Veterans...Get the hell in here now!

BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member

In likely 1st for aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, all-female crew proves its chops.​

"Brandi Hoeft didn't join the U.S. Navy to make a point about being a woman in a man's world – the 20-year-old Wisconsin native knew she wanted to be in the military all her life.

But whether she originally intended or not, Hoeft and a group of women on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt did make a statement this year. In what Navy officials say is likely a first for the 97,000-ton aircraft carrier, Hoeft and the rest of an all-female crew carried out the complicated and physically demanding job of catapult operations on the flight deck.

It's a feat for a sector of the military that comprises only 18 percent women overall, and even fewer in its aviation track.

"Some of the guys, they'd tell us, 'You're going to mess it up. You're not going to do it,'" Hoeft said from her perch on a coffee shop chair on Thursday in Rice Lake. "We told them, 'No, we are going to do it. We're strong. We can do this.' And we did."
https://www.stripes.com/in-likely-1st-for-aircraft-carrier-uss-theodore-roosevelt-all-female-crew-proves-its-chops-1.526748?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines
 
BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member
Richard Overton, America's Oldest WWII Veteran, Turns 112


In this March 23, 2017, file photo, Richard Overton leaves the court after a presentation honoring him as the oldest living American war veteran, in a basketball game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs.​

He's met celebrities, presidents and comedians. He's experienced war and peace. He's accumulated countless accolades.

But for America's oldest living World War II veteran Richard Overton, there's nothing better than hanging out on his front porch, smoking cigars and greeting passers-by who treat him, rightly so, like the neighborhood king. On Friday, Overton celebrated his 112th birthday with a community celebration at his East Austin home on the street that now bears his name -- Richard Overton Avenue. "I love to have a birthday," Overton said Thursday from his porch. "That's another day. I hope I live another five years."

Overton is believed to be the oldest living American and the third-oldest person in the world.The super-centenarian has no plans of slowing down. Since his last birthday, he's kept busy. "I'm enjoying myself," he said.

Volma Overton began round-the-clock care at his cousin’s home a year and a half ago, but at $15,000 a month, he couldn’t afford to maintain it. He started a GoFundMe page, which raised more than $200,000, but that money has been spent on in-home care, leaving the family in debt.

Overton wakes up before the sun and gets his vitals checked by one of his around-the-clock caretakers. He starts the day with a Tampa Sweet Perfecto cigar—he'll follow it with as many as 11 more throughout the day. Later, he'll eat something sweet for breakfast, like a cinnamon roll or waffles, and at night something sweet for dessert, like ice cream. He takes his coffee with three spoonfuls of sugar, and he drinks Dr. Pepper, which he calls "sweet juice." But his favorite drink is a whiskey and Coke

When asked about the secret to a long life, Overton glanced at his cigar and said, "Don't give up. Keep on living."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/05/11/richard-overton-americas-oldest-wwii-veteran-turns-112.html
https://www.gofundme.com/Help-Richard-Overton
​
 
BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member
How Jimmy Hatch Touched the Dragon and Survived​
"Retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Jimmy was a Navy SEAL and an expert dog handler who had been shot in the leg on a mission to rescue Bowe Bergdahl. Think about that for a second. Here was a man who had already sacrificed a lot for his country, who nearly died because Bergdahl decided to walk off his base in Afghanistan and got himself famously captured by the enemy. Jimmy and his fellow operators were sent to rescue him. The gunshot wound nearly killed Jimmy and forced the end of his military career."

Rest of his story is worth a quick read:
https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column/state-of-play/jimmy-hatch-touched-dragon-survived?utm_source=Join+the+Community+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f5e51b0d23-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_02cbee778d-f5e51b0d23-122624833&mc_cid=f5e51b0d23&mc_eid=b049796867
https://www.stripes.com/news/navy-seal-dog-handler-how-a-failed-mission-to-rescue-bowe-bergdahl-caused-irreparable-loss-1.385511

His book:
https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Dragon-Other-Techniques-Surviving-ebook/dp/B0755ZYGRK
 
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BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member
I thought this belonged here, rather than the "On this Day:" thread:

