Dedication Ceremony 2008 Forward Air Controllers
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The Planes We Flew EDICATION EREMONY D C 2008 FORWARD AIR CONTROLLERS MEMORIAL Memorial Park Thanks to all who came to help honor our fallen heroes and their families. Colorado Springs, Colorado “POOR IS THE NATION THAT HAS NO HEROES. October 3, 2008 SHAMEFUL IS THE NATION WHO HAS THEM AND FORGETS.” ~ From a monument on the Hatchie River Battlefield 16 FAC Recipients of the Medal of Honor ● Captain Steven Logan Bennett (Posthumous) 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron June 29, 1972, Flying OV-10 ● Captain Hilliard Almond Wilbanks (Posthumous) 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron February 24, 1967, Flying O-1 ● Colonel George E. “Bud” Day Detachment 1, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron August 26, 1967, F-100F FAC Recipients of the Air Force Cross (Posthumous) Maj. John L. Carroll, O-1 Capt. Charles E. Engle, O-1 Maj. William W. McAllister, O-1 The Words to TAPS Maj. Jerry A. Sellers, O-2 Day is done, gone the sun, LTC Ronald E. Storz, O-1/POW From the hills, from the lake, from the sky. Capt. Richard L. Whitesides, O-1 All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Other FAC Recipients of the Air Force Cross Go to sleep, peaceful sleep, May the soldier or sailor, God keep. Allan R. Baer, O-1 Paul F. Koeltzow, F-105 On the land or the deep, safe in sleep. John R. Bodie, OV-10 Joseph B. Madden, O-1 William R. Carter, OV-10 Donald L. Marx, O-2 George E. Day, F-100F/POW Phillip V. Maywald, O-2 Love, good night, must thou go, Karl T. Feuerriegel, O-1 Joseph A. Personett, OV-10 When the day, and the night, need thee so? Delbert W. Fleener, O-1 Richard L. Poling, OV-10 All is well. Speedeth all to their rest. Leonard Funderburk, OV-10 Kenneth H. Sellers, O-1 James K. Gibson, O-1 Weston T. Smith, O-2 James C. Harding A-1 Donald D. Stevens, O-1 Fades the light; And afar Goeth day, Ramon A. Horine,k, O-1 Roland H. “Rhip” Worrell III, O-2 and the stars shineth bright, Fare thee well, day has gone, night is on. Thanks and praise, for our days, Forward Air Controllers: Men who flew willingly to the sound of 'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, 'neath the sky, battle. As we go, this we know, God is nigh * * * * * * * * * * TAPS music was written by Union General Daniel A. Butterfield for “Lights Out” in 1862. Its strains are melancholy, yet full of rest and peace. It became standard at If not for the FAC, many more names would be inscribed on the military funeral ceremonies in 1891. Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 2 15 INSCRIPTIONS ON THE MEMORIAL Sequence of Events Master of Ceremonies - Colonel Howard Pierson, Nail 01 ► Patriotic music – AF Academy Stellar Brass Band ► Fly over of vintage FAC aircraft This Memorial is dedicated to those special Air Force aviators, sup- port staff, Army Special Forces and Marine Observers who lost their ► (*Please Stand*) National Anthem; Posting of Colors – lives during the War in Southeast Asia from 1961-1975 while flying Stellar Brass Band/High Frontier Honor Guard or supporting the Forward Air Controller mission. * * * * * * * * * * ► (*Please Stand*) Invocation by Master of Ceremonies – “At all times the FAC was the final air authority on whether or not the strike would Lt. Col. Howard Pierson, USAF Ret. continue. He was, in fact, the local air commander for the conduct of air operations, and his authority was recognized by the ground commander and flight leader ► Remarks, Introductions, and Thank yous – MC alike.” ~General William M. Momyer, MACV Commander for Air ► Proclamation – Vice Mayor Larry Small The Forward Air Controller ► Introduction of Dedication Speaker – MC It is the lonely mission, The Forward Air Controller. ► Memorial Dedication Address – Colonel “Bud” Day, His are the eyes above the battle. MOH, AFC He is the link to those below. ► Introduction of Major Duffy – MC While others avoid and strike fast, He lingers and trolls for contact, ► Forward Air Controller Requiem – Major John Duffy, Seeking out the enemy below, USA Ret. Determining the strike force needed. ► (*Please Stand*) Laying of the Wreaths – Colonel Bud His is the job to control the air attack, Day and General Ed Eberhart He determines the needs of the troops, And works the airstrike margins. ► (*Please Stand*) Rifle Volley; Taps – Honor Guard / His judgment is relied upon by all. Stellar Brass Band Watching a “FAC” roll in hot on target, ► F-16 Missing Man Formation Flyover – CO ANG All guns blazing at his destruction, Is to watch a man of courage in action. ► (*Please Stand*) Retiring of the Flag –Honor Guard This is the daily job of the “FAC”. ~ Major John J. Duffy, DSC US Army Retired 14 3 withstand the advancing enemy