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  • fl57caveman

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    not a MOH soldier, but very interesting..



    • NZEDGE > Legends > Warriors > Nancy Wake

      Nancy Wake

      19 April 2000

      Nancy Wake

      The White Mouse

      Story by Paul Stanley Ward
      Nancy Wake was the Allies’ most decorated servicewoman of WWII, and the Gestapo’s most-wanted person. They code-named her ‘The White Mouse’ because of her ability to elude capture. When war broke out she was a young woman married to a wealthy Frenchman living a life of luxury in cosmopolitan Marseilles. She became a saboteur, organiser and Resistance fighter who led an army of 7,000 Maquis troops in guerrilla warfare to sabotage the Nazis. Her story is one of daring, courage and optimism in the face of impossible odds.
      With a roar that makes both her name and nickname seem quaintly ironic this is Nancy at 89: “Somebody once asked me, ‘Have you ever been afraid?’ … Hah! I’ve never been afraid in my life.” The Sunday Times (South Africa) describes her as a real-life Charlotte Gray “whose exploits with the French Resistance make Sebastian Faulks’s fictional Charlotte Gray – read like an Enid Blyton girls’ school frolic.”


      much more..

      http://www.nzedge.com/legends/warriors/nancy-wake/
     

    fl57caveman

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    [h=2]Recipient Detail[/h]
    [h=4]DAY, GEORGE E.[/h]

    Rank: Major
    Organization: U.S. Air Force

    Company: Misty Super FAC's 100 Squadron
    Division:

    Born: 24 February 1925, Sioux City, Iowa
    Departed: Yes (07/27/2013)

    Entered Service At: Sioux City, Iowa
    G.O. Number:

    Date of Issue: 03/06/1976
    Accredited To: Iowa

    Place / Date: North Vietnam, 26 August 1967






    3257.jpg


    Citation
    On 26 August 1967, Col. Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire. His right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee was badly sprained. He was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured. After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Col. Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South Vietnam. Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few berries and uncooked frogs. He successfully evaded enemy patrols and reached the Ben Hai River, where he encountered U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, Col. Day swam across the river and entered the demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of direction and wandered aimlessly for several days. After several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was ambushed and recaptured by the Viet Cong, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hand and thigh. He was returned to the prison from which he had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his captors false information to questions put before him. Physically, Col. Day was totally debilitated and unable to perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many injuries, he continued to offer maximum resistance. His personal bravery in the face of deadly enemy pressure was significant in saving the lives of fellow aviators who were still flying against the enemy. Col. Day's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.
     

    fl57caveman

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    anyone remember this soldier...RIP Adm Denton, not a MOH holder, but highly decorated


    Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton JrVirginia Beach - Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.FORMER U.S. SENATOR, WAR HERO, AND RETIRED REAR ADMIRAL JEREMIAH ANDREW DENTON, Jr., 89, a native of Mobile, Alabama, died peacefully on March 28, 2014, in Virginia Beach, Virginia surrounded by family. Admiral Denton was educated at the McGill Institute, Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating with honors in June 1946. He earned a Masters Degree in International Relations from George Washington University in 1964. He was married to Jane Maury Denton, also of Mobile, in June, 1946 until she passed away in November 2007. He and Jane Denton had raised seven children. He subsequently married Mary Belle Bordone, widow of a former squadron mate and close friend, Captain Richard "Deke" Bordone. Admiral Denton's naval career was spent largely as an aircraft carrier-based pilot. He was on the front lines of several of the key crises of the Cold War. In the 1950's as mere lieutenant, he conceived a revolutionary fleet deployment concept, nicknamed "Haystack," subsequently implemented by the Pentagon, which revolutionized the way the navy deployed its ships, so as to ensure that a single Russian nuclear attack could not destroy an entire fleet of navy ships. In October 1962 he was poised to launch from the deck of the USS Independence to lead a squadron of bombers against Soviet installed nuclear-equipped ballistic missiles in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Three years later, in July 1965, in another conflict on the other side of the world, Denton's A-6 Intruder was shot down on a mission while leading a bombing raid of twenty-eight jets over North Vietnam after launching from the deck of the USS Independence stationed in the Tonkin Gulf. He was held captive for seven years and seven months in Hanoi during which he endured repeated and prolonged torture, as well as solitary confinement for four years, two of which were in the notorious prison camp, Alcatraz. While a prisoner, he was a leader of other POW's, and defied his captors' efforts to use him for propaganda purposes. In one such propaganda attempt, when asked what he thought of the Vietnam War, he replied, "Whatever the position of my government is, I support it fully. ... I am a member of that government. It is my job to support it, and I will as long as I live." While making this statement he was also blinking the word "TORTURE" in Morse code over and over, confirming for the first time to the American government that the POW's were in-fact being tortured. Upon release at the end of the war, Denton spoke briefly on the tarmac as he stepped off the plane onto free soil, and, speaking on behalf of the prisoners, he expressed their pride for having had the opportunity to serve the country "under difficult circumstances" and their gratitude to the President and the nation for having secured their freedom under honorable circumstances, ending spontaneously with the words "God Bless America" and a crisp salute to the flag in a transfixing display of patriotism that brought tears to the eyes of an entire nation.He subsequently became Commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and thereafter retired from the Navy in 1977 and to Mobile, Alabama, to fish, play golf, and enjoy his family.Not finished with service to his nation, in November 1981 Denton was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from 1981-1987, as the first Republican elected to statewide office in Alabama since Reconstruction. While in the Senate he distinguished himself as a member of the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees, as well as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, where he was an outspoken anti-communist and advocate for political freedom internationally and the nuclear family domestically. In the Senate he sponsored legislation known as "the Denton Program" which allowed American military aircraft flying training missions to third world countries to carry surplus humanitarian aid to those countries, and also initiated a highly successful effort to allow the adoption here of Amerasian orphans fathered during the Vietnam War. This was accomplished at a time before the United States and Vietnam had restored diplomatic relations and was widely praised by Americans of all political persuasions. Although deeply conservative in his political views, he was on very good terms with Edward Kennedy, Joseph Biden and many other prominent American liberals.In two of many honors bestowed on him for his courage as prisoner of war, the United States Navy awarded him its highest medal, the Navy Cross, and renamed the legendary POW "SERE" survival school in New Brunswick, Maine after him. He was also member of many distinguished organizations, including the Golden Eagles. Denton was a profoundly devout Roman Catholic all of his life and a "Knight of Magistral Grace" in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as well as member of Saint Bede's Parish in Williamsburg.He is survived by his wife Mary Belle Bordone and his children, Jeremiah A. Denton III, his wife, Mona, Donald M. Denton, his wife, Mary, James S. Denton, his wife, Marilyn, William C. Denton, Madeleine D. Doak, her husband, Terry, Michael C. Denton, his wife, Katherine, and Mary D. Lewis, twenty-two grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as his brother Leo Denton, of Mobile, Alabama. -
     

    fl57caveman

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    [h=4]KETTLES, CHARLES S.[/h]

    Rank: Major
    Organization: U.S. Army

    Company: 176th Assault Helicopter Company
    Division: 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, Task Force Oregon

    Born: January 9, 1930, Ypsitanti, Michigan
    Departed: No

    Entered Service At:
    G.O. Number:

    Date of Issue: 07/18/2016
    Accredited To:

    Place / Date: Near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, May 15, 1967