​

"At the White House May 14, 1970 , President Richard Nixon presents Sgt. John L. Levitow with the Medal of Honor for heroic action performed on February 24, 1969, over Long Binh Army Post in South Vietnam. Then an Airman 1st Class, Levitow was the loadmaster on a Douglas AC-47 gunship. His aircraft had been supporting several Army units that were engaged in battle with North Vietnamese troops when an enemy mortar hit the aircraft’s right wing, exploding in the wing frame. Thousands of pieces of shrapnel ripped through the plane’s thin skin, wounding four of the crew. Levitow was struck forty times in his right side; although bleeding heavily from these wounds, he threw himself on an activated, smoking magnesium flare, dragged himself and the flare to the open cargo door, and tossed the flare out of the aircraft just before it ignited. For saving his fellow crewmembers and the gunship, Airman Levitow was nominated for the nation’s highest award for valor in combat. He was one of only two enlisted airmen to win the Medal of Honor for service in Vietnam and was one of only five enlisted airmen ever to win the medal, the first since World War II."

The Citation
​
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Levitow (then A1c.), U.S. Air Force, distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while assigned as a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 aircraft flying a night mission in support of Long Binh Army post. Sgt. Levitow's aircraft was struck by a hostile mortar round. The resulting explosion ripped a hole 2 feet in diameter through the wing and fragments made over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. All occupants of the cargo compartment were wounded and helplessly slammed against the floor and fuselage. The explosion tore an activated flare from the grasp of a crewmember who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Army ground troops engaged in combat. Sgt. Levitow, though stunned by the concussion of the blast and suffering from over 40 fragment wounds in the back and legs, staggered to his feet and turned to assist the man nearest to him who had been knocked down and was bleeding heavily. As he was moving his wounded comrade forward and away from the opened cargo compartment door, he saw the smoking flare ahead of him in the aisle. Realizing the danger involved and completely disregarding his own wounds, Sgt. Levitow started toward the burning flare. The aircraft was partially out of control and the flare was rolling wildly from side to side. Sgt. Levitow struggled forward despite the loss of blood from his many wounds and the partial loss of feeling in his right leg. Unable to grasp the rolling flare with his hands, he threw himself bodily upon the burning flare. Hugging the deadly device to his body, he dragged himself back to the rear of the aircraft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant the flare separated and ignited in the air, but clear of the aircraft. Sgt. Levitow, by his selfless and heroic actions, saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death and destruction. Sgt. Levitow's gallantry, his profound concern for his fellowmen, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

https://www.atalink.org/content/1998/11/01/1998-sgt-john-l-levitow/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Levitow
http://arlingtoncemetery.net/jllevitow.htm
http://www.homeofheroes.com/wings/levitow.html
 
GreatwhiteNorth

GreatwhiteNorth

Global Moderator
Staff member
BarnBuster said:
I thought this belonged here, rather than the "On this Day:" thread:

​

"At the White House May 14, 1970 , President Richard Nixon presents Sgt. John L. Levitow with the Medal of Honor for heroic action performed on February 24, 1969, over Long Binh Army Post in South Vietnam. Then an Airman 1st Class, Levitow was the loadmaster on a Douglas AC-47 gunship. His aircraft had been supporting several Army units that were engaged in battle with North Vietnamese troops when an enemy mortar hit the aircraft’s right wing, exploding in the wing frame. Thousands of pieces of shrapnel ripped through the plane’s thin skin, wounding four of the crew. Levitow was struck forty times in his right side; although bleeding heavily from these wounds, he threw himself on an activated, smoking magnesium flare, dragged himself and the flare to the open cargo door, and tossed the flare out of the aircraft just before it ignited. For saving his fellow crewmembers and the gunship, Airman Levitow was nominated for the nation’s highest award for valor in combat. He was one of only two enlisted airmen to win the Medal of Honor for service in Vietnam and was one of only five enlisted airmen ever to win the medal, the first since World War II."

