, I collided with one planet and returned to another. The Vietnam War, which was about one-fifth of the casualties of World War II but had lasted three times as long, had changed the country as much as the greatest cataclysm in world history. It had changed forever the way we think of government and ourselves. The country had lost its innocence - and, for a time, its confidence.
This war, which had such a great impact on my life, is a dim memory today. There are over 58,000 names on that wall, and it rates but a few pages in a high school history book.” - Hal Kushner, 1/9 USC, 1st Cav Div, Hanoi Hilton survivor. #vietnam #realitycheck #prisonerofwar #missinginaction #weareoscarmike

[Suzuki Johnny]

US paratrooper Joseph Beyrle served with the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Prior to the start of the Normandy invasions, Beyrle jumped twice into occupied France to coordinate, provide arms, and money to several French resistance units. He then jumped into France on D-Day, destroyed a enemy gun emplacement, was captured, escaped, and captured again. He was beaten nearly to death, his uniform and dog tags were taken from him. A German soldier attempted to infiltrate US lines dressed in Beyrle's uniform and was killed. The US War Department believed Beyrle had been killed in combat and notified his parents. His mother refused to believe her son was dead and continued to ignore the calls from the family to accept his death.
Beyrle was taken into captivity at an German controlled POW camp. He attempted to escape and was shot and wounded. He survived on minimum food and medical attention. Beyrle would be held in seven different POW camps and escaped again, this time the Gestapo was ready to shot him, claiming he was a spy. He escaped again and found his way to a Soviet armor brigade which was near the POW camp. Beyrle having knowledge of engines and mechanical background assisted the Soviet tank unit which was equipped with American made M4 Shermans. He served with armor unit commanded by a Soviet female officer and acted as a scout for the Russians against German positions. He was wounded again when German dive bombers attacked the Russian armor column.
He was taken to a Soviet hospital where he met Soviet Marshall Zhukov who was curious on how this American paratrooper ended up in a Soviet hospital. Zhukov was so impressed with Beryle's story he provided safe passage back to the US Embassy in Moscow.
Due to the US War Department believing Beyrle had been killed back in June 1944, the US government kept him under guard for several days until his dental records confirmed he was indeed Beyrle. Beyrle served more combat time with the Soviets than the Americans and received both US and Soviet citations.
Beyrle returned home and married his sweetheart by the same priest who two years earlier had held his funeral when his family believed he was dead.
Here is SGT Joseph Beyrle's Prisoner of War picture after he was captured again by the Germans.

[Suzuki Johnny]

P-47 Pilot Spares Then Salutes Parachuting Japanese Pilot After Dogfight

P-47 Pilot Spares Then Salutes Parachuting Japanese Pilot After Dogfight | World War Wings Videos
FlakAlley / Youtube
Respect
In December 1944, an encounter between Republic P-47D pilot Major Bill Dunham and a Japanese pilot over the Philippine Sea led to an unexpected show of compassion. Dunham downed the enemy aircraft – a Nakajima Ki-43. He had a clear shot of the Japanese pilot who bailed out of the plane. The Imperial Japanese Forces were known to shot Allied pilots who dangled from their parachutes but Dunham did nothing of the sort.

Dunham opted not to shoot the Japanese airman and he even tossed his own lifejacket. At the end of World War II, Dunham became a triple ace and in 1970, he retired as a U.S. Air Force Brigadier General.

[DevilsFan]

Rest In Peace, good sir. Your service is appreciated and your name won’t be forgotten. o7

[Herb]

I know this isn't about a specific person but it is a tale of heroism and tenacity against incredible odds.

