Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter - The Distinguished Flying Cross Society

Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
Inside this issue:
President’s Message- Chairman's Message
2-3
‘Last man standing” Lt. Gibian
4-5
Avenue of Heroes - DFC citations
6-7
Citations - Navy Maverick
8-9-10
Convention info - Chapter News
11-12
Spectre C-130 Gunship
15-16
Memorabilia
20-21
I
am not sure where the time
has gone and guess I’m behind
the power curve again, so will try
and catch you up with what is
happening in the DFC Society.
The process for our new Membership Directory is moving along
quite well. We teamed up with
Publishing Concepts Inc. (PCI) to publish a new
directory and, through this partnership, we are
receiving updated member data. Phase One, telephone interviews, is complete, and we are now
in Phase Two, e-mail and snail-mail contacts,
which enables you to add, correct, or update details of your military service, as well as submit
military and current photos of yourself. If you do
not have an email address on file, you will receive
a letter via USPS asking for the same information.
A return-addressed envelope will be included.
We expect Phase Two to complete over the next
couple of months, at which time we will begin the
final Phase Three, editing.
Presidents Message
Greg Mac Neil and his team completed the rebranding of the DFC Society. The newly branded memorabilia items include a solid brass license plate frame, an
embroidered baseball cap, challenge coin key fob, polo shirt, coffee mug, bumper sticker, window decal,
and challenge coin. All of these items were introduced before Christmas and are quite popular. They
make very effective marketing pieces, as you never
know who will ask questions about the DFC Society
when they notice these items. Be proud of your
membership in the DFCS and display your membership to everyone.
Also, don’t forget, “On Heroic Wings: Stories of the
Distinguished Flying Cross” which not only advertises
the Society but also educates the public of the history
of the DFC and the heroes who were awarded this
prestigious medal. We are proud that this book is a
great tool for American youths to learn about the values of courage, patriotism and character - those very
characteristics upon which America was founded.
It is anticipated that the Member Directory and
products purchased will be shipped in midsummer 2016. To date, this project has brought
approximately 150 former members back into the
Society and hundreds of changes to our Master
Database i.e. updated addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. We believe this project is very successful and that our communication with you, our members, will be greatly enhanced. Thank you.
Members with internet received an e-blast about the
2015 White House Christmas Ornament honoring the
presidency of Calvin Coolidge. President Coolidge
served as the 13th president of the United States from
1923 to 1929. The ornament depictions the White
House National Christmas Tree and is crafted from
shiny brass plated with nickel and 24k gold. It has the
DFC medal predominately centered. The tree is illuminated from within and has ornaments representing
the events of Coolidge’s unique life and presidency.
The DFC Society 2016 Convention will be in Dallas, TX between September 25th – 29th.. Joe Geary
and Rick Graham are heading up the Convention
Committee, and they are planning an event you
won’t want to miss. We have a great guest
speaker, Eileen Collins, Astronaut and DFC Society member, scheduled to speak at the Banquet.
We are lining up another DFC Society member, a
female War Fighter, to speak on Monday. These
two speakers will emphasize the Convention
theme, “Heroic Women of the DFC”. You will be
sorry if you miss this convention! See the article
in this issue for more information. The Spring
2016 issue of “DFCS News Magazine” will have
specific details and an itinerary.
An office holder of the White House Historical Association who is a DFC Society member, made a personal
appeal to the DFC Society to call attention to this
year’s ornament displaying the DFC medal. The White
House Association has no political affiliation other
than the preservation of the history of the White
House itself. The White House Historical Association,
founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is a private, non-profit organization with
a mission to enhance the public's understanding,
appreciation, and enjoyment of the White House its
self.
Page 2
The ornament might still be available from the White
House Historical Association call 800-555-2451 to
order.
Cont’d President’s Message
On a sad note, there was an article in the last issue about Fritz Payne, America’s oldest living
ace, joining the DFC Society. Fritz had wanted to
join the Society and did so the day after he
turned 104 years old. Unfortunately, he made
his last flight west shortly after he joined but, he
knew he was a member before he took that
flight west. He also received the Congressional
Gold Medal at the Palm Springs Air Museum on
Memorial Day, 2015. Fritz was not only a real
hero, but a very down-to-earth individual who
had many fascinating stories to tell. I was fortunate to meet him on board the USS Stennis on
February 12, 2011, while celebrating the Centennial of Naval Aviation.
I would like to personally congratulate Nash
Lamb on being voted for another term on the
Board and welcome our two new Directors, TJ
McGrath and Rick Graham. Rick not only is the
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
President of the North Texas Chapter but, is also on
the 2016 Convention Committee. TJ brings a long and
impressive background in aviation. I would also like to
acknowledge and thank the 395 DFCS members who
made the effort and voted for these directors. It is my
hope that we have a greater percentage of members
to vote in the next National Election in November
2016. Remember that you fought for our freedom
which includes the right to vote for our leaders and, if
you don’t vote, you are tossing away a freedom you
actually risked your life to maintain.
Thank you all for your service to our great country and
for your support of the Society through your membership and volunteer service. I wish you a Very Merry
Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year.
Chuck Sweeney,
President/CEO
The Chairman’s Message
A
s we draw the curtain to a
close on 2015 and the achievements of The Distinguished Flying
Cross Society within 2015, I would
like to personally extend my very
best wishes to each of you and your
families for the upcoming holiday
period and New Year. I am honored to serve as
your Chairman
I am reminded of a quote from Robert F. Kennedy:
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself;
but each of us can work to change a small portion
of events, and in the total of all those acts will be
written the history of this generation.”
Each DFC Society member has added their own
contribution in making history by being a recipient
of the Distinguished Flying Cross. The challenge for
our Society is to move forward and capture ‘the
total of those acts’ and write the aviation history of
our generation. In the year ahead we have a plan
that has been initially supported with generous
contributions and will allow us to begin its implementation. We have not begun to come close to
Page 3
reaching our final goal but, we are taking the first
steps of our journey.
The 2016 DFC Society Convention will be in Dallas,
TX and promises to be a hallmark, as we honor a
new and special segment of our history, ‘Heroic
Women of the DFC’. There may also be a special surprise that will include veterans of the most highlydecorated, heroic unit in the United States Air Force.
We have the venue, we have the speakers, and we
have the events to hold your interest. All that’s
missing is your commitment to join us and share in
something that is shaping up to be truly special.
In closing, I would hope you all share in my excitement about our prospects in the year ahead. We
have brought new energy to our Board and, we will
be realigning our officers to better serve our chapters and membership.
To paraphrase another
tale, ‘Best wishes to all
and to all a good
night!’.
Bruce Huffman
Chairman
Lt Gibian ’Last Man Standing’
S
ELMA – A few days ago, World War II fighter
pilot Richard Gibian got a phone call from Texas
telling him to expect a package and to enjoy what
was inside without sampling it.