The Citation
​
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Levitow (then A1c.), U.S. Air Force, distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while assigned as a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 aircraft flying a night mission in support of Long Binh Army post. Sgt. Levitow's aircraft was struck by a hostile mortar round. The resulting explosion ripped a hole 2 feet in diameter through the wing and fragments made over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. All occupants of the cargo compartment were wounded and helplessly slammed against the floor and fuselage. The explosion tore an activated flare from the grasp of a crewmember who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Army ground troops engaged in combat. Sgt. Levitow, though stunned by the concussion of the blast and suffering from over 40 fragment wounds in the back and legs, staggered to his feet and turned to assist the man nearest to him who had been knocked down and was bleeding heavily. As he was moving his wounded comrade forward and away from the opened cargo compartment door, he saw the smoking flare ahead of him in the aisle. Realizing the danger involved and completely disregarding his own wounds, Sgt. Levitow started toward the burning flare. The aircraft was partially out of control and the flare was rolling wildly from side to side. Sgt. Levitow struggled forward despite the loss of blood from his many wounds and the partial loss of feeling in his right leg. Unable to grasp the rolling flare with his hands, he threw himself bodily upon the burning flare. Hugging the deadly device to his body, he dragged himself back to the rear of the aircraft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant the flare separated and ignited in the air, but clear of the aircraft. Sgt. Levitow, by his selfless and heroic actions, saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death and destruction. Sgt. Levitow's gallantry, his profound concern for his fellowmen, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

https://www.atalink.org/content/1998/11/01/1998-sgt-john-l-levitow/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Levitow
http://arlingtoncemetery.net/jllevitow.htm
http://www.homeofheroes.com/wings/levitow.html
Click to expand...
WOW!
 
BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member
GreatwhiteNorth said:
WOW!
Click to expand...
IKR? It reminded me of the courage of "Red" Erwin during a WW2 firebombing raid when he picked up a WP flare that had ignited inside his B-29 "Snatch Blatch" and walked it thru the plane to toss it out a window.

"Fire swirled around Erwin’s head. The blazing device careened around the inside of the B-29 like a meteor gone berserk.

It could not have happened at a worse instant. A crewmember said later that the Japanese fighters were like yellowjackets swarming out of a disturbed nest—and now the interior of the B-29 was being seared.

Red Erwin was now clutching a handful of hell, his eyes a mass of blisters, other crewmembers choking and vomiting around him. Smoke filled the cabin. Snatch Blatch, although not hit, went out of control. Pilot Simeral fought to prevent the bomber from hurtling earthward.

"Co-pilot Stabler peered through the smoke in disbelief as a burning human being staggered toward him shouting, “Open the window! Open the window!”

The heat could be felt from one end of the aircraft to the other, and it seemed certain the device would turn the B-29 into a blazing torch at any instant. Simeral screamed, “Get it out the window!”

Somehow Stabler overcame his shock at seeing Erwin, afire, doing what no human being should be capable of accomplishing. Stabler managed to open the window and recoiled from the windblast. “Excuse me, sir,” the ever courteous Erwin said through his pain. He threw the flaming canister to the wind and collapsed to the floor in flames.

Three hundred feet from the ground, Simeral pulled Snatch Blatch out of its dive to head for Iwo Jima, the nearest landing site affording medical aid."

http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/medal-of-honor-recipient-henry-red-erwin/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_E._Erwin
 
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W

Wilksey

Well-Known Member
BarnBuster said:
all-female crew proves its chops.​
Click to expand...
So let me get this straight......some chicks finally did what men have been doing since the advent of carriers and it's news somehow?

The military is a defense force for killing, not liberal arts college campus leftist social engineering.

A government that doesn't care enough about its fighting men that they would send a FEMALE to "fight" by his side in battle doesn't deserve the fighting men they have.
 
BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member
BarnBuster

BarnBuster

Virtually Unknown Member


A Vietnam veteran was going to be buried alone. Then a stranger helped find his family​

When Dave Fullarton discovered the ashes of former Army Captain Larry Casey, he felt the Vietnam veteran deserved a proper military funeral. But he didn't want to be the only one to honor him. The safe and vault repairman from Maryland came across the remains in February when he was cleaning out the house of a close friend who had died. That friend, he said, turned out to have been best friends with Casey. Neither Fullarton nor his late friend's family had ever met Casey, who died in 2002. They did not know if he had any surviving family members...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-casey-burial-20180514-story.html
http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/a-vietnam-veteran-was-going-to-be-buried-alone-then/article_ba5ed015-a428-5464-b716-cf5dceb458c6.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/us/veteran-family-found-for-burial-trnd/index.html
 
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