Tag: veteran

Categories
Veteran Blogs

#VeteranOfTheDay Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Veteran Don A. Jones

#VeteranOfTheDay Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Veteran Don A. Jones

[ad_1]

Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Veteran Don A. Jones is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Veteran Don A. Jones, who served during WWII and later became director of the USC&GS.

Don A. Jones was born in Waldron, Michigan, in September 1912. He attended Michigan State University, where he studied engineering. After graduating in 1933, Jones joined the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) as a civilian employee. He was commissioned as an ensign in 1940. In 1942, after the U.S. joined World War II, Jones was temporarily transferred to the Army. He served as a coast artillery staff officer, a surveying and mapping officer and commanded a submarine mine planter. He also served with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) from 1944 to 1946, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.

After the war, Jones returned to USC&GS. He served aboard various survey ships, conducting mapping and triangulation work along both coasts of the U.S. In 1957, Jones was transferred to the State Department to serve as project chief for geodetic control surveys in Ethiopia, working to map the headwaters of the Blue Nile River. When he returned to the U.S. in 1961, he became assistant chief of the Geodesy Division. Jones was then assigned as executive officer of the survey ship USC&GS Surveyor. After a year in that position, he took command of Surveyor for the remainder of the ship’s tour, conducting survey and oceanographic work in Alaska, Hawaii and the North Pacific. In 1966, Jones became associate director of the Office of Hydrography and Oceanography. The following year, he was appointed associate administrator of the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA). Jones served in that post until 1968, when he became director of USC&GS.

In 1970, ESSA was reorganized into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and USC&GS became the National Ocean Survey (NOS). President Richard Nixon appointed Jones as director of NOS; Jones held the position until 1972, when he retired with the rank of rear admiral after 39 years of service.

Jones died on Aug. 6, 2000, at the age of 87.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Stephen Hill

Editors: Nathaniel Scott, Annabelle Colton

Researchers: Timothy Georgetti, Giacomo Ferrari

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley



[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
VIP videos of Veterans

Veteran Sherman Seat vs Zoom Wheels Seat

Veteran Sherman Seat vs Zoom Wheels Seat



A side-by-side comparison is provided for the two existing commercial seats for the Veteran Sherman. Zoom Wheels Seat: …

source

Categories
Veteran Blogs

#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Ming Chang

#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Ming Chang

[ad_1]

Navy Veteran Ming Chang is today's Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Ming Chang, who was the first naturalized Asian American to reach flag rank in the Navy.

Ming Chang was born in Shanghai in 1932. His father was in the U.S. Navy. At the age of 14, he emigrated to the United States with his mother, eventually becoming a citizen. He worked hard and attended William and Mary College in Virginia, where he was among a small group of Asian American students.

At William and Mary, Chang earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a minor in mathematics. After graduating in 1955, he followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted in the Naval Reserve, eventually joining the active Navy in 1960.

During his service, Chang filled assignments in the Navy cruiser and destroyer commands. These assignments included being a commanding officer of USS Rathburne, commander of USS Reeves, commander of carrier group Three, commander of the Third fleet and commander of the cruiser destroyer Two, among many more positions. Chang also earned an additional bachelor’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in electrical engineering. He received many awards and honors including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with combat V denotation and the distinguished lifetime achievement award from the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.

He served for 34 years, retiring in 1990 as a rear admiral and was the first naturalized Asian American to reach flag rank in the Navy in 1980. Charlotte Chang, Ming’s wife of 61 years, said he “would approach everything by trying to be the best he could be. He felt confident he would be recognized for his ability, and he was.”

After retirement, he was the vice president and corporate director of the Pacific region at Raytheon. President Clinton later appointed him to the advisory board for the World War II Memorial. He also served on the board of trustees for the College of William and Mary and as the chairman of the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy advisory board, among many other post-retirement commitments.

Chang died in 2017 after battling Parkinson’s disease.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Writer: Kimberly Kassis

Editors: Alexander Reza, Merrit Pope

Researcher: Giacomo Ferrari

Graphics: Kiki Kelley



[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
USA Veteran News

102-year-old WWII veteran from segregated mail unit honored

102-year-old WWII veteran from segregated mail unit honored

[ad_1]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Millions of letters and packages sent to U.S. troops had accumulated in warehouses in Europe by the time Allied troops were pushing toward the heart of Hitler’s Germany near the end of World War II. This wasn’t junk mail — it was the main link between home and the front in a time long before video chats, texting or even routine long-distance phone calls.