Intrigued by the call from the son of one of his
squadron buddies, Gibian waited anxiously for the
package to arrive so he could examine the contents.
It didn't take long to open the box, and when he
pulled out a bottle of St. Remy brandy, he knew he
had just received a special gift from someone who
admired him.
The military practice of "assigning" someone to be
the caretaker of a bottle of wine or whiskey has
been emulated many times through the years, as
combat veterans create clubs that eventually dissolve once "The last man standing" passes into Valhalla.
Eventually, a toast is
made by the last
"caretaker" in honor of
comrades no longer
among the living —
those who had fallen in
war and peace.
At the age of 95, Gibian
knows it may not be that
long before he joins his
long gone wing-mates in
the 9th Air Force's 411th
Fighter Squadron that flew P-47 Thunderbolts
against the best Germany had to offer against them.
His unit had 75 pilots and, while Gibian isn't sure
he's the last of that group, Neyle Marshall of Blanco,
Texas, believes he is because he said he's done extensive research on those who served.
"I'm doing this for Mr. Gibian," said Marshall, 66, a
retired contractor. "I know he's the last one in his
squadron, and I wanted him to have the brandy as a
reminder of the brave men he was associated with
during the war."
Gibian said Marshall's father was Operations Officer
of his squadron and also flew combat missions. Sam
Page 4
Marshall received numerous decorations with the
squadron, including the Silver Star, America's third
highest military award.
Capt. Gibian also saw extensive combat, flying 87
missions. He received several military awards but
doesn't flout them or brag about his experiences. On
occasion, however, he'll provide details.
Three years ago, he and 11 other World War II heroes were honored in Atlanta where they were presented with the National Order of the Legion of Honor, the oldest, most prestigious of all French decorations.
Gibian's squadron performed air support and combat missions during the storming of the beaches at
Normandy and, later, into France's northeast region.
The unit bombed and destroyed a variety of German
transportation vehicles including trucks, tanks and
trains as well as landing strips.
During his combat missions, Gibian was decorated
with the Distinguished Flying Cross while he and his
squadron mates were awarded the Croix de Guerre
with Palm.
Gibian's most memorable mission was the day he
shot down a Focke-Wulf 190 fighter that had zeroed
in on him, darting out of the sun with the P-47 in his
gun sights.
"It was either me or him, and I knew it wouldn't be
me," recalls Gibian. "He did a snap roll and I stayed
with him, coming up behind and letting him have it."
The German plane caught fire and crashed. Gibian
didn't see a parachute open.
American bomber and fighter pilots who completed
50 missions normally were able to return home. Not
Gibian. His 87 combat missions and 222 hours in his
P-47 would have been more than enough, but he
was aiming for 100 when the world's bloodiest conflict ended.
Gibian, who later became a major in the Reserves,
received the Distinguished Flying Cross for leading a
raid through heavy ground fire on an enemy airfield.
His squadron destroyed four enemy aircraft on the
ground, a hangar and an important fuel dump.
Cont’d Last Man Standing
His parents and other relatives back home in
Montgomery worried about him, of course, but
the pride they had for him was evident in their
letters to him.
He grew up the son of a clothier who had a
popular store at One Court Square at the bottom of Dexter Avenue. He did what he could to
help his dad at the store, but he had no intention of making suits and ties his career. After
finishing at Sidney Lanier High School, he got a
degree in industrial management at Georgia
Tech.
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
As he grew up, Gibian was mechanically inclined and
liked to build things. During his business career as president of American Candy Co., his collection of antique
cars was well-known throughout Selma and surrounding
communities.
When military programs are held at Memorial Stadium in
Selma, he's always been a regular attendee, sitting next
to his friends and fellow World War II veterans.
Age has hampered some of that activity, and he needs a
walker to get around. In recent weeks, he has been staying at an assisted living facility in Selma. His wife, Betty
Rose, died three years ago. They were married for 66
years.
As we celebrated Independence Day and the birth of our
nation, Richard Gibian looks back with pride at his service during World War II.
He can still see himself at the controls of his P-47, zooming toward enemy targets that were trying to knock him
out of the sky.
Patriotism has always guided him through life
and he became a "Pearl Harbor Avenger," joining thousands of other young Americans who
reported to recruiting stations on December 8,
1941 - one day after World War II began for
the U.S.
He opted for aviation, not the infantry, and still
thinks about the differences today. His decision
may well have saved his life.
"There I was, flying fairly safe and when I landed I'd get a candy bar, a drink of whisky and
sleep in a nice tent while those on the ground
were getting shot and killed and living in horrible conditions. I've thought about that all my
life."
He was just as vulnerable, but thousands of
feet above the infantry as he dive-bombed and
strafed enemy ground installation and escorted
American bombers to their targets — all the
while mindful of possible dogfights in his vicinity.
Page 5
Don't expect him to take a swig of that French brandy,
but he'll be happy to hold the bottle high in a dry toast
to men whose memories remain strong as the day he got
his wings.
As for his sterling military record and recognition by the
French government, Gibian appreciates it, but says others were just as willing to make the supreme sacrifice if it
came to that.
"I'm not a hero," he said. "I was one of millions who
served during World War II. I just did what I was taught
to do."
The Society has received notification that Richard Gibian
passed away on September 4, 2015. He was truly a hero
of the Greatest Generation and has now joined his wing
mates in the 9th Air Force's 411th Fighter Squadron.
Avenue of Heroes
By Chuck Sweeney
he city of Coronado, California has always
been known as a military town and that still
holds true today. A couple of years ago it was decided to make Third Street and Fourth Street the
Avenue of Heroes since they are the main routes to
and from NAS North Island, “The Birthplace of Naval
Aviation”. A program was set up to select the inductees and display banners honoring each inductee
from the light poles along both streets. The first
banners were placed on the poles before Memorial
Day this year, and the second set were in place before Veterans Day. The banners are changed approximately every six months (Memorial Day and
Veterans Day). The inductees must have military
service and have been a resident of Coronado at
some period of time, as well as meeting various criteria established by the committee.
T
Three of the seventeen inductees for Veterans Day
2015 are DFC Society members; Jimmy Doolittle, Art
O’Keefe and Dean “Diz” Laird. In addition, another
inductee, Charles Laws, is the father of Jon Laws
who drives the Old Town Trolley for the DFC Society
in the two parades every year. Diz is a WWII Navy
Ace who is the only Navy Ace to shoot down both
German and Japanese aircraft, as well as flying the
simulated Japanese aircraft in the movie “Tora,
Tora, Tora”. He also flew 32 Marine
A-6s across the Pacific to and from Vietnam.