The idea of flying one of the old TBDs into the guns of a battleship is horrific, just as the idea of a tin can taking on the Japanese Armada,
but these guys did it. THAT is true heroism.

https://thinlinenews.com/2021/12/06/wat ... nt-armada/

[Suzuki Johnny]

December 7, 1941, is a date that will live on in infamy. 80 years ago today, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. This dark day was the catalyst that launched the United States into World War II. I thank God for the men and women who gave their lives to protect our country. The Greatest Generation is disappearing quickly—there aren’t many left. Of the veterans who served in the Second World War, less than 2% are still alive. Ike Schab is 101 years old and is one of those who will be attending the 80th anniversary commemoration ceremony in Hawaii. He says he still remembers just trying to stay alive during the war.
If you know of a World War II veteran, reach out and thank them for their service and tell them—God bless you! If you had family members who served during this time in our nation’s history, take a minute to share their story with us in the comments below.

[Suzuki Johnny]

The True Story Of A 13-Year-Old Who Earned A Bronze Star Fighting In WWII And How It Was Taken Away
By Dan Doyle

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, Calvin Graham was, unbelievably, 12 years old when he entered the United States Navy. Of course, the reasonable questions would be, “How could he have gotten away with that?” But, he did, and before his 13th year was over he would be awarded a Bronze Star while serving on the USS South Dakota, a battleship serving in the Pacific.
First, we need to look at how Graham was able to get into the Navy at such a young age. According to the
Smithsonian, Graham was from Crockett, Texas. He was eleven years old and in the sixth grade when he hatched his plan to join the Navy. He was one of seven children, but his stepfather was abusive, so he and an older brother moved out and moved into a cheap rooming house.
Graham sold newspapers and delivered telegrams after school and on weekends to support himself. His mother would occasionally visit him and to sign report cards at the end of the semester. As a result of his situation, he already had to do things that would usually be the province of an adult. And because he was around newspapers everyday, he was fully aware of the news about the war.
He heard that some of his cousins had already died fighting in Europe. At that young age, he felt he knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to join the Navy and serve like his cousins had.

During WWII the minimum age for enlistment was 17, but you could enter at 16 with your parents consent. Graham, with his pre-adolescent thinking, started shaving at age 11, hoping that that would somehow make him look older when he met with recruiters.
He and a couple of his friends forged his mother’s name on the enlistment papers, and stole a notary stamp from a local hotel to make it look official. Then they went to enlist.
Graham was 5’2” and weighed 125 pounds. He had been practicing talking in a lower, deeper voice and when he went to take the physical he dressed in his older brother’s clothes. What he worried about the most was not that the forged signature of his mother would be discovered, but that the dentist who would be checking the recruits’ teeth may also be noting signs of their age. He lined up behind a couple of guys that he knew were already 14 and 15 years old. When the dentist identified him as a 12 year old, he just kept saying “17.”
This kid was savvy. He told the dentist that the two guys he just let go through in front of him weren’t 17, yet he had let them through. The dentist, probably more concerned for himself, relented and let him go through. It was not uncommon that boys would lie about their age to get into the service at this or any other time, but Graham was one of the successful ones who would actually get in.

Graham went to boot camp in San Diego. The drill instructors were aware that they probably had underage recruits and worked them harder in an effort to weed them out. They made them run further and carry heavier packs. But Graham stuck it out.
He was eventually assigned to the battleship USS South Dakota as a gunner. The South Dakota was part of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier Task Force 64 and she would be one of the most highly decorated ships in WWII. On October 26, 1942 the South Dakota and the carrier task force were on their way to help at the battle of Guadalcanal. When they were just off of the Santa Cruz Islands the task force came under attack by Japanese fighter planes intent on sinking the Enterprise. The USS South Dakota was responsible for helping to protect the Enterprise and during the battle it shot down 26 Japanese attack planes with her anti-aircraft batteries.
Seaman Calvin Graham, who had been in that battle on the South Dakota, turned 13 on November 6, 1942. On that day the Japanese attacked the airfield at Guadalcanal. On the 14th of November, Task Force 64, including the South Dakota and one other battleship, the USS Washington, were engaged by a large force of Japanese warships. This battle would go on for four days and would go down in history as the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
Late in the evening of the 14th the South Dakota found itself in a battle with 8 Japanese destroyers. She would take 42 hits from the guns of those destroyers, but would fire back with her 16” guns with deadly accuracy and set fire to and sink three of them. But, she would temporarily lose power because of the intense barrage from the destroyers.