The job of clearing out the massive backlog in a military that was still segregated by race fell upon the largest all-Black, all-female group to serve in the war, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. On Tuesday, the oldest living member of the unit is being honored.

RELATED

Romay Davis, 102, will be recognized for her service at an event at Montgomery City Hall. It follows President Joe Biden’s decision in March to sign a bill authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight.”

Davis, in an interview at her home Monday, said the unit was due the recognition, and she’s glad to participate on behalf of other members who’ve already passed away.

“I think it’s an exciting event, and it’s something for families to remember,” Davis said. “It isn’t mine, just mine. No. It’s everybody’s.”

The medals themselves won’t be ready for months, but leaders decided to go ahead with events for Davis and five other surviving members of the 6888th given their advanced age.

FILE – In this image provided courtesy of the National Archives, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-female, all-Black unit formed during World War II, are shown in an undated Department of Defense photo. (Courtesy of National Archives via AP, File)

Following her five brothers, Davis enlisted in the Army in 1943. After the war the Virginia native married, had a 30-year career in the fashion industry in New York and retired to Alabama. She earned a martial arts black belt while in her late 70s and rejoined the workforce to work at a grocery store in Montgomery for more than two decades until she was 101.

While smaller groups of African American nurses served in Africa, Australia and England, none matched the size or might of the 6888th, according to a unit history compiled by the Pentagon.

Davis’ unit was part of the Women’s Army Corps created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. With racial separation the practice of the time, the corps added African American units the following year at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune, according to the unit history.

More than 800 Black women formed the 6888th, which began sailing for England in February 1945. Once there, they were confronted not only by mountains of undelivered mail but by racism and sexism. They were denied entry into an American Red Cross club and hotels, according to the history, and a senior officer was threatened with being replaced by a white first lieutenant when some unit members missed an inspection.

“Over my dead body, Sir,” replied the unit commander, Maj. Charity Adams. She wasn’t replaced.

Working under the motto of “No Mail, Low Morale,” the women served 24/7 in shifts and developed a new tracking system that processed about 65,000 items each shift, allowing them to clear a six-month backlog of mail in just three months.

“We all had to be broken in, so to speak, to do what had to be done,” said Davis, who mainly worked as a motor pool driver. “The mail situation was in such horrid shape they didn’t think the girls could do it. But they proved a point.”

A month after the end of the war in Europe, in June 1945, the group sailed to France to begin working on additional piles of mail there. Receiving better treatment from the liberated French than they would have under racist Jim Crow regimes at home, members were feted during a victory parade in Rouen and invited into private homes for dinner, said Davis.

“I didn’t find any Europeans against us. They were glad to have us,” she said.

The 6888th previously was honored with a monument that was dedicated in 2018 at Buffalo Soldier Military Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. But immediately after the war, members returned home to a U.S. society that was still years away from the start of the modern civil rights movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas helped shepherd the bill to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the unit.

“Though the odds were set against them, the women of the Six Triple Eight processed millions of letters and packages during their deployment in Europe, helping connect WWII soldiers with their loved ones back home, like my father and mother,” Moran said in a statement earlier this year.

Reeves is a member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity Team.

[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
USA Veteran News

Marine veteran recognized for decades of smooth flying

Marine veteran recognized for decades of smooth flying

[ad_1]

WHEELING, W.Va. — A lifetime of work on the tarmac and in the clouds earned a Wheeling man the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in recognition of decades of smooth flying.

Al Depto, an Elm Grove native, was presented with the award at a pilots’ picnic at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport on June 25. The award recognizes certified pilots with more than 50 years of piloting and operations experience who have maintained their good standing. Depto’s partner, Mary C. Davis, submitted his application to the Federal Aviation Administration in secret, catching him completely by surprise when the award was presented at the picnic.