Diz was inducted on Saturday, November 7th at a
ceremony conducted by the Mayor of Coronado,
Casey Tanaka, and Diz was one of two living inductees. The ceremony was attended by some of his
family and a few friends (the number attending was
restricted by the small size of the facility). It was
quite an honor for Diz as he is a Navy, San Diego and
Coronado Icon. It was a very nice event and a welldeserved honor for Diz. His banner is at the corner
of Fourth Street and Orange Ave, which is the busiest intersection in Coronado.
Several other inductees are also DFC recipients and,
hopefully, I can convince the other living inductee
and the families of the deceased inductees to join
the DFC Society.
Page 6
Diz Receiving the Plaque from Mayor Tanaka
The Diz Laird Banner
T
he President of the United States
takes great pleasure in presenting
the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Dean S. Laird for heroism and
extraordinary achievement while participating in
aerial flight as Pilot of a Fighter Plane in Fighting
Squadron Four, attached to the USS Essex in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Tokyo
area, February 17, 1945. While protecting friendly
bomber planes attacking heavily defended aircraft engine factories, Lieutenant Laird engaged
and destroyed two hostile fighter aircraft, thereby assisting materially in the accomplishment of
the assigned mission. His airmanship and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
“...for heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight.”
T
he President of the United
States takes great pleasure in
presenting the Distinguished Flying
Cross to Lt. Gary L. Holmes for heroism and extraordinary achievement
while participating in aerial flight as the Pilot of
jet aircraft while attached to Attack Squadron
One Hundred Fifty Five, embarked in USS Coral
Sea (CVA 43). On 24 October 1967, Lieutenant
Holmes was the leader of a section of A4E aircraft on a coordinated Carrier Air Wing Fifteen
strike against a major lucrative target complex
of 35 to 40 railroad cars on sidings and track
areas east of the city of Hai Duong, North Vietnam. During the attack, Lieutenant Holmes
skillfully maneuvered his element to the bombing position, but shifted his aim point when he
discovered several partially hidden and camouflaged railroad cars on an adjacent track.
Calmly assessing the situation while heavy flak
and missiles threatened his element, he adjusted his bombing run and delivered a devastatingly accurate attack on the new target, contributing significantly to the overall effectiveness of the mission. Lieutenant Holmes’ outstanding airmanship, extreme flexibility and
alertness
were in
keeping
with the
highest traditions of
the United
States Naval
Service.
T
he President of the United States
takes great pleasure in presenting
the Distinguished Flying Cross to Specialist Five Steven B. Hook for heroism
while participating in aerial flight evidenced by
voluntary actions above and beyond the call of
duty in the Republic of Vietnam. Specialist Five
Hook distinguished himself by exceptionally
Page 7
valorous actions on the night of 27 November 1967,
as the Medic of an ambulance helicopter on a medical evacuation mission near Tam Ky. He volunteered
to rescue a seriously wounded soldier from a position surrounded by enemy forces. Extremely poor
weather conditions prevailed throughout the flight,
and he showed the highest order of air discipline and
courage, as he helped guide the Pilot through the
clouds and away from enemy fire being received in
the confined landing zone. Once in the landing zone,
he departed the aircraft. Completely exposed to enemy fire, he carried the casualty to the helicopter.
As soon as the patient was safely aboard, Specialist
Hook applied professional first aid to him. Specialist
Five Hook’s outstanding courage and devotion to
duty were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service and reflect great credit
upon himself, his
unit, and the United
States Army.
L
ieutenant Richard Gibian is awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial
flight in the European Theater of Operations.
On 25 December 1944 an intense barrage of
enemy fire met Lieutenant Gibian and his squadron
when they approached the airfield at Bonn, Germany.
Lieutenant Gibian, undaunted by the terrific assault,
calmly circled the objective in order to select the most
desirable targets. Spotting four enemy aircraft parked
in a dispersal area, Lieutenant Gibian courageously led
his squadron in at very low altitude and destroyed the
four airplanes. Enemy fire continued at a great intensity, but Lieutenant Gibian continued his skillful attacks
and bombed again and again until a hangar and an important fuel dump were also destroyed. His tactical
ability and courage in the face of danger are of the
greatest credit to Lieutenant Gibian and are in keeping
with the highest traditions of the Army Air Forces.
“...for heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight.”
T
he President of the United States
takes great pleasure in presenting
the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major
Robert H. Haley for heroism while participating in aerial flight evidenced by voluntary
actions above and beyond the call of duty in the
Republic of Vietnam. On this date, 13 September
1968, Major Haley was serving as Commander of
an Air Cavalry troop. When a helicopter, later
determined to be that of the Division Commander, crashed in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, he immediately led members of an aero rifle platoon in
an Airborne rescue operation. Major Haley was
the first to arrive over the crash scene, and he
had his Pilot fly at a low altitude so that he could
best evaluate the situation. Although his craft
was subjected to hostile fire, he continued to
search the dense jungle area until he had selected a landing zone 100 meters from the downed
helicopter. Major Haley directed that gunships
engage the enemy positions adjacent to the proposed landing zone in order to suppress the continuing hail of insurgent fire. He then instructed
his Pilot to maneuver at a hazardously low level
while he personally directed each of the aircraft
in the platoon into and out of the very confined
landing zone. Within 30 minutes after receiving
notification of the crash, Major Haley had his
men moving toward the wreckage in an attempt
to aid the crash victims. When it was reported
that there were no survivors, he supervised the
complete search of the area from his craft and
then directed the expeditious removal of the
bodies from the helicopter. The competent
leadership and professional demeanor displayed
by Major Haley throughout the perilous rescue
attempt were major factors insuring that the
most extensive efforts were made to aid the victims of the tragedy. Major Haley’s actions are in
keeping with the finest traditions of the military
service and reflect great credit upon himself, the
1st Infantry
Division, and
the United
States Army.
Page 8
T
he President of the United States takes
great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Staff Sergeant Bertram H Perlmutter for extraordinary
achievement while participating in aerial flight while
serving as Waist Gunner of a B-17 airplane on twenty
-five bombardment missions over enemy-occupied
Continental Europe. Displaying great courage and
skill, Sergeant Perlmutter, fighting from his gun position, has warded off many enemy attacks and has
materially aided in the success of each of the twenty
-five missions. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by Sergeant Perlmutter on all these occasions reflect the highest
credit upon himself and
the Armed Forces of the
United States.
T
he President of the United States takes
great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Petty Officer Gary L.