    3521.jpg


    Citation
    On 15 May 1967, Major Kettles, upon learning that an airborne infantry unit had suffered casualties during an intense firefight with the enemy, immediately volunteered to lead a flight of six UH-1D helicopters to carry reinforcements to the embattled force and to evacuate wounded personnel. Enemy small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire raked the landing zone, inflicting heavy damage to the helicopters; however, Major Kettles refused to depart until all helicopters were loaded to capacity. He then returned to the battlefield, with full knowledge of the intense enemy fire awaiting his arrival, to bring more reinforcements, landing in the midst of enemy mortar and automatic weapons fire that seriously wounded his gunner and severely damaged his aircraft. Upon departing, Major Kettles was advised by another helicopter crew that he had fuel streaming out of his aircraft. Despite the risk posed by the leaking fuel, he nursed the damaged aircraft back to base. Later that day, the Infantry Battalion Commander requested immediate, emergency extraction of the remaining 40 troops, including four members of Major Kettles' unit who were stranded when their helicopter was destroyed by enemy fire. With only one flyable UH-1 helicopter remaining, Major Kettles volunteered to return to the deadly landing zone for a third time, leading a flight of six evacuation helicopters, five of which were from the 161st Aviation Company. During the extraction, Major Kettles was informed by the last helicopter that all personnel were onboard, and departed the landing zone accordingly. Army gunships supporting the evacuation also departed the area. Once airborne, Major Kettles was advised that eight troops had been unable to reach the evacuation helicopters due to the intense enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, Major Kettles passed the lead to another helicopter and returned to the landing zone to rescue the remaining troops. Without gunship, artillery, or tactical aircraft support, the enemy concentrated all firepower on his lone aircraft, which was immediately damaged by a mortar round that shattered both front windshields and the chin bubble and was further raked by small arms and machine gun fire. Despite the intense enemy fire, Major Kettles maintained control of the aircraft and situation, allowing time for the remaining eight soldiers to board the aircraft. In spite of the severe damage to his helicopter, Major Kettles once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged aircraft to safety. Without his courageous actions and superior flying skills, the last group of soldiers and his crew would never have made it off the battlefield. Major Kettles' selfless acts of repeated valor and determination are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.
     

    Rapier

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    This is the official citation but is a very light weight account of the action that got the only MOH award to a PJ. For example, what is not included is when he was found in the field hospital, he had three wounded GIs, still alive under him, he was out of grenades and ammo, he had been shot six times while protecting the wounded with his body. He had over a dozen dead enemy around him.

    I had the absolute privilage of having dinner with Pitts' mother and dad plus his two partners at the dedication of the PJ school's barracks building in his name. My son was the elected (by the men) representative of the 38th to the MOH ceremony.
    Saving lives at any cost is a PJ's life and they hold more Air Force Cross medals than any other group, on a per capita basis. But because it is their job to recover and rescue men their job makes them ineligible for "above and beyond the call of duty."

    A1C WILLIAM H. PITSENBARGER

    UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
    for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Cam My, April 11, 1966:

    Rank and organization: Airman First Class, U.S. Air Force, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.

    Place and date: Near Cam My, April 11, 1966

    Entered service at: Piqua, Ohio

    Born: July 8, 1944, Piqua, Ohio

    Citation:

    Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on April 11, 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an on-going firefight between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division and a sizable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited. As each of the nine casualties evacuated that day were recovered, Pitsenbarger refused evacuation in order to get one more wounded soldier to safety. After several pick-ups, one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene for an emergency landing. Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind, on the ground, to perform medical duties. Shortly thereafter, the area came under sniper and mortar fire. During a subsequent attempt to evacuate the site, American forces came under heavy assault by a large Viet Cong force. When the enemy launched the assault, the evacuation was called off and Airman Pitsenbarger took up arms with the besieged infantrymen. He courageously resisted the enemy, braving intense gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders. As the battle raged on, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to care for the wounded, pull them out of the line of fire, and return fire whenever he could, during which time, he was wounded three times. Despite his wounds, he valiantly fought on, simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible. In the vicious fighting which followed, the American forces suffered 80 percent casualties as their perimeter was breached, and airman Pitsenbarger was finally fatally wounded. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. His bravery and determination exemplify the highest professional standards and traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Air Force.

