The Air Force Cross is the United States Air Force and United States Space Force's second highest military award for valor in combat. The medal is equivalent to the Army's Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy and Marine Corps' Navy Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross.
Bat*21 is a 1988 American war film directed by Peter Markle, and adapted from the book by William C. Anderson, novelist and retired United States Air Force colonel. Set during the Vietnam War, the film is a dramatization based upon the rescue of a U.S. air navigator shot down behind enemy lines in Vietnam. The film stars Gene Hackman and Danny Glover with Jerry Reed, David Marshall Grant, Clayton Rohner, Erich Anderson and Joe Dorsey in supporting roles.
Clyde Everett Lassen, a native of Fort Myers, Florida, was a Commander in the United States Navy and a Naval Aviator. As a Lieutenant, he received the Medal of Honor for his rescue of two downed Naval Aviators while piloting a search and rescue helicopter in Vietnam.
Michael Edwin Thornton is a retired United States Navy SEAL and recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the medal for saving the life of his senior officer, Lieutenant Thomas R. Norris, who also earned the Medal of Honor in an unrelated incident.
Nguyễn Văn Kiệt was a Petty Officer Third Class in the Republic of Vietnam Navy, one of only two South Vietnamese and the only South Vietnamese Navy member, to be awarded the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War.
Robert Edward Femoyer is one of only nine known Eagle Scouts to receive the Medal of Honor; the others are Aquilla J. Dyess, Eugene B. Fluckey, Thomas R. Norris, Arlo L. Olson, Mitchell Paige, Ben L. Salomon, Leo K. Thorsness, and Jay Zeamer, Jr.. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces and is the only navigator awarded the Medal of Honor.
George Thomas Coker is a retired United States Navy commander who was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism as a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War. An Eagle Scout, he is noted for his devotion to scouting.
John Paul Bobo was a United States Marine Corps second lieutenant who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War on March 30, 1967.
Stephen Wesley Pless was a major in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He earned the Medal of Honor as a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter pilot for rescuing soldiers trapped by heavy enemy fire.
Dick Couch is an American author, professor, and former U.S. Navy SEAL.
Harry Brinkley "Brink" Bass was a U.S. Navy pilot who was twice awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in the Pacific theater during World War II. Bass died over Saint Bonnet le Froid, in southern France when his plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887) was named in his honor.
USS Preble (DLG-15/DDG-46) was a Farragut-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She was the fifth, of now six ships, named to honor Commodore Edward Preble (1761–1807). Preble was laid down by Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine on 16 December 1957. She was launched on 23 May 1959, sponsored by Mrs. Ralph E. Wilson. Preble was commissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 9 May 1960, Commander Edward G. Fitz-Patrick in command. She was decommissioned on 15 November 1991 and struck 20 November 1992 to be scrapped.
Michael Patrick "Murph" Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. His other posthumous awards include the Silver Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton, ranked Lieutenant Colonel, was a United States Air Force navigator and electronic warfare officer who was shot down over South Vietnam during the 1972 Easter Offensive. He was aboard an EB-66 aircraft whose call sign was Bat 21. As the ranking navigator/EWO on the aircraft, he was seated immediately behind the pilot, giving him the call sign "Bat 21 Bravo". He survived for 11 1⁄2 days behind enemy lines until he was retrieved in a ground operation. His rescue was the longest and most costly search and rescue mission during the Vietnam War. He received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart for his actions during this mission.
William Edward Hall was a United States Naval Reserve officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II.
Phil Hinkle Bucklew was a professional American football player who went on to become a United States Navy officer. He served in one of the Navy's first special warfare units during World War II. While serving in the European Theater, he was twice awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest decoration in the United States Military.
Harold Dale Meyerkord was a United States Navy officer who received a posthumous Navy Cross for his actions during a battle in which he was killed during the Vietnam War. He was also the namesake of USS Meyerkord (FF-1058).
The rescue of Bat 21 Bravo, the call sign for Iceal "Gene" Hambleton, a navigator aboard an EB-66 aircraft shot down behind North Vietnamese lines, was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue" operation during the Vietnam War. Five additional aircraft were shot down during rescue attempts, directly resulting in the deaths of 11 airmen, the capture of two others, and another airman trying to evade capture.
Britt Kelly Slabinski is a retired United States Navy SEAL who was awarded the Medal of Honor on May 24, 2018 for his actions during the Battle of Takur Ghar.