Strebe for extraordinary heroism while participating in aerial flight on the morning of 9 May 1991
while serving as Rescue Swimmer aboard Coast Guard
HH-3F CGNR 1467, launched at midnight from Coast
Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, in response to a
mayday call from the fishing vessel Dora H, which was
capsizing and sinking in heavy seas, 135 nautical miles
from Kodiak. Arriving on scene, Petty Officer Strebe
was lowered into 30ft-to-40ft swells of frigid 35-degree
water. While he was being lowered, a swell fell away
and the hoist cable became taut, tearing his mask and
snorkel from his face. Despite 40-to-55 knot winds,
rain, and snow showers, Petty Officer Strebe battled
the seas continuously for nearly an hour, towing four
survivors from the raft 30 yards downwind of the
hoisting area. Nearing exhaustion and concerned with
the helicopters low fuel state, Petty Officer Strebe
clipped himself to the basket on the last hoist. Petty
Officer Strebe’s actions, skill, and valor were instrumental in the rescue of four victims. His courage, judgment, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions
of the United States Coast Guard.
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
I
A. J. Billings, A Navy Maverick With True Grit!
t was a hot humid evening on October 10,
1968, when a group of Navy SEALs walked
into our operations hooch with a mission. We
were part of a Navy Seawolf unit deployed as a
two-plane detachment on a small base along the
main shipping channel in the Mekong River Delta. We were part of a quick reaction force in
support of the units operating in the Rung Sat
and T-10 areas. Rung Sat means "Forest of Assassins". The legendary Rung Sat Special Zone
was approximately four hundred square miles of
dense salt water tidal swamp covered in Mangrove, Nipa palm and triple canopy jungle. It
was some of the worst terrain in Vietnam. We
were to fly a beat-up single engine helicopter
given to us by the Army over the area everyday
for a year. Most of the helicopters had in excess
of 6000 hours on the airframe. I had already had
three engine failures in my short flying career. I
would have a total of 9 engine failures during my
22-year career.
During the monsoon season, May to October,
eighty-five percent of the Rung Sat was under
water making Viet Cong movement by foot slow.
The major mode of transportation was done by
motorized sampans. Over the years the Rung Sat
had provided refuge for pirates, the Viet Minh,
and by 1968 there were seven Communist infantry companies that had been assigned areas of
responsibility in the region which they considered a safe haven.
Army intelligence reported that the T-10 area
maintained a regimental Main Force Viet Cong
command divided into two military regions with
one area located east of the Long Tau River and
the other west. Both areas had Viet Cong,
battalion-size command groups (300-1300 soldiers) with at least three main force sappertrained infantry companies each that were primarily comprised of North Vietnamese soldiers
sent south after enlisting to fight. The Rung Sat
based Communists were well equipped with recoilless rifles, rockets, mortars, .50 and .30 caliber machine guns along with water mines. Their
mission was to interdict shipping, maintain two
Page 9
Communist battalions in the Rung Sat at all times, and
provide safe areas for all Viet Cong fighters. There
were at least seven well-hidden communist bases
within the Rung Sat providing safe areas with one
supporting a field hospital. The swamp like environment along with the heavy jungle growth made it almost impossible to sweep the area with a combined
main force.
The SEALs sat down, and we went over their operational plan for the night. During the briefing I explained to them that we had one bird down, and it
was against squadron policy to operate single ship,
especially at night. They told me they had no choice,
the moon and the tides were right for the operation
and, they were going with or without our support. I
told them I would be there, if they needed me. I
could be overhead in about ten minutes from the
call. I didn't tell them I needed to clear it with the
Officer in Charge (OINC) first. When I called the OINC
to brief him
on what
was going
down he
told me it
was against
squadron
policy and
said there
would be
no excepLast flight in Vietnam
tions. I
was young, headstrong on my second tour in support
of the Vietnam War. When I hung up the phone I
think we both knew I would be going, if they needed
me. The OINC was covered if anything went wrong. I
turned to the crew and explained the situation and
that I needed three volunteers. All seven crew members volunteered to go.
At 0230 we got the call. Gun fire punctuated the call
for help. The SEALs were pinned down with three severely wounded. They were cut off from their insertion boat and needed an extraction. The detachment
duty crew slept in their flight suits and boots and
within seconds we had the blades turning. Everything
was multiplied tenfold. Your hearing, your sense of
A. J. Billings cont’d
touch, your smell, everything was heightened....
I never felt so alive, as when I was scrambled in
support of someone in trouble on a moonless
night where you couldn't see your hand a few
inches in front of your face. I guess you could
call me an adrenalin junky.
As promised within minutes we were overhead.
The SEALs marked their position with red blinking lights and directed us two hundred yards to
the south where they had received the heaviest
concentration of fire. Being single ship it was
about as stealth as we could get. We turned off
all the lights and headed in for the attack. Without lights all Charlie had to shoot at was the
sound of the helo and our muzzle flashes/
tracers. Each time we started our attack from a
slightly different direction. It only took a couple
of passes before fire from the edge of the village
subsided. I received a radio call that the Army
"Slicks" were still 30 minutes out. Just then the
SEALs started receiving fire from the tree line to
the east. Again we went in with guns blazing. I
heard the SEAL Team Leader come up over the
radio in an excited voice, telling us we were receiving heavy fire from a tree line. It was typical
of them. Pinned down with three wounded and
after everything they had just gone through,
they were concerned about the Seawolves. It
said a lot about the caliber of people they were.
After several passes we seemed to have gained
the upper hand.
rolled in and fired off a half dozen rockets along the
tree line. Next time around I told them I would lead
them in, and they agreed. With the two "Slicks" to
my left, I emptied the rest of the rockets into the
tree line. I rolled right. Our bird was armed with a
50 CAL, and the door gunner kept continuous suppressive fire on the tree line. With that 50 CAL
chewing up the jungle, I think all Charlie was doing is
looking for a hole to crawl into.
The Slicks made it out of the LZ without taking any
hits and return the wounded to the field hospital.
When I returned to our base, the OINC was nowhere
to be found which was fine with me. I knew I was
going to get an ass chewing. I just didn't know how
bad. When we shut down, I noticed the other door
gunner had his hand wrapped. When I asked what
happened, he said it was nothing. Evidentially one
of the rounds in his M-60 cooked off. When you fire
the M-60 for long periods of time, the barrel gets so
hot it glows a bright red in the dark. During the firefight he didn't have time to change the barrel, and it
cooked off a round in the chamber. I told him to
head over to the dispensary and have the doc take a
look at it. All in all, it was a successful mission. The
SEALs were recovered, the slicks didn't take any hits
and the only injury on our bird was the door gunner.
We were out of rockets and running low on ammo. I told SEAL Team Lead that the "Slicks" were
still 30 minutes out and I needed to rearm. At
that point, it was quiet and he agreed. We headed back to base red-lining everything on the old
bird, airspeed, power, torque, and temperature.
Upon arrival we slid right into the rearming pit
and, with the blades still turning, rearmed.
Within minutes we were back on our way.