Graham was manning his gun during this fight when he was struck in the face by shrapnel, tearing through his jaw and mouth. Another round struck nearby and it knocked him down and he fell down three decks. Dazed, he made it to his feet again.

Shells were still hitting the South Dakota at a furious pace, but Graham helped pull fellow crew members to safety, while others around him were being thrown overboard by shell explosions. He was taking belts off of the dead to make tourniquets for the wounded around him. One can only imagine the intensity of battle that this 13 year old found himself in, but he conducted himself like a man through it all.
The shrapnel that had hit him, knocked out his front teeth and he had suffered some flash burns from the guns and the shelling. Thirty-eight of his fellow crewmen were killed in action and 60 had been wounded. The Japanese believed that they had caused enough damage to the South Dakota to sink her and withdrew the remainder of their forces.
But the South Dakota did not sink. She limped back to the Brooklyn Naval yard for repairs. After its arrival in New York, newspapers chronicled her efforts in the Pacific. The ship and its crew received awards for their conduct at Guadalcanal and they also reported that our young seaman was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions during the battle, along with a Purple Heart. His mother saw the articles in the newspapers and wrote to the Navy revealing Graham’s true age.
Graham returned to Texas and was put in the brig at Corpus Christi for almost three months. While there, he wrote his sister and told her what was happening and she wrote to the newspapers about what the Navy was doing to this, in her words, “Baby Vet.” The Navy, affected by what they saw as “bad press,” released Graham from the brig, but stripped him of his medals and gave him a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age.
Graham struggled to find his way after that. He tried going back to school, got married at age 14 and had a child. But before he was 17 he would drop out of school and get divorced. He had a job as a welder in a Houston shipyard, and about to be drafted at 17, he joined the Marine Corps. During training he fell and broke his back and was discharged with a 20 percent service-connected disability. The only work he could find from then on was selling magazine subscriptions.
In 1976, Graham wrote to the newly elected President, Jimmy Carter, and told him his story. All he wanted was to be given an Honorable Discharge. In 1977 Texas Senators Lloyd Benson and John Tower introduced a bill to give him his Honorable Discharge and Carter approved it in 1978. His Bronze Star and other medals were restored, with the exception of the Purple Heart.

Calvin Graham died in 1992 at the age of 63. In 1994, two years after his death, the military awarded his Purple Heart to his family.
Calvin Graham’s life was not easy, coming from a broken family and a sixth grade education. Despite all of that, you have to respect his moxie. Though he got into the Navy by wit and a fair amount of trickery at the unbelievable age of 12 years old, when push came to shove he responded to the hellish realities of battle like a real man. His story seems improbable, but there it is. It happened. The times were different and the nation was in a struggle against two powerful foes on different sides of the planet and the military needed the personnel to fight on both fronts. In ordinary times this story would not have been possible, but this young man was a determined and unusual soul.
The Veterans site honors the memory of Calvin Graham, the youngest person to serve during WWII. We send our thanks and our condolences to his family.

May he now know “Fair winds and following seas.”

[Suzuki Johnny]

GOOD SPEED.
Charles Elwood Yeager (February 13, 1923 – December 7, 2020)


was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot. In 1947, he became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight.
Yeager's career began in World War II as a private in the United States Army Air Forces in 1941.[a] After serving as an aircraft mechanic, in September 1942 he entered enlisted pilot training and upon graduation was promoted to the rank of flight officer (the World War II USAAF equivalent to warrant officer), later achieving most of his aerial victories as a P-51 fighter pilot on the Western Front, where he was credited with 11.5 enemy aircraft.
After the war, Yeager became a test pilot of many types of aircraft, including experimental rocket-powered aircraft. As the first human to officially break the sound barrier, on October 14, 1947, he flew the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1 at an altitude of 45,000 feet (13,700 m), for which he won both the Collier and Mackay trophies in 1948. He then went on to break several other speed and altitude records.
Yeager later commanded fighter squadrons and wings in Germany, as well as in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In recognition of the outstanding performance ratings of those units, he was promoted to brigadier general in 1969, retiring on March 1, 1975. Yeager's three-war active-duty flying career spanned more than 30 years and took him to many parts of the world, including the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
Color by Johnny Sirlande for Historic photo restored in color
#ChuckYeager #rightstuff #heros #history