“The FAA gentleman started by explaining what the Wilbur and Orville Wright Award is and what qualifications were needed, and then my name came up,” he said. “They asked if I had anything to say, I opened my mouth, and nothing came out.”

Depto said he dreamed of flying ever since he was a young kid, imagining running down the sidewalk and flying, like Superman, around Elm Grove. Depto said he’d loved aircraft and regularly went to look at commuter aircraft at the local airport, but growing up, he had no aspirations of becoming a pilot.

His career began as an aircraft mechanic shortly after high school. He enlisted for the Marine Corps, fully expecting to become an infantryman, but his recruiter steered Depto toward aviation, where there was a critical need for engineers and mechanics.

RELATED

“I could not, for the life of me, … figure out how these huge, metallic machines could suspend in the air and transport people,” he said. “I was born in 1945, and it was common for people, men especially, to feel obligated to serve their country in the military. … Long story short, I was accepted, I took the test, went into the aviation program in Memphis, took various classes to become a mechanic.

“I was sent to a squadron headquarters, originally stationed at Santa Anna, California, and there were three jets waiting for me, still 18 years old. They told me, ‘Those are yours!’ so I had complete and utter responsibility for those jets straight out of school.”

Depto said he eventually made the same qualifications that the pilots did in his time there, obtaining ejection seat training, high-pressure altitude training, physiological training, and his own G-suit and oxygen equipment. Depto began to fly in the rear when openings presented themselves. After four years, he was transferred to another outfit, where he served as captain until his discharge in 1967.

Depto earned his civilian certification while enlisted at the age of 19 in 1965 at Wheeler Air Force Base in Hawaii. When he returned home, Depto graduated from West Liberty State College in 1972 with a degree in education and a minor in geography, pursuing a career in adult education.

Since leaving the Marines, Depto has been a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a large, international organization for aviators. Depto is also a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, where he participates in the Young Eagles program, which promotes interest in aviation in local youth.

“We fly these kids and introduce them to the world of aviation, hoping they’ll find a career in it,” he said of the Young Eagles. “When they board our aircraft, they have a look on their face as if they were staring at a Tyrannosaurus rex. No fear, just awe. We fly around, and I let them take the controls.

“One young lady, around 13 or 14, landed, ran up to her parents, jumped on her father, and started yelling, ‘I got to fly the airplane!’” he added.

In a less official capacity, Depto also participates in the “Come Fly With Me” fundraiser, where private flights with Depto and other pilots are offered as raffle prizes and other fundraising efforts for local causes. These flights, he said, typically involve flying the passenger over the location of their choice, such as their neighborhoods.

Depto holds his memories of the Marine Corps dear to his heart, as the only enlisted non-pilot authorized to fly in the jets he serviced.

“I’m with these pilots in the back seat of this jet, we’re doing barrel rolls and simulated attacks on barges in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, doing all these things you’d see in ‘Top Gun,’” Depto said. “That is an experience that I wouldn’t sell for $25 million.”

[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
USA Veteran News

Army veteran who faked blindness for nearly $1M is going to prison

Army veteran who faked blindness for nearly $1M is going to prison

[ad_1]

A former soldier who defrauded Veterans Affairs out of nearly $1 million by pretending to have a service-connected disability was sentenced in court to less than a year in prison, according to the Department of Justice.

John Paul Cook, 58, from Marshall, North Carolina, received approximately $978,138 in disability payments from the VA between 1987–2017 due to his fake blindness, the DoJ said.

Despite his claims of being visually impaired, Cook repeatedly passed vision screening tests for his driver’s license, purchased and registered over 30 vehicles he routinely drove, and participated as a leader with the Boy Scouts of America in activities requiring eyesight, the DoJ added.

Federal district court judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. sentenced Cook to 10 months in prison, five of which will be served in home confinement, according to the DoJ. Additionally, Cook was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay more than $930,000 back to the VA.

Court documents show that Cook enlisted in the Army in November 1985. The following year, after sustaining an injury, he argued that a preexisting eye condition had grown worse.

After a medical evaluation in 1987, Cook was discharged and began receiving VA disability benefits, the DoJ said. His compensation increased over the next 30 years and by 2005, when the VA wrongly declared Cook legally blind, his compensation reached the maximum rate.