The next morning was a different story. During the
crew change, the OINC came into the operations
hooch and called me outside. He chewed me up one
side and down the other. Words like “letter of reprimand” were used and, to be fair, I was a bit of an
ass. I was going to be an airline pilot when I returned home and, I figured the only way they could
hurt me with a bad fitness report was to roll it up
into a tube and jab me in the eye with it. Young,
foolish, impetuous, probably all of those were appropriate in describing who I was at the time. There
would be other times when they would go after my
wings but, instead would award me another medal
or promotion.
When we arrive overhead all was calm for the
moment and, the Army "Slicks" were checking in
on our frequency. The SEALs marked an LZ and
the two slicks started their approach. About two
thirds of the way in, Charlie opened up on the
slicks from the tree line. As they pulled off, I
The next morning the Area Commander for the SEAL
Team units in the Delta called the squadron CO and
thanked him for the support. The CO, in turn, called
the OINC and told him to write up the action. I didn't
know it at the time but, it was the beginning of a 22year career. A. J. Billings
WWW.Combatsar.com
Page 10
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
DFC SOCIETY 2016 NATIONAL CONVENTION
DON’T MISS THE RIDE!!
T
he ride takes off in Dallas, Texas on September 25th and continues
through September 29th.
GREAT HOTEL RATE - $129/night with $10 parking at Dallas Marriot
Suites Medical/Market Center. Call 1-800-395-5921 for hotel reservations, and let them know you are with the Distinguished Flying Cross
Society Convention. Free shuttle from Love Field and a discounted rate of
$16 each way, to and from DFW Airport.
Key note speaker at Banquet - Eileen Collins, Astronaut and DFCS member
Also planning on one of our War Fighting Women members to speak on Monday
Planned events include:







Tour of the George W. Bush Library
Dinner and tour of the Frontiers of Flight Museum (the Museum is an official affiliate of the Smithsonian)
Tour of Lockheed Martin (they do not normally give tours; they are making a special
deal for us) We will get a preview of the new fighter plane.
Tour of Bell Helicopter
Silent Auction (Hospitality Room-This will be the highlight for many of you)
Stories that just get better and better as the years go by
By Rick Graham
Mission accomplished - Bailout on September 29th
Frontiers of Flight Museum & Din-
Page 11
George W. Bush Presidential Center
Lockheed Martin assembly line
Chapter News by Terry Sullivan
A
s you know, we have had PCI contacting members and doing an update on their contact information to include address, phone number(s),
email address, etc. Would you believe, however,
that even after the PCI project we still have nearly
400 members that opted to provide no phone number or email address?
I recognize that some you out there want to remain
as anonymous as possible and limit access to personal information. I can understand your concerns
in this day and age of identity theft, but let me reassure you that the DFC Society's master data base is
for OFFICIAL use only and we are proactive in protecting the information. And, the Society does not
sell the list or distribute it to other organizations.
One thing we have been trying to do is improve
communications with our members through the use
of email. Take for example the latest Board of Directors vote. We solicited a vote via a BLAST
(multiple addressees) email to the membership.
The cost to do so was minimal especially when compared to the cost of a mailing to over 2,900 members - postage and return postage alone is nearly
$2,400 not counting the printing of ballots, administrative costs (envelope stuffing, etc), etc. This is
money well spent on other fiscal needs, e.g. scholarship programs, operations costs, etc.
How does all this effect the Chapters? Chapters are
where the rubber meets the road! There is no need
for a Board of Directors without membership and it
Page 12
is at the Chapter level that members gather, commiserate, celebrate, and enjoy the camaraderie of
fellow aviators! Therefore, keeping your contact
information up to date allows us to keep you informed of new initiatives, status of ongoing projects, member only items in the store, Chapter
news, and upcoming events - in this case the 2016
Convention being held in Dallas, September 25 -29!
Keep us posted so we can keep you posted! Fly
Safe!!
I
need help with the “DFCS News” publication.
If you have experience in writing articles,
please e-mail your ideas and suggestions. Please
submit all articles via email in MSWord or similar
format. If you cannot use a computer or wordprocessing program . . . ask a family member to
help you.
Please volunteer, even if you do not have experience, but would like to see your DFC story in
print, send me your 500 - 1500 word article that
you feel our members would enjoy.
Michael O’Neil, Editor
[email protected]
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
No Flares & DFC
T
he Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is rather a coveted medal among all Pilots.
When awarded this, I wondered if it was for my
flying 3 nights and 4 days without going to bed
or if it was for being the first to deliver ordnance
off a jet fighter at night with no flare ship, as it
had aborted or a combination of both. When I
finally got the Citation, I read that it was for employing much ordnance on many missions and
delivering ordnance after the flare ship had run
out of flares. I think their wording saved me
from being court-marshaled.
I was to be awarded the DFC from May 29 to
June 2, 1965, when the North Vietnamese tried
to cut the northern area of SVN off just below
DaNang and overrun DaNang. As we attempted
to get the maximum number of day missions off
and fly the necessary night missions, I, as one of
the few qualified for night missions, volunteered
and flew day and night for 4 days and the 3 encompassed nights. At that time, only formally
qualified night weapons release Pilots could fly
night combat missions, and I was needed each
night for Alert and to fill the day schedules they
needed me there to. So, being a macho Fighter
Pilot and not wanting to be overrun by the NVN,
I volunteered to fly day and night. At least we
had a chair that worked out good for naps.
On one of the day missions our ground troops
were defending DaNang from several platoons
of the enemy. This had developed into where
the enemy was organized into a hard line just a
few miles from DaNang and were arranged into
an attack from a tree line with a trench dug in
behind it for their mortars and heavy machine
guns. I was leading a 4-ship flight, and it was so
close that we could easily see the airfield of
DaNang from our base leg on our weapons deliveries.
We dropped ordnance from our wing stations
and then rolled in to strafe down the trench for
maximum effectiveness. On the first strafe pass,
4 called off with a hit and returned to base. I
said, “Roger that, and we'll keep you in sight till
Page 13
by LtCol Ronald Green, USAF Ret.
on final; and if you bail out, we'll come and cap you”.
He rogered and went to channel 2 for landing.
We continued our mission and on the next pass, 2
called off with a hit and returned to land. Again I told
him roger the hit and same instructions as for four. He
rogered this, and we continued on.
On the next pass, 3 called off with a hit and returned
to base. I rogered this and said I'd stay high and dry till
he was on final. After he was on final, I continued to
strafe for 2 more passes and, in this case, it was till my
20 MM was expended. I never took a hit and when the
ground troops took that area, they said they didn't
encounter any significant opposition.
I did get the third afternoon off after flying in the
morning but, as I was going to bed, I decided to go out
and tan by our bunker, as my tan was suffering. While
sitting there reading, a snipers bullet whizzed by my
ear. At this point I was done trying to sleep so I went
down to the squadron. Adrenaline replaces the need
for sleep for many days!