[Suzuki Johnny]

An Unsung Hero of WorldWar II
Jacqueline Cochran, (born on May 11, 1906) was the first woman pilot to break the sound barrier in 1953, setting more speed, distance and altitude records than any other pilot in history. Cochran set her famous record on May 18, 1953, when she flew a Canadair F-86 Sabre jet at an average speed of 652.337 mph, becoming the first woman to go "supersonic."
In addition to her many record-setting feats, the Florida native also the first woman to land and take off from an American built aircraft carrier across the Atlantic to support the British war effort prior to the United States entry into WWII.
Cochran served as wartime head of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during WWII (1943-44) where she supervised the training of hundreds of women pilots. Under her direction, the WASP pilots flew 60 million miles of operational flights and delivered over 12,000 aircraft of 78 different varieties over two years.
For her war efforts, she received the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. This true American hero died in 1980 at age 74.
https://fallenyetnotforgotten.com

[Suzuki Johnny]

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Bernice Frankel was born May 13, 1922 in New York City and would later change her name to Bea Arthur.
She enlisted at the age of 21 in early 1943 under her original name, Bernice Frankel. Appraisals from her her enlistment interviews described her conversation as “argumentative” and her attitude and manner as “over aggressive” -- fitting, given the cantankerous characters she would play later in life. In a handwritten note, the Marine interviewer remarked, “Officious--but probably a good worker -- if she has her own way!”
Frankel was stationed at Marine Corps and Navy air stations in Virginia and North Carolina during her career. First serving as a typist and truck driver she was promoted from corporal to sergeant to staff sergeant. She was honorably discharged in September 1945, married a fellow Marine (Private Robert Aurthur) shortly afterwards, and changed her name to Bea Arthur before enrolling in the Dramatic Workshop of the New School in New York in 1947.
Arthur enlisted into the Women's Reserve when she was just 21 years old, first serving as a typist and truck driver. She worked her way up to staff sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1945.
The Giant Killer book & page honors these incredible war heroes & patriots making sure their stories of valor and sacrifice are never forgotten. God Bless our Vets! Available now on Amazon & Walmart.

[Designer]

If I may make an entry here on your Thread, Suzuki Johnny:


Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Maj. Henry Elrod

Pearl Harbor wasn’t the only U.S. military base attacked by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. U.S. service members on tiny Wake Island, a strategic base about 2,300 miles further west from Oahu, also defended themselves from enemy invaders. Marine Corps Maj. Henry T. Elrod fought valiantly there in the skies and on land for more than two weeks. While he didn’t survive the battle, his bravery earned him the Medal of Honor.



Elrod was born Sept. 27, 1905, in Rebecca, Georgia, to parents Robert and Margaret. The family moved to Thomasville, Georgia, in 1911, where Elrod grew up with his younger sister, Kate. According to the Thomasville Times Enterprise, Elrod played football and baseball for Thomasville High School before attending the University of Georgia, where he played football for one year. He then transferred to Yale before joining the Marine Corps in 1927. Elrod received his commission as an officer four years later.

In May 1933, Elrod married Elizabeth Jackson. She was the niece of Navy Rear Adm. R.H. Jackson and went on to become a captain within the U.S. Marine Corps’ Women’s Reserve. By February 1935, Elrod had earned his wings as an aviator. He served at Quantico, Virginia, before being transferred to San Diego in 1938. In January 1941, he was sent to Hawaii to be the executive officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 211.

On Dec. 4, 1941, Elrod and 11 other pilots in his squadron flew F4F-3 Wildcats to Wake Island. Three days later — technically Dec. 8, 1941, because Wake is on the other side of the International Date Line — the Japanese attacked. Just like that, the U.S. had been thrust into World War II, and Elrod was in the thick of it. But as the simultaneous attack at Pearl Harbor lasted hours, the attack on Wake lasted 15 days.