He also received additional monetary benefits to remodel his home, the DoJ said.

“According to court records, Cook’s monthly VA disability payments in 1987 were $1,411 per month,” the DoJ stated in the release. “With the incremental increases in his disability rating, as well as cost-of-living adjustments and his Special Monthly Compensation, these payments steadily increased over the years. By 2016, the monthly payment had risen to $3,990.”

Cook was indicted in December 2020 and pleaded guilty to the theft of public money on July 19, 2021, court records show.

Court documents submitted by Cook’s attorney note that the Army veteran and father of two, “is deeply ashamed of his actions in this case…He knows this was wrong.”

Cook’s defense also noted he has been making repayments to the VA since 2017 when the department began “recouping his vision disability payments from his legitimate back disability payment.”

Cook’s attorney in the federal public defender’s office was not immediately available for comment.

On July 13 in Congress, lawmakers on the House oversight and reform panel discussed how to combat financial scams and fraud that disproportionately affect current and former troops, but scams involving government agencies like the VA are also common.

A church in Georgia, for instance, was raided by the FBI last month for allegedly scamming the VA out of millions, as reported by Military.com.

In July alone, the DoJ prosecuted a case against a soldier at Fort Stewart, Georgia, who schemed to target COVID-19 relief programs and a Rhode Island woman who falsified her military service to steal charitable contributions.

[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
Veteran Blogs

#VeteranOfTheDay Coast Guard Veteran Eugene “Gene” Gerrard

#VeteranOfTheDay Coast Guard Veteran Eugene “Gene” Gerrard

[ad_1]

Coast Guard Veteran Eugene “Gene” Gerrard is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Coast Guard Veteran Eugene “Gene” Gerrard is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Eugene “Gene” Gerrard wanted to begin his military career at age 17 during the summer of 1941. He worked as a printer by day and attended trade school by night in Brooklyn, New York, and upon being convinced by Navy officers to join, he chose to enlist in the Navy. After he was told he would either be assigned to serve on a battleship, an aircraft carrier, or the base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, his mother refused to sign his papers. However, due to a family friend influencing his mother’s opinion, he finally enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1942.

Gerrard served in the Coast Guard until 1945, where he attained the rank of quartermaster 1st class. For his service, he earned an American Campaign Medal, an Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, a World War II Victory Medal and a Philippine Liberation Medal.

Following his service, Gerrard applied his printing knowledge to owning and operating two printing businesses for 61 years: Gerrard Printing in Elmont, New York, from 1951 to 1965, and St. Gerrard Printing in Port Jefferson Station, New York, from 1965 to 2013. Gerrard simultaneously served as a Brookhaven town councilman for 22 years starting in 1981.

In addition to the aforementioned community involvement, Gerrard was an active member of the Mt. Sinai Fire Department for 50 years and he served as its chief, chaplain and fire police captain. He founded the Mt. Sinai Fire Department Benevolent Association and the Brookhaven Volunteer Firefighters Museum.

At age 94, Gerrard began volunteering at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center as a Red Coat Ambassador, serving Veterans of the Finger Lakes. Red Coat Ambassadors are named for their easily recognizable red coats or vests. They are volunteer greeters, positioned near front entrances of VA buildings. They offer information and assistance, provide directions to important locations, escort Veterans to their appointments when requested, contact escorts or wheelchair services when necessary, and offer listening ears to those in need.

Gerrard was named the New York 27th Congressional District Veteran of the Month in June 2021, and was presented with a New York State Senate Proclamation by Senator Pamela Helming that year on his 99th birthday.

In May 2022, Gerrard celebrated his 100th birthday at American Legion Canandaigua Post 256 with VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) staff, Canandaigua Rotary members, Kiwanis Club of Canandaigua members, and other community members. A few days later, he was honored at a gubernatorial rally by Lee Zeldin.

Thank you for your service!

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Kim McAdams

Editors: Theresa Lyon, Alexander Reza

Researcher: Raphael Romea

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley



[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
USA Veteran News

Marine veteran grows new business with microgreens

Marine veteran grows new business with microgreens

[ad_1]

BROADWAY, Va. — In the garish light of a ground floor production space, Ian Young — a young entrepreneur based in Broadway — excitedly clicked through a project management software called Notion.