The only way they let me fly 4 days and 3 nights in a
row was when they said you can’t fly 3 days and nights
in a row because of crew rest. I volunteered to fly
without logging the missions. So, I flew one day (day 3
and night 3) and that night mission without logging a
minute in the 781. They didn’t happen to think that if I
crashed, they would still be responsible for letting me
fly. Checked my personal log book and I also didn’t log
my night flights on day 1 & 2.
On the second night I was #2 configured with rocket
pods outboard. As both fired on the first pickle, our
trick was to set one of the outboard load switches to
empty. Then when we pickled only one rocket pod
would fire. Then on downwind we would turn that selector switch to rockets so we could fire the second
pod on the next pass. This gave us more target coverage.
Well, on my first pass about 3 rockets hung up in the
pod and start a slow burn, so as I looked out at my
right wing, I saw a bunch of sparks streaming back
from that rocket pod. I thought that if they really
caught on fire they would cause my airplane to blow
up so, I said to myself, that I would set that switch to
No Flares & DFC cont’d
bombs and then use the release button to jettison
the rocket pod on the enemy on the next pass
and, if it really started to burn, I would jettison it
immediately. This was a good idea but I happened to set the left outboard switch to bombs
(maybe the lack of sleep affected me here) so
when I used the bomb pairs position on the
weapons release switch and pickled (when I
thought the rocket pod would impact in the target area) I dropped my full rocket pod. Then the
hung rockets started to burn more so I set up the
switches right and dropped my hung pod on
downwind. Never heard anything so I guess it either impacted on some enemy or it hit in an open
field. I flew the next day with no incident, but I
would say that it taught me to get the proper rest
in the future (when possible).
The third night I was leading a two ship and
launched to support a Fort with Flares from a
Flare Ship. When I checked in on the radio with
the Flare Ship the Fort answered that the Flare
Ship had aborted for a bad engine and it would
be back in an hour. I replied that this was a problem as we would run out of fuel in 50 minutes.
He replied that this wasn’t a problem as they expected to be overrun in 40 minutes. To this I replied that we had 4 bombs each and as we saw a
line with hundreds of flashes we would deploy
our bombs on that line.
He replied: “Great and I will put a mortar in the
middle so you can deploy on both sides of it.” He
shouted Green just before it hit right in the middle of the flashes. I dropped my first bomb right
in the middle so two deployed his bombs east of
this hit and I deployed the rest of my bombs west
of this hit.
During our bomb employments we had started
several fires to where we could see a line of tress
where they had been. We used the light from the
fires so we could employ our 20 MM throughout
this area.
Later I met the Advisor to the Fort (An Australian
Major) at the bar and he found out I was lead of
this flight. He came over to me and shook my
hand and said I had saved his life. He also offered
that if I could arrange an R&R to Australia he
Page 14
would foot the whole trip. But, I wasn’t able to get a
flight to Australia - DARN!
I went on to fly
231 missions in
the F-100 and
then 61 more in
the F-4 out of
Ubon RTAFB,
Thailand in ‘73
without ever taking a hit. I credit
this to my evaluating the situation to where everybody was flying as
fast a they could and still getting hit, so my planned
tactic was to fly slow when I was low so they would
shoot in front of me. This seemed to work although the
urge was to fly fast when low.
T
he President of the United States takes
great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captain Ronald R.
Green for heroism while participating in aerial flight as an F-100 Pilot near Quang Ngai, Republic of
Vietnam from 29 May 1965 to 2 June 1965. During this
period, Captain Green flew seven sorties to defend
Quang Ngai and its outpost from a regimental size
attack, as the Viet Cong were attempting to cut the
country in half. Flying day and night in marginal weather, mountainous terrain and in the face of heavy
ground fire Captain Green delivered his ordnance with
unerring accuracy. On one of these missions the flare
ship ran out of flares and the ordnance was delivered
in a mountain valley with only burning napalm to light
the target. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty
displayed by
Captain Green
reflect great
credit upon
himself and the
United States
Air Force.
Spectre AC-130 Gunship
by Captain Sostenes F. Suazo
I
n late 1969 I was assigned to Ubon, Thailand
as a navigator in the Spectre AC-130 Gunship
aircraft. I was also checked out as a Night Observation Device (NOD) sensor operator. This was a
large night scope mounted on a pedestal at the
AC-130 crew entry door. The scope’s lens extended beyond the fuselage and had a reticule in the
center, which had to be maintained on the target.
The Gunship’s
primary mission
in Vietnam, was
interdiction and
destruction of
Viet Cong supplies flowing
south. Supply
trucks were primary targets with Mekong River
traffic and supply storage areas as secondary targets. The thirteen-man crew members were composed of six officers and seven enlisted. The
officer positions were Aircraft Commander, Pilot,
Navigator and three Sensor Operators. An additional officer was added as Fire Control Officer
(FCO) in the upgraded aircraft. The enlisted were
the Flight Engineer, Loadmaster, two 20mm gunners, two 40 mm gunners, and the Illuminator
Operator (IO). All missions were flown at night in
the cover of darkness. During every mission we
were threatened by 35 and 57 mm anti-aircraft
artillery (AAA) and from Russian manufactured
surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).
The gunship fired its weapons while flying a 360degree turn while, holding a 30-degree bank. The
pylon turn concept was tested on other aircraft
such as the C-47 and C-119 before the C-130. The
proto-type I started flying in had three sets of
weapons/guns: two 7.62 mm miniguns, two
20mm cannons, which fired 2,500 rounds per minute and two 40 mm cannons, which fired 100
rounds per minute. Only one set was fired at a
time. All weapons were attached to their individual fixed firing platforms with their barrels sticking out through their individual opening on the
Pilot side of the aircraft fuselage.
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
There were three sensors and a fire control computer
that integrated the selected sensor input signals into
the aircraft flight instrument system and generated
the fixed and moving reticules for the Pilot’s firing
control system. The Pilot fired the selected cannon
pair using a push button on his wheel. The three sensors consisted of the Night Observation Device (NOD),
the Infrared Detector (IR), and the Black Crow. The
Black Crow’s official name was Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD). This sensor detected the electric field
generated by the truck’s electrical coil and had the
longest range of all sensors.
While operating the NOD, I sat on a 12X18 inch metal
seat, which also served as a step for entering or exiting the crew compartment. The IO's primary job was
to call out the AAA that appeared to have an impact
trajectory and then advise the Pilot on which direction
to break. During our mission's active phase, the Sensor Operator's job was maintaining his senor cross
hairs on the target, while zigzagging, avoiding triple
AAA. The only way I could do this was by doing many
deep knee bends.
My very first combat mission was my “dollar ride.” I
didn’t have any mission responsibilities except getting
acclimated to mission tempo and environment. The
mission—as were all our missions—flown at night.