At the start of the bombardment, eight of the 12 Wildcats in MFS 211 were destroyed. Even though the island’s shore defenses were still intact, this meant that only four fighter planes were left to fend off a massive number of enemy forces.

Over the span of several days, Marine Corps Capt. Elrod used one of those aircraft to keep several Japanese planes from landing on the island. He also single-handedly shot down two enemy fighters in a flight of 22. After that, he bombed and strafed the Japanese destroyer ship Kisaragi so many times that it sank. That feat made Elrod the first U.S. pilot to sink a warship from a fighter plane.

Eventually, Elrod’s plane suffered enough damage that it was no longer able to fly, and the remaining Wildcats were no longer airborne, either. In a last-ditch effort to save the island, Elrod helped organize the remaining troops on the ground — many of whom were civilians — into beach defense units to repel waves of Japanese troops trying to come ashore. Several times during that night, Elrod provided cover fire for unarmed ammunition carriers who were resupplying a gun emplacement.

Shortly before dawn on Dec. 23, a Japanese sailor who had hidden himself among the casualties on the beach shot Elrod as he was providing cover fire. He died instantly.

Wake fell to the enemy later that day. The Japanese didn’t surrender the island back to U.S. troops until the end of the war.

Despite the massive American losses recorded at Wake, Elrod’s determination in the air and as a leader on the ground was integral to the fight. On Nov. 8, 1946, Marine Corps Gen. A.A. Vandegrift presented the Medal of Honor to Elrod’s widow during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Elrod was initially buried on Wake, but he was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery in 1947.

His Medal of Honor is housed at the National Museum of the U.S. Marine Corps in Quantico, as are relic pieces of the aircraft he flew during the Wake battle. According to the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in which Elrod was inducted in 1995, the cowling of the plane he flew on the day he sank the Kisaragi is in the Smithsonian Institution.

Elrod’s heroics haven’t been forgotten in the Marine Corps. In 1985, a guided missile frigate was commissioned and named USS Elrod in his honor. A street is also named for him at Quantico.

[Suzuki Johnny]

On this day lost, but not forgotten. Robert E. Bennett III was born on December 8, 1942 to Robert E. Bennett, Sr. and Helen Rath Bennett. Robert Sr. was a WWII veteran.
Bennett entered the US Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps while in Springfield, NJ. He received an officer’s commission and attained the rank of First Lieutenant (1LT).
Bennett, known to his family as “Bobby” and to friends as “Woody” grew up as an only child in Springfield, NJ. He loved to hike, fish and hunt along the Appalachian Trail and the Delaware Water Gap. He was also a member of the Presbyterian church and played the trumpet in the high school band. He graduated from Newark College of Engineering, where he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1964.
Bennett learned to fly through the Air Force ROTC and trained at Warner Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia and Davis- Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where he began flying F-4 Phantom II fighter jets. Bennett was deployed to Vietnam in June 1967, just four months after he married Shannon, an Air Force nurse. Bennett served with the 558th Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed in Cam Rahn Bay.
Synopsis (from the POW Network) as to the circumstances behind being listed as MIA:
The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served a multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2), and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission type). The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around.
1Lt. Robert E. Bennett III was the bombardier navigator (rearseat) of an F4C aircraft which was assigned a close air support mission in South Vietnam on December 13, 1967. His aircraft, the number two plane in a flight of two, had delivered its ordnance and the crewmembers were instructed to drop the canisters in a river. They acknowledged the transmission and immediately thereafter they were seen to eject with good parachutes. The crew ejected due to loss of control.
Bennett and his pilot landed in a river (from coordinates, probably the Song Co Chien river, a large body of water separating Vinh Binh and Kien Hoa Provinces on the southern coast of Vietnam). According to Air Force records, one crewman was rescued uninjured, Captain Sahakara, the pilot of the aircraft. Defense Department records indicate that Bennett was the bombardier navigator of the aircraft. Bennett's parachute sank before rescue personnel could reach him.
Robert Bennett was listed as missing in action on December 13, 1967.
His remains were identified and returned to his family for burial in June 2012. He was buried on July 7, 2012 in Cedar Cemetery in Montrose, CO. He is survived by his wife, Shannon. Bennett was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal, RVN Gallantry Cross, RVN National Order 5/c, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnamese Campaign Medal.
Information provided by POW Network, William Bennett (cousin), various newspapers and NJVVMF.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Nancy Wake
As WWII’s most decorated woman, Nancy Wake was at the top of the Gestapo's most wanted list. Trained in hand-to-hand combat, espionage, sabotage, and able to drink her male counterparts under the table, she was known as one of the most fearsome resistance fighters of WWII. At one point during the war, she led 7,000 guerrilla fighters into a raid of a German gun factory and even killed an SS sentry with her bare hands. One of her comrades described her as “most feminine woman I know, until the fighting starts. Then, she is like five men.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Wake

