First off, military medals and citations are earned...not won.
Second, whil I have not been a South Dakota resident for a long time, I am aware of GEN Joe Foss and Michael Fitzmaurice's actions during WWII and the Viet Nam War.
I'd like to honor LCDR John Waldron among those being recognized. He commanded a flight of15 torpedo bombers in the Battle of Midway which stopped the Japanese Navy from expanding its goals in June 1942.
For readers who don't know, our Navy won that decisive battle by sinking four aircraft carriers and with no place to land,all of those carriers' aircraft and pilots.
LCDR Waldron's squadron was shot down as he and his crews flew directly toward their targets only 60 feet above the surface. Twenty-nine of the 30 pilots and gunners on this attack were killed, including LCDR Waldron.
Admiral Yamamoto allegedly praised those aviators as being Samurai warriors. I noticed the bridge over the Missouri in Pierre was named after him.
First off, military medals and citations are earned...not won.
Second, whil I have not been a South Dakota resident for a long time, I am aware of GEN Joe Foss and Michael Fitzmaurice's actions during WWII and the Viet Nam War.
I'd like to honor LCDR John Waldron among those being recognized. He commanded a flight of15 torpedo bombers in the Battle of Midway which stopped the Japanese Navy from expanding its goals in June 1942.
For readers who don't know, our Navy won that decisive battle by sinking four aircraft carriers and with no place to land,all of those carriers' aircraft and pilots.
LCDR Waldron's squadron was shot down as he and his crews flew directly toward their targets only 60 feet above the surface. Twenty-nine of the 30 pilots and gunners on this attack were killed, including LCDR Waldron.
Admiral Yamamoto allegedly praised those aviators as being Samurai warriors. I noticed the bridge over the Missouri in Pierre was named after him.
Kip Crawford. I work at va and he is 90 and still volunteers at VA every Friday escorting patients to appointment.
Dwight Hohn, US Army