The gunners held a small flash light in their mouth so
they could get their job done. The one thing I remember from that ride was the “beauty” of the AAA being
fired at us since every third shell was a tracer. It was
almost like the 4th of July. It didn’t take me long to
realize those bastards down there were trying to
shoot us out of the air! The beauty of it disappeared
quickly. For the first month or so I flew as Navigator
and then I was moved to the NOD position. Later, the
NOD was replaced with a dual lens low light TV, which
included a laser target designator (LLTV). I was one of
the first to be checked out as an LLTV operator.
In order to interdict the supply trucks we had to first
locate them. We did this by flying slightly offset to
the right or zigzagged up and down the Ho Chi Minh
roads or trails depending on the tree foliage cover. All
this time the sensor operators were scanning the area
for targets. The Black Crow was usually the first one to
Page 15
Spectre cont’d
detect the trucks. The Pilot would fly the aircraft
towards the target following the flight directional
information generated by the sensor. As soon as
we got close enough for the IR sensor to pick up
the target, that sensor signal would be selected by
the FCO and we would continue to fly towards the
target until I was able to pick up the target with
the NOD or the LLTV. The Pilot would continue to
fly towards the target until it was directly under his
left wing, at which time he would bank the aircraft
into a 30-degree left turn. From this point on it was
the Pilot’s ball game. He would maneuver the aircraft to superimpose the movable reticule generated by the sensor input signal over the computer
generated fixed reticule. During this time he was
looking over his left shoulder, at a small Plexiglas
onto which the reticules were reflected. During
this portion of the flight the Co-pilot maintained
altitude and airspeed and looked out for other aircraft.
The Pilot could fire
the selected pair
of guns once he
got the reticules
close to each other. During this time I had to maintain the target
over my sensor’s reticule. We fired the 40 mm
from 10,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and the
20 mm 8,000 feet. We were avoiding AAA all this
time, so frequently we would have to break-off
and then reacquire the target. A good mission
would be one where we would locate a truck convoy. The largest convoy we interdicted was 27
hostile supply vehicles and the second largest was
26. We also were given credit for numerous secondary fires. The technique used was to destroy or
stop the leading truck then go to the last and do
the same. We would then damage or destroy the
in-between trucks. Our battle damage instructions
were that a target had to explode or burn to classify it as destroyed. If we shot it up but it didn’t
burn then it was classified as damaged. Both the
video and audio images on the console screens
were recorded on tape. All tapes were sent to Intelligence after each mission. Our crew was awarded a DFC for each of the two missions, as well as
other awards and decorations for all our successful
Page 16
missions.
We had two F-4 Fighters as escorts in every mission. Our escorts were assigned to the 555th
(Triple Nickel) Fighter Squadron. Their primary
mission was to suppress the AAA firing at us. One
flew 2,000 feet above us and the second flew at
4,000 feet. We had a funneled light on top of our
fuselage, which they used to identify and track us.
Their secondary mission was to drop laser guided
bombs on selected targets. I would energize the
laser and aim the beam at a target such as a bridge.
The escort Pilot needed to get into his drop window to have the bomb pick up the beam after releasing it. When the AAA gunners got trigger happy, our escort friends would fly a strafing pattern,
following one another, or one at a time. Our escort
Pilot had to keep his eye on the target from which
the tracers were originating. It was no problem as
long as the trigger-happy Vietcong kept firing, but
they got smart. They would fire in short bursts.
Many times that was when the second escort
would get lucky, as he would quiet the AAA.
I keep thanking our good Lord that we were never
hit until our very last mission, and we were lucky
enough to return to base. We were on our way out
to the target area, when a 35mm AAA hit us. The
round pierced the wing’s leading edge between
engines one and two. A few more inches aft, it
would have hit the fuel cell, and God only knows
what could have resulted from that. Our initial reaction, based on our survival instinct and training,
was to tighten our parachute harness which we
always wore. After evaluating our situation our Pilot and Flight Engineer decided we were in fairly
good shape, and we would make it back to the
base. Our Pilot made a wide 180-degree turn, making sure we had crossed the Mekong River, since
we had to fly past the river to get credit for a combat mission. We made it back to the base without
further incident. Our squadron had a tradition
where the ground crew would greet the crew with
a fire hose upon exiting the aircraft after their final
mission. Since we were not expected to arrive as
early as we did, the ground crew was not present
to greet us, so we took it upon ourselves to follow
the tradition. While we were eating our hot dogs in
the dining room, we squirted mustard, ketchup and
whatever we had on the table, at each other!
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
San Diego Lindbergh Chapter Veterans Day Parade
Another Veterans Day Celebration by
San Diego Lindbergh Chapter
T
Chuck Sweeney
he members of the San Diego Lindbergh Chapter
did their part to give the large crowds watching
the San Diego Veterans Day Parade a reason to cheer.
This year the Lindbergh contingent (total of 33) consisted of members, family, friends and AFROTC Cadets.
Some people walked, some rode on the Old Town Trolley who again graciously donated their services, and
some rode in four beautiful vehicles. The four vehicles
are owned and were driven by members Dennis Schoville, Larry Yarham, Michael O’Neil and Ruben Ortiz.
Once again riding in the back of the Schoville Cadillac
was Diz Laird (WWII Navy Ace) who was accompanied by
Harry Kaplan, a WWII CBI radio operator. The theme of
this year’s parade was “70th Anniversary of World War II
Victory & Peace” so these two and other WWII veterans
received the greatest applause.
Also fitting perfectly with that theme was Tori Mowery,
who rode her bike and emulated “Rosie the Riveter”
from WWII. She attracted attention as she rode in front
of the Old Town Trolley. She was preceded by the walkers and the banner carried by the cadets from AFROTC
Detachment 075.
The weather was perfect for the parade, and the crowd
responded with cheers, applause and salutes as the entire DFCS group passed by, especially when they would
see the banner.
Page 17
The San Diego Padres Thanked for Supporting the Military and Veterans
By Chuck Sweeney
he San Diego Padres for years have honored
and supported all of the Military Services, as
well as Veterans and the families of both (as well as
first responders). They not only honor them at ball
games but provide strong support at other events
that are not noticed by the general public.
On July 20, 2014, the Padres honored the Distinguished Flying Cross Society by having eighteen
members standing along the first base line and four
members standing at home plate during their Salute
to Veterans Day. The four members at home plate
had their pictures in uniform or flight gear shown on
the big screen while a very short description of their
military achievements were read. In addition, the
camera went down the line of the eighteen members
showing their pictures on the big screen, and nine
members were selected to run out to the nine positions on the field and meet the Padres player at that
position. During the third inning, the cameras focused on the members in the stands with the DFC
Society banner just to remind the spectators who we
were.