“It’s really great because you can tag all the dates,” Young said. “You can plan for a certain day. It’s amazing. That’s kind of how I plan for everything.”

Young has it pegged down to the day when his product — different varieties of microgreens — will be ready to harvest, package and sell, labeling efficiently stacked plastic palettes of seeds and soil at different stages of planting on tall racks outfitted with lights.

In the headquarters of his business, MicroBite Farms, Young — a transitioning veteran who served in the Marine Corps — grows over a dozen varieties of microgreens, green plants like broccoli and cilantro that are densely planted from seeds and harvested in under three weeks when they’ve grown their first set of leaves. They’re distinct from “sprouts,” which are grown in water.

In this June 28, 2022, photo, microgreens from MicroBite Farms sit for sale at the Harrisonburg, Va. Farmers Market. (Jillian Lynch/Daily News-Record via AP)

“I lost so much weight when I started eating these,” Young said. “I got kind of fat when I got out of the Marines. There are just so many health benefits.”

Before becoming a vendor at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and selling to CrossKeys Vineyards bistro and offering delivery and subscription for the tiny plants, Young — who has always had a green thumb — said he began growing microgreens as a hobby and for their superior nutrient content after having served in the military for four years.

“I just love doing this. It doesn’t feel like work to me. I love interacting with the customers at the market,” Young said. “The restaurant customers are all super friendly.”

These infant-versions of green plants also pack full-grown peppery, sweet and spicy flavors, depending on the plant. Young sells around a dozen varieties, including Red Acre cabbage, Daikon radish, sunflower, broccoli and salad mixes that combine varieties.

“I’ll eat [salads with microgreens] plain without any dressing because it’s just so full of flavor,” Young said. “You’re getting such a huge bang for your buck as far as nutrition.”

RELATED

To grow them, he starts seeds in a palette of soil that’s weighed down with a concrete block. A subsequent “black out”” phase encourages the plants to develop longer stems. It’s a characteristic that attracted Leonel Velazquez, new executive chef of CrossKeys Vineyards, to partner with MicroBite as one of its first small local vendors.

“We like his product and we were excited to bring it on,” Velazquez said. “We use it for our dishes here at the bistro and for our events. They’re clean, they have good taste. I like to have micros with bigger stems and he does that.”

Young, who’s currently working toward a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, said he started selling microgreens to restaurants around State College, Penn., but launched right around the pandemic and business was slow.

“I’ve always enjoyed the idea of being my own boss, but when you actually do it it’s really hard. I’m always learning and sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing,” Young said.

RELATED

Young said being in the Marines — where it’s important to be on time and prepared — helped him develop the “self-management” he needed to run his own business full-time.

“I don’t think I could have done this before the Marines,” Young said. “You have to take care of yourself and stay fit and show up on time every day. That helps a lot with this. I don’t have days off. If I forget to water or something, the (plants) die.”

Hooked on efficiency, Young said one of the things he likes about this business is the ability to produce a lot of food without using any chemical fertilizers in a small, indoor space.

“That’s kind of the endgame for me is to control everything using the sun but not direct sunlight,” Young said. “Freshness is kind of hard to come by. Distributing on a larger scale but also maintaining quality is my longer-term goal.”

Young, who said he’s found his passion in growing microgreens, said he hopes to scale the business up a large degree. Young said his goal, which “sounds like a dream right now,” is to create a large solar-powered facility.

“At some point you just have to take a chance on something, whether it’s a career track or whatever it may be. And for me, this is it,” Young said.

[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
Veteran Blogs

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr

[ad_1]

Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr is today's Veteran of the Day.

Army Air Forces Veteran Ralph Parr is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Ralph Parr loved to fly. At five years old, his father, a Navy squadron commander, took him flying on his birthday. From that point forward, Parr’s fascination with flying grew. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1944. During World War II, Parr served in the Pacific Theater, piloting the P-38 Lightning during the last eight weeks of the war.