[Designer]

Killed a guy with her bare hands!

Man,...I'm glad she was on our side!

[Suzuki Johnny]

"BIG TIME OPERATOR" 16 YEAR OLD AIRGUNNER RETIRES AFTER WINNING AIR MEDAL. Sergeant De Sales A Glover, of 237 McKee Place, Pittsburgh, PA, Liberator gunner who was recently awarded the Air Medal, is being retired from the US Air Force at the "Ripe old age" of sixteen. Grounded recently after completing six missions when it was discovered that he was under age, Glover probably will be sent home with an honourable discharge. According to Administration officials here, Glover enlisted in the Army on October 14, 1942- When he was only 14- by fibbing about his age. Taking part in the first US raid on Berlin and in the more recent one on Brunswick, he was one probable enemy fighter to his credit. Associated Press Photo Shows: Holding his machine-gun and wearing a "necklace" of ammunition, 16 year old Sgt De Sales A Glover, poses in front of a Liberator appropriately named "Big-Time Operator" 1544Y.' Handwritten caption on reverse: '458 BG discovered 16 year old gunner who completed 6 mission before being sent home.' Image Imperial War Museum. Find out about our latest research projects here: https://www.bishopg.ac.uk/course-subjects/archaeology

[Suzuki Johnny]

Semper Fi Medal of Honor Recipient Robert Jenkins Jr. who jumped on a grenade to save his Marine brothers.
Many of the service members who gave their lives in service to our country barely had a chance to begin their own. Marine Corps Private 1st Class Robert Jenkins Jr. falls into that category. What he lacked in age, he more than made up for in courage, commitment and dedication. For that, he earned the Medal of Honor.
Jenkins was born June 1, 1948, in Interlachen, Florida, just east of Gainesville. His mother said during a 1996 Tampa Tribune interview that he wanted to volunteer instead of being drafted.
Jenkins enlisted on Feb. 2, 1968, as the war in Vietnam was raging. Within five months, he was deployed to the Southeast Asian country. Attached to the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, Jenkins initially served as a scout and driver.
During the several months that he was in Vietnam, a lot of defensive battles broke out for control of U.S. Marine fire control support bases on or near the demilitarized zone, which split the north from the south. So, he was eventually assigned as a machine gunner with the battalion's Company C.
Early on the morning of March 5, 1969, Jenkins' 12-man reconnaissance team was prepared to defend Fire Support Base Argonne, just south of the DMZ, from an impending attack. When it came, a North Vietnamese Army platoon started bombarding them with fire from automatic weapons, mortars and grenades.
Jenkins and another private first class, Fred Ostrom, were fighting off the enemy together in a ditch when a North Vietnamese soldier threw a hand grenade at them. Jenkins immediately pushed Ostrom to the ground and jumped on top of him to shield him from the blast.
Ostrom survived. Jenkins did not. He was a few months shy of his 21st birthday. "He saved more than my life — I have two kids," Ostrom said.
U.S. helicopters eventually arrived at the scene to keep the North Vietnamese at bay long enough for the Marines to be airlifted out. Two other men in Jenkins' units were killed in the firefight. Six were wounded, including Ostrom.
Ostrom said that, while he only knew Jenkins for a few months, the young Marine left an indelible mark on his life.
"He was someone I could trust, someone I could count on," Ostrom told the Tampa Tribune. "What happened was in Robert's character. If it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else [he saved]. I am proud of him and I miss him."
The valor, courage and selflessness it requires to give your life for another was not overlooked the day of his death. Jenkins received a posthumous recommendation for the Medal of Honor. On April 20, 1970, his family accepted it on his behalf from Vice President Spiro Agnew during a White House ceremony.