onslaught. With full knowledge of the limita- » Speaker Biographies « tions of his unarmed, unarmored, light reconnaissance aircraft, and the great danger imposed by the enemy's vast firepower, he unhesitatingly assumed a cov- COLONEL GEORGE E. “BUD” DAY, USAF RET. ering, close support role. Flying through a hail of withering fire at treetop level, Capt. Wilbanks passed directly over the advancing enemy and inflicted many Colonel George E. Day enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in casualties by firing his rifle out of the side window of his aircraft. Despite in- 1942 and served thirty months in the South Pacific during World War II. creasingly intense antiaircraft fire, Capt. Wilbanks continued to completely dis- After the war, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree, followed by law school regard his own safety and made repeated low passes over the enemy to divert their fire away from the rangers. His daring tactics successfully interrupted the where he received a Juris Doctor degree. In 1950, he was called to ac- enemy advance, allowing the rangers to withdraw to safety from their perilous tive duty and served two tours as a fighter-bomber pilot during the position. During his final courageous attack to protect the withdrawing forces, Korean War. Capt. Wilbanks was mortally wounded and his bullet-riddled aircraft crashed In 1966, Colonel Day was assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing between the opposing forces. Capt. Wilbanks' magnificent action saved numer- at Tuy Hoa Air Base South Vietnam. On June 25, 1967, he was assigned ous friendly personnel from certain injury or death. His unparalleled concern for as commander of Detachment 1, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron his fellow man and his extraordinary heroism were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. where he became a pioneer of the "Fast FACs"— Forward Air Control- Air Force. lers over Laos and North Vietnam. On August 26, 1967, he was shot down in North Vietnam. During the ejection Day’s right arm was bro- The President of the United States in the name of ken in three places and he also experienced eye and back injuries. The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Colonel Day was quickly captured by North Vietnamese local militia. On Medal of Honor to: his fifth night of captivity he escaped from his captors. Although BENNETT, STEVEN L. Medal of Honor Citation: Capt. Bennett was the pilot of a light stripped of both his boots and flight suit, Day crossed back into South aircraft flying an artillery adjustment mission along a heavily de- Vietnam, becoming the only U.S. prisoner to escape from North Viet- fended segment of route structure. A large concentration of enemy nam. Within two miles of a U.S. Marine firebase he was captured troops was massing for an attack on a friendly unit. Capt. Bennett again. He spent 67 months as a Prisoner of War and was repatriated on requested tactical air support but was advised that none was available. He also March 14, 1973. Bud Day has been awarded more than fifty decora- requested artillery support but this too was denied due to the close proximity of tions for combat. Most notable are: The Medal of Honor, the Air Force friendly troops to the target. Capt. Bennett was determined to aid the endangered unit and elected to strafe the hostile positions. After 4 such passes, the enemy Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of force began to retreat. Capt. Bennett continued the attack, but, as he completed Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star for Valor (2 OLC), his fifth strafing pass, his aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile which the Purple Heart with three Clusters, the Air Medal (9 OLC), and the severely damaged the left engine and the left main landing gear. As fire spread Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Colonel Day retired from active duty in in the left engine, Capt. Bennett realized that recovery at a friendly airfield was 1977 to resume his practice of law in Florida. At his retirement he had impossible. He instructed his observer to prepare for an ejection, but was in- nearly 8,000 total flying hours, and 4,900 hours in single engine jets. formed by the observer that his parachute had been shredded by the force of the impacting missile. Although Capt. Bennett had a good parachute, he knew that if he ejected the observer would have no chance of survival. With complete disre- LT. COL. HOWARD PIERSON USAF RET. gard for his own life, Capt. Bennett elected to ditch the aircraft into the Gulf of Tonkin, even though he realized that a pilot of this type aircraft had never sur- Born in New Jersey in 1927, Howard Pierson left high school to join vived a ditching.