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Bernie Fisher and the surviving squadron members telling the story of the A Shau Valley rescue where Fisher landed his Spad to pick up another pilot and was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor.
(Fisher's airplane is on display at the USAFM in Dayton.)
Dan Jones wrote:Bernie Fisher and the surviving squadron members telling the story of the A Shau Valley rescue where Fisher landed his Spad to pick up another pilot and was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor.
AFAIK, Skyraider 649 in Dayton is the only surviving airplane associated with a MoH event. There are supposedly helicopters, although I can’t quote the specific events, but no other airplanes (either destroyed or scrapped).
Of course the film is likely from 68 or 69 based on the USN's final cruise with the A-1H/J.
Let's see, in US service, first flight 1945 and final turnover to the VNAF in late 1972 (27 yrs). If you include use by the French/French allies I think that takes the story out to aprox 1981 (36 yrs).
It's no DC-3 or B-52, but impressive for a fighter/attack aircraft. The P-51 would have been a tad longer when Caribbean use is considered. Cool topic to ponder.
Ken wrote:AFAIK, Skyraider 649 in Dayton is the only surviving airplane associated with a MoH event. There are supposedly helicopters, although I can’t quote the specific events, but no other airplanes (either destroyed or scrapped).
Ken
When the National Warplane Museum was at Elmira they received UH-1 s/n 66-00528 in which Rodney Yano won the MoH. For inexplicable reasons they got rid of it and replaced it with a generic UH-1. I think 528 is now at one of the Army facilities.
Ken wrote:Of course the film is likely from 68 or 69 based on the USN's final cruise with the A-1H/J.
Let's see, in US service, first flight 1945 and final turnover to the VNAF in late 1972 (27 yrs). If you include use by the French/French allies I think that takes the story out to aprox 1981 (36 yrs).
It's no DC-3 or B-52, but impressive for a fighter/attack aircraft. The P-51 would have been a tad longer when Caribbean use is considered. Cool topic to ponder.
I'm looking at it of the perspective of something like the F-15, which has been on active service for 45 years so far, and the F-16 for 40 years so far. Neither aircraft has a legit retirement date in sight...and new orders for the F-15EX have just been placed.
When I heard "a record breaking two decades", I thought, "awwww, how quaint. Now double it...and keep going."
Last edited by Randy Haskin on Mon Jul 27, 2020 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.