    A movie of Pitts' life has been made but not released, the initial title is "The Last Full Measure."
    Ed
     

    fl57caveman

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    John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"

    SALUTE SOLDIER. JOB WELL DONE. OUT.
     

    fl57caveman

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    [h=4]COPAS, ARDIE R.[/h] Rank: Specialist Fourth Class
    Organization: U.S. Army

    Company:
    Division:

    Born: August, 29, 1950, Fort Pierce, FL
    Departed: Yes (05/12/1970)

    Entered Service At: Fort Pierce, FL
    G.O. Number:

    Date of Issue: 03/18/2014
    Accredited To:

    Place / Date: May 12, 1970, Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia






    u-s-army.jpg


    Citation
    Specialist Four Ardie R. Copas distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Machinegunner in Company C, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy near Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia on May 12, 1970. That morning, Specialist Four Copas' company was suddenly attacked by a large hostile force firing recoilless rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons. As Specialist Four Copas began returning fire, his armored car was struck by an enemy recoilless round, knocking him to the ground and injuring four American Soldiers beside the vehicle. Ignoring his own wounds, Specialist Four Copas quickly remounted the burning vehicle and commenced firing his machinegun at the belligerents. Braving the hostile fire directed at him and the possible detonation of the mortar rounds inside the track, Specialist Four Copas maintained a heavy volume of suppressive fire on the foe while the wounded Americans were safely evacuated. Undaunted, Specialist Four Copas continued to place devastating volleys of fire upon the adversary until he was mortally wounded when another enemy round hit his vehicle. Specialist Four Copas' daring action resulted in the safe evacuation of his comrades. Specialist Four Copas' extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
     

    fl57caveman

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    one of the last surviving sailors from the USS Arizona has died..


    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...rizona-survivor-raymond-haerry-dies/91719966/

    PHOENIX — Raymond Haerry ran away from home to join the Navy and landed in the middle of history.
    Haerry was barely 18 when he enlisted in early 1940. He had enrolled at MIT after finishing high school in New Jersey, but he didn’t like his classes and finally dropped out. In September 1940, he joined the USS Arizona as its crew prepared the mighty battleship for war.
     

    rtprthd

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    Can't remember if I've said it before, but thanks for sharing caveman. I always like seeing that there's a new post in my Tapatalk feed from this thread.

    Been to Pearl Harbor before. Even as a stubborn-know-it-all-dont-care kid it was quite humbling and moving. One thing I will never forget was seeing a Japanese man at the memorial crying. I assume for the lives taken, and for all the other lives taken as a result. If you ever get the opportunity, go!

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     

    Rapier

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    On the 65th anniverary, members of the guard unit at the Arizona memorial, went through the recovery group at the orthopedic teaching hospital at Hickam recruiting military volunteers to help raise flags on the Arizona to raise funds for the support of the memorial. My son was in the hospital at the time, recovering from his first knee surgery. He put on hiss class As and went down with the other volunteers to take turns raising the flags. When the flag raising was compleated, he bought two of the flags he had raised, one for his father in-law, a retired Navy vet from the state of Arizona, special forvhim, and the other was for me. But the story does not end there, the Captian then took the flags to Okinawa, where he jumped them onto the island, joining the first and last of the battles of WWII. Then the two flags were sent to the two dads. When the father in-law died he was buried under that flag.

    My flag sits in a walnut and glass triangular flag case on a head high shelf in my library, directly across the room from the entry door. It sets on a shelf with the brass and CIB from a 101st paratrooper's uniform, a paratrooper from Bastogne.

    This is a comment on teaching your children about history and teaching them to respect those that came before them and their sacrifices.
    Ed
     

    fl57caveman

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    Can't remember if I've said it before, but thanks for sharing caveman. I always like seeing that there's a new post in my Tapatalk feed from this thread.

    Been to Pearl Harbor before. Even as a stubborn-know-it-all-dont-care kid it was quite humbling and moving. One thing I will never forget was seeing a Japanese man at the memorial crying. I assume for the lives taken, and for all the other lives taken as a result. If you ever get the opportunity, go!

