This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: AverageNCO

  • Midway Pilot’s Fini-Flight

    Robert Campbell

    The Chico Enterprise-Record passed along the sad news that Navy Cross recipient Robert Campbell, the last known living pilot from the Air Battle of Midway, passed away Sept. 8, at the age of 101.

    From the Enterprise-Record:

    “Campbell received 17 ribbons and medals. Among them is the Navy Cross and a Presidential Citation. He flew missions off the USS Yorktown, USS Saratoga and the USS Enterprise against the Japanese in the Pacific. In 1941, he joined the USS Saratoga Bombing Squadron 3, and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he participated in battles throughout the South Pacific.

    He earned the Navy Cross for his participation in the Air Battle of Midway in June 1942. He was involved in numerous battles during World War II, including Guadalcanal.”

    Campbell’s Navy Cross citation can be found on the Military Times Hall of Valor website: https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/21212

     

  • Cannon Crash Victims Identified

     

    The 27th Special Operations Wing has identified the three airmen killed earlier this week in a training accident.

    Captain Andrew Becker was a 33-year-old pilot from Novi, Michigan. He is survived by his spouse, mother, and father. Captain Kenneth Dalga was a 29-year-old combat systems officer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is survived by his spouse, son, and mother. First Lieutenant Frederick Dellecker was a 26-year-old co-pilot from Daytona Beach, Florida. He is survived by his mother and father. All three men were with the 318th Special Operations Squadron.

    This one hits close to home. I was stationed at Cannon for five years and was always impressed by the mission of the 318th SOS. They fly into remote and not always friendly AOR’s in aircraft with zero defense capabilities.

    Godspeed Gentlemen.

    http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2017/03/17/news/cannon-crash-victims-in-prime-of-their-lives/151423.html

     

  • Okinawa Hero Keith Harrer Passes

    Jonn loves to give me grief about the information I get from obituaries. So it’s only appropriate that my first replacement post comes from an obituary. In fairness, I don’t seek them out. I go where my keywords take me.

    Today’s keywords drew to me to the news that a hero from Okinawa passed away on January 27th.  Keith Harrer earned the Silver Star and Navy Cross in two amazing actions spaced apart by only 36 days. A portion of his Navy Cross cross citation reads that “Steadfastly refusing to leave his post for evacuation, he continued to man his gun and, after twice repulsing enemy attempts to put the machine gun back in operation, finally succeeded in destroying the crew as well as the gun itself. ”

    You can read both of his citations at the Hall of Valor website.

    http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=8301