During the Korean War, Parr flew the F-86 Sabre jet and faced many intimidating missions. One such mission occurred on June 7, 1953, when Parr was flying near the Yalu River. While descending, he spotted four enemy MiG-15 aircraft nearby. Deciding to pursue them, he succeeded in downing one aircraft. However, as he descended further, he discovered the enemy aircraft contingent was 16 strong. Realizing he was outmatched, Parr downed two aircraft and damaged a third before retreating to safety.

On June 30, Parr was attacked by 10 enemy aircraft during another mission and took down two aircraft when the fight unfolded. Despite being low on fuel, he also helped his besieged wing commander fight off other enemies before they returned to safety. Parr was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his action that day. He was an ace when the war ended in July.

Between the Korean War and Vietnam War, Parr served as a leading flight instructor and was also an F-4 squadron commander. When the Vietnam War started, Parr served two combat tours there. In 1968, he was with the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing as deputy commander of operations. He took part in the Battle of Khe Sanh when the North Vietnamese attacked a Marine garrison in Khe Sanh. During the battle, he flew eight passes against six enemy mortar and gun positions, helping the Americans secure their supply line and disrupt the North Vietnamese attack. For his actions, he received an Air Force Cross. Parr became the only person to receive both an Air Force Cross and a Distinguished Service Cross.

After the Vietnam War, Parr served in Iran with the Military Assistance Advisory Group. His final assignment took him to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. He retired in 1976 at the rank of colonel.

During his 32-year career, Parr flew over 6,000 hours, took part in 641 missions in three wars and earned over 60 decorations, including a Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Silver Star, Bronze Star and 41 Air Medals.

Parr died in 2012 at the age of 88. He is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Contributors

Writer: Raymond Lin

Editors: Theresa Lyon, Annabelle Colton

Researcher: Yuki Harry

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley



[ad_2]

Source link

Categories
Veteran Blogs

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby

#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby

[ad_1]

Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby is today’s Veteran of the Day.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Forces Veteran Neel E. Kearby, who served as a fighter pilot during World War II.

To a generation of young Americans, the flying aces of World War I inspired many to follow in their footsteps to become fighter pilots. Neel Earnest Kearby was one of those who grew up captivated by the aces. He joined the Army Air Corps—later renamed the Army Air Forces—after earning a degree in business administration from the University of Texas in Austin in 1937. He completed flight training at Randolph Field in San Antonio. Afterward, he served with two flight squadrons at Selfridge Field, Michigan, before receiving command of the 14th Pursuit Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone.

After Panama, Kearby returned to the U.S. to command the 348th Fighter Group and deployed to the Pacific Theater. In this position, Kearby earned his reputation as a fighter pilot and an aggressive tactician. The 348th Fighter Group was the first unit in the Pacific Theater to fly P-47 Thunderbolts. While many dismissed the P-47 as an unsuitable aircraft to fly against the Japanese, Kearby exploited the P-47’s high altitude and diving capabilities to tremendous success.

On Oct. 11, 1943, the same day he was promoted to colonel, Kearby led a mission to scout enemy bases near Wewak, New Guinea. After his group completed its objective, they spotted a contingent of enemy aircraft and engaged with them despite being outnumbered. Amid the ensuing fight, Kearby shot down three enemy aircraft and two more who were pursuing another pilot in his group. He destroyed another enemy aircraft before finally retreating into the safety of the clouds. Kearby received a Medal of Honor for his actions and for destroying the most enemy aircraft in a single mission. By November, he had 12 aerial victories.

In the same month, Kearby was set to assume an administrative role at the Fifth Air Force Fighter Command. Never one to give up flying, he made sure he could still fly combat missions in his new role. True to his goals, he continued to fly combat missions and accumulated 22 aerial victories.

On March 5, 1944, Kearby led a fighter sweeper mission near Wewak, New Guinea. He engaged with several Japanese bombers preparing to land. However, he was hit by machine-gun fire during the fight, causing him to crash. His remains were not recovered until 1949. He was buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors.

During his service, Col. Kearby received a Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Purple Heart and five Air Medals.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Writer: Raymond Lin

Editors: Alexander Reza, Annabelle Colton

Researcher: Giacomo Ferrari

Graphics: Kiki Kelley



[ad_2]

Source link