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

    the memories must be kept alive, as the NWO is revising history books even as we speak, to revise history books....to reclassify the past wars and events

    in years to come, WWII will called the war of western aggression against people of color, and the holocaust is already being disputed by the muslems, who were complicit with the Nazis to exterminate Jews...they are trying to say it never happened..


    if the internet is turned over to the IIC, as planned by the poc fake potus we have now, it will speed up faster,
    free speech will be called hate speech, and those who speak the truth will be racists and be arrested..


    buy ammo every chance you get, as the next war will be a guerilla war against the havenots and govt titsuckers and the UN troops MHO
     

    fl57caveman

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    http://www.weeklystandard.com/matti...he-smartest-minds-of-our-time/article/2005627

    Gen Mattis is not a MOH holder, but worthy of respect...


    "The route he chose was dictated by the Gold Star Mothers he had to visit along the way," says his longtime friend, retired Marine Maj. Gen. Michael Ennis, who first met Mattis in 1972, when they were both new officers. "He spent almost two weeks on that cross-country drive, zig-zagging to get to as many as he could to personally talk to them."


    57319811.jpg
     
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    fl57caveman

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    I am an American Soldier.
    I am a warrior and a member of a team.
    I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.
    I will always place the mission first.
    I will never accept defeat.
    I will never quit.
    I will never leave a fallen comrade.
    I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
    I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
    I am an expert and I am a professional.
    I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
    I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
    I am an American Soldier.





    Salute to all who serve, and have served. May God bless you.
     

    fl57caveman

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    Considered one of the top battlefield commanders in world history, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore established his place in military history in 1965 when he led his vastly outnumbered troops to prevail in the first major battle of the Vietnam War. Both on the battlefield and off, he has spent his lifetime studying and encouraging strong, principled leadership as a soldier and a human being. Here are his 17 leadership precepts:
    1. Three strikes and you’re not out! There is always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor.?
    2. A leader must ask, “What am I doing that I should not be doing, and what am I not doing that I should be doing?”?
    3. A leader must be visible and exhibit confidence under any set of circumstances. The determination to prevail must be felt by all.?
    4. A leader must always be ready! When there is nothing going wrong, there’s nothing going wrong except there is nothing going wrong.?
    5. Trust your instincts. Instincts and intuition give you an immediate estimation of a situation.?
    6. Everything in leadership boils down to judgment. Intelligence and good character does not imply you have good judgment.?
    7. Study history and leadership qualities. Pay special attention to why leaders fail.?
    8. A person in a position of authority does not automatically become immediately respected or trusted. This is earned.?
    9. Every person in an organization is as important and necessary to a mission as the next person. That goes from the top to the bottom.?
    10. Instill the will to win. There can be no second-place trophies on display—awarded or accepted.?
    11. Never deprive a person of their self-respect. NEVER!?
    12. To do well in any field of endeavor, it is an advantage to work with good people.?
    13. Strive to have one or two people around you who are totally trustworthy.?
    14. Spend quality time with the team, learning who they are and what motivates them. Create a family.?
    15. Great leaders learn to lead self first. Before you can lead others, leading self successfully must be accomplished day in and day out.?
    16. Successful leaders create the future.?
    17. Leaders must lead. Be the first boots on the ground and the last boots off.
    When we go into battle, I will be the first one to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off. And I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will come home together. So help me God.” —Lt. Co. Hal Moore, August 1965, Fort Benning, Ga.