All of the DFC Society members received a minimum
of four tickets for that game for their family or
friends, and we also received tickets to several other
games that year. Based on the Padres program, the
Seattle Mariners followed suit on July 12, 2015, by
honoring 27 members of the DFCS Pacific Northwest
Chapter thanks to Bill Bradfield and Tom Hayward.
On August 17, 2015, the DFC Society was once again
honored by the Padres at their Salute to Veterans
Day. This time they wanted to honor DFCS members
who were Vietnam Veterans, and we had 27 members standing along the first base line. They were
wearing their DFCS shirts and San Diego Padres hats
with Vietnam Veteran stitched on the back, a gift
from the Padres. As done previously, nine members
ran out to the nine positions and met the players.
Two local Vietnam Veteran Medal of Honor recipients, Jay Vargas and Bob Modrzejewski, were honored at home plate to commemorate the introduction of the new USPS Medal of Honor stamp. As previously, DFCS members received tickets to the game
for family and friends and, a few members and family were invited to the Owners Box to watch the
T
Page 18
game.
We decided to thank the San Diego Padres for honoring not only the DFC Society but, also for their fulltime and very strong support of all the military and
veterans by presenting them with a DFCS plaque.
The wording on the plaque follows:
The Distinguished Flying Cross Society
sincerely thanks the San Diego Padres
for their very strong support of the
Military and Veterans
The plaque was presented on December 3, 2015, to
Tom Seidler, one of the Padres owners and JJ Quinn,
Padres Military Affairs Advisor. They were thrilled
with the plaque, as well as the challenge coin and
DFC Book that they each received. Incidentally, the
Padres do not receive any funding from the US Military for this fantastic support. We are also planning
on expanding this program to other MLB teams and
ultimately to other sports.
Game Honoring The DFC Society
Chuck Sweeney, Bob Cardenas, Fred Dungan and Sid Zimman
at home plate - Padres July 20, 2014
JJ Quinn, Greg MacNeil, Chuck Sweeney and Tom Seidler with
DFCS Plaque
1. Inland Empire Chapter
Riverside, CA
Mel McMullen, Chapter President
909-886-1162
[email protected]
2. Warhawk Air Museum Chapter
Nampa, ID
Gary Cox, Chapter President
208-642-6873
[email protected]
http://www.idahodfcsociety.org
3.
Ira Eaker Chapter
Little Rock, Arkansas 72227
Robert B. Davis, Chapter President
501-224-7155
[email protected]
4.
Kentuckiana Chapter
Louisville, KY
Rodger McAlister, Chapter President
502-245-7282
[email protected]
5.
Pensacola Chapter
Pensacola, FL
Ron Hall, Chapter President
(850)458-2504
[email protected]
6.
Wilbur Wright Nation’s Capital
Region Chapter
Bowie, MD 20720
Roy Hodges, Chapter President
301-860-0043
[email protected]
11.
San Diego Lindbergh Chapter
Chula Vista, CA
Gene Alfaro, Chapter President
619-943-6617
[email protected]
12. Southwest Florida Chapter DFCS
Cape Coral, FL 33904-5619
Les Rooker, Chapter President
239-593-5957
[email protected]
13. Wiregrass Chapter
Dothan, AL
Mark Steetle, Chapter President
334-333-1946
[email protected]
14. Great Plains Chapter
Papillion, NE
Jim Maloney, Chapter President
402-212-0093
[email protected]
15. Las Vegas Wings Chapter
Las Vegas, NV
Jack Donahue, Chapter President
702-521-3135
[email protected]
16. Southwestern Ohio Chapter
Dayton, OH
Jay McAlpine, Chapter President
937-434-0915
[email protected]
7. North Texas Chapter
Dallas, TX
Rick Graham, Chapter President
972-788-5300
[email protected]
17.
Tucson AZ Chapter
Tucson, AZ
Marty Lenzini, Chapter President
520-825-4237
[email protected]
8.
Pacific Northwest Chapter
Issaquah, WA
Bill Bradfield, Chapter President
206-295-2291
[email protected]
Chapter Contacts
&
National Directors
9. Orange County CA Chapter
San Clemente, CA
Art Overman, Chapter President
949-412-3271
[email protected]
10. The Villages Chapter
The Villages, FL
David E. Lehtonen , Chapter President
352-753-1361
[email protected]
 Chairman of the Board
Bruce Huffman
 President & CEO
Chuck Sweeney
 Vice President
Terry Sullivan
 Treasurer
Tony Ventura
 Secretary
Lewis Watt
 Directors
Greg MacNeil
Jim Wilhite
Joe Geary
Larry Liss
Al Major
Nash Lamb
Randy Zahn
Pat Owen
Allen Nuss
 Chairman Emeritus
National Headquarters
Bill Bradfield
P.O. Box 502408
Bob Frantz
San Diego, CA 92150
Toll Free Telephone Number:
Jack Mates (D)
1-866-DFC-MEDAL (332-6332)
 President Emeritus
www.dfcsociety.org
email: [email protected]
Membership Services
Beverley O’Neil
Page 19
Board of Directors
Michael O’Neil
 Founder
Al Ciurczak (D)
Inland Empire Chapter, Riverside CA
M
el McMullen, President of the DFCS Inland Empire
Chapter in Riverside, California, reports gaining two
new members during the year bringing our DFC members to
twenty, and attendance at the monthly luncheon meetings
averages 18-25 persons.
At the Inland Empire Chapter luncheon meeting in November, Colonel Monsita Faley, Commander, 452nd Aeromedical
Evacuation Squadron. March RAFB, presented a video and
gave a most entertaining talk on the Air Force Reserve Corps
Aeromedical Evacuation History and Current Capabilities.
Jackie Kahler, Chapter Chaplain, arranged a fascinating
program in June on Birds of Prey with a live demonstration of
a variety of birds.

The Inland Empire Chapter Board of Directors voted to
contribute $1,000.00 to the DFC National Scholarship
Fund.

Vice President Bill Baltazar is making good progress on his
Chapter DFC Collections project containing the DFC histories of our members & hopes to complete it by February.

The Inland Empire Chapter meets at noon on the third
Thursday of the month at Alta Vita (former Air Force Village West, Riverside, CA. Come join us!
Photo caption: LtoR: DFCS Inland Empire Chapter November
Nov. 2015 meeting: L to R Director Jim Davidson, Treasurer
Lew Lyons, Col. Charlene Merrill, Secretary Jennifer McMullen, President Mel McMullen, Col. Monsita Faley, Director
Warren Eastman
Page 20
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
Page 21
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Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
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The Distinguished Flying Cross Society
P.O. Box 502408
San Diego, CA 92150
Phone: 866-332-6332
E-mail: [email protected]
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Www.DFCSociety.org
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