When Jenkins' body was returned home, his family decided that he would be buried in Sister Spring Baptist Cemetery in his hometown.
In the decades since Jenkins' death, Interlachen has made a concerted effort to remember his sacrifices. Jenkins' high school was integrated in the 1970s and has since been renamed Robert Jenkins Middle School. The Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Memorial Park was built during the same decade, and a post office was eventually named in his honor.
But the biggest tribute may have been from Ostrom, the man Jenkins saved. When Ostrom first visited Jenkins' grave in 1995, he told the Tampa Bay Times that the plot was in disarray and not befitting a hero. So, he spent a year working with veterans organizations and Jenkins' family to get it cleaned up. By Veterans Day of 1996, a rededication ceremony was held for Jenkins, complete with a Medal of Honor headstone and a footstone donated by several veterans' groups.
The Giant Killer book & page honors these incredible war heroes making sure their stories of valor and sacrifice are never forgotten. God Bless our Vets!
Story by US DOD

[Suzuki Johnny]

Why Roger Donlon was the first Medal of Honor recipient in Vietnam:
Born and raised in New York, Roger Donlon enlisted in the into the Army — eventually qualifying for a position in the Special Forces community.
In 1964, Donlon was shipped off to Vietnam as a combat advisor to the South Vietnamese troops.
Days before the massive firefight that would earn him the Medal of Honor, Special Forces troops believed a conflict was brewing after a shootout took place between the South Vietnamese and their advisors at their base camp.
After investigating the deadly event, it appeared the shootout’s origin started with one of the South Vietnamese troops Donlon was training — a VC sympathizer. But they only realized that after the dust settled.
On Jul. 6, 1964, Donlon was on guard duty when the first enemy rounds started ripping through the American defenses.
Encountering a massive force, Donlon coordinated countermeasures with his men while the enemy announced over a P.A. system instructing the South Vietnamese troops to lay down their weapons as they only wanted to kill the Americans.
At this point, many of the VC sympathizers did as the voice had commanded them.
Moments later, Donlon spotted a zapper — or an enemy infiltrator — attempting to breach the front gate. He dashed toward them for a closer shot, but as he engaged his rifle — he realized he was out of ammo. He quickly yelled to a mortar pit nearby for a resupply. They tossed him need rounds, but they were still in a cardboard box. Without hesitation, Donlon loaded three rounds into his magazine and successfully engaged the enemy.
Facing a force of hundreds against the U.S. and ARVN dozens, Donlon and his men all agreed not to quit, and they would fight it out until the end.
That commitment drove Donlon to continue to coordinate defenses while running from position to position, resupplying his men. After five long hours and sustaining heavy losses, the allied forces managed to render a victory and hold their base camp.
After going home on leave for Thanksgiving, the phone rang and Donlon was informed his presence was wanted at the White House to receive the Medal of Honor.
Donlon was awarded the Medal of Honor on Dec. 5, 1964 — making him the first recipient of the MoH during the Vietnam War.
The Giant Killer book details the incredible life of Green Beret Captain Flaherty along with the harrowing stories from the men of the 101st Airborne in Vietnam. The Giant Killer FB page honors these incredible war heroes making sure their stories of valor and sacrifice are never forgotten. God Bless our Vets!
Story by Tim Kirkpatrick