    R.I.P soldier, well done.
     

    fl57caveman

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    President speaking now about this;



    [h=4]POWERS, JOHN JAMES[/h]

    Rank: Lieutenant
    Organization: U.S. Navy

    Company:
    Division:

    Born: 13 July 1912, New York City, N.Y.
    Departed: Yes

    Entered Service At:
    G.O. Number:

    Date of Issue:
    Accredited To:

    Place / Date:






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    Citation
    For distinguished and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while pilot of an airplane of Bombing Squadron 5, Lt. Powers participated, with his squadron, in 5 engagements with Japanese forces in the Coral Sea area and adjacent waters during the period 4 to 8 May 1942. Three attacks were made on enemy objectives at or near Tulagi on 4 May. In these attacks he scored a direct hit which instantly demolished a large enemy gunboat or destroyer and is credited with 2 close misses, 1 of which severely damaged a large aircraft tender, the other damaging a 20,000-ton transport. He fearlessly strafed a gunboat, firing all his ammunition into it amid intense antiaircraft fire. This gunboat was then observed to be leaving a heavy oil slick in its wake and later was seen beached on a nearby island. On 7 May, an attack was launched against an enemy airplane carrier and other units of the enemy's invasion force. He fearlessly led his attack section of 3 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers, to attack the carrier. On this occasion he dived in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire, to an altitude well below the safety altitude, at the risk of his life and almost certain damage to his own plane, in order that he might positively obtain a hit in a vital part of the ship, which would insure her complete destruction. This bomb hit was noted by many pilots and observers to cause a tremendous explosion engulfing the ship in a mass of flame, smoke, and debris. The ship sank soon after. That evening, in his capacity as Squadron Gunnery Officer, Lt. Powers gave a lecture to the squadron on point-of-aim and diving technique. During this discourse he advocated low release point in order to insure greater accuracy; yet he stressed the danger not only from enemy fire and the resultant low pull-out, but from own bomb blast and bomb fragments. Thus his low-dive bombing attacks were deliberate and premeditated, since he well knew and realized the dangers of such tactics, but went far beyond the call of duty in order to further the cause which he knew to be right. The next morning, 8 May, as the pilots of the attack group left the ready room to man planes, his indomitable spirit and leadership were well expressed in his own words, "Remember the folks back home are counting on us. 1 am going to get a hit if 1 have to lay it on their flight deck.'' He led his section of dive bombers down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, through a wall of bursting antiaircraft shells and into the face of enemy fighter planes. Again, completely disregarding the safety altitude and without fear or concern for his safety, Lt. Powers courageously pressed home his attack, almost to the very deck of an enemy carrier and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit. He was last seen attempting recovery from his dive at the extremely low altitude of 200 feet, and amid a terrific barrage of shell and bomb fragments, smoke, flame and debris from the stricken vessel.
     

    fl57caveman

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    [h=4]KINSMAN, THOMAS JAMES[/h] Rank: Private First Class
    Organization: U.S. Army

    Company: Company B, 3d Battalion
    Division: 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division

    Born: 4 March 1945, Renton, Wash.
    Departed: Yes (05/15/2017)

    Entered Service At: Seattle, Wash.
    G.O. Number:

    Date of Issue: 05/17/1969
    Accredited To: Seattle, WA

    Place / Date: Near Vinh Long, Republic of Vietnam, 6 February 1968






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    Citation
    For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty Sp4c. Kinsman (then Pfc.) distinguished himself in action in the afternoon while serving as a rifleman with Company B, on a reconnaissance-in-force mission. As his company was proceeding up a narrow canal in armored troops carriers, it came under sudden and intense rocket, automatic weapons and small-arms fire from a well entrenched Viet Cong force. The company immediately beached and began assaulting the enemy bunker complex. Hampered by exceedingly dense undergrowth which limited visibility to 10 meters, a group of 8 men became cut off from the main body of the company. As they were moving through heavy enemy fire to effect a link-up, an enemy soldier in a concealed position hurled a grenade into their midst. Sp4c. Kinsman immediately alerted his comrades of the danger, then unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade and blocked the explosion with his body. As a result of his courageous action, he received severe head and chest wounds. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his personal safety and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, Sp4c. Kinsman averted loss of life and injury to the other 7 men of his element. Sp4c. Kinsman's extraordinary heroism at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army
     
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