WW II veteran receives Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Force Link ^ | 11/27/2002 | Kent Cummins

[SAMWolf]

A 1944 photo of 1st Lt. Francis Hoad (front row, second from left) with his B-17 Flying Fortress crew.

[SAMWolf]

[Cold Heat]

Cool story! The B-17 is my favorite!

[SAMWolf]

Mine too. What a plane!

[MistyCA]

This is awesome! Thanks for posting it.

[Cold Heat]

I note from a view of your profile that we have much more in common.

My grandparents immigrated in the late twenties from Austria. Grandma was from Sarajevo Yugoslavia. Grand dad was from Poland. We both went to W. Germany during the same time-frame and are about the same age.

Do you recall the T.V. show "12 O'clock High"?

It was my all time favorite!

[Solamente]

While we're on the subject, let's not forget another Great American: http://www.richthofen.com/rickenbacker/

[ErnBatavia]

Have a look here....mother-in-law's cousin

http://www.cloudnet.com/~jfb/

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Great photo !
My uncle Lloyd flew on B-17's out of England over Germany in WW II. He died just three years ago.
My dad flew C-46's in the China-Burma-India campaign as a "silent birdman" (civilian pilot). He died in 1966 at age 60.

[ofMagog]

One of my older brothers made it back from Schweinfurt , but barely. (Wait for the music on the second link.)

It brings back many memories of my elementary school days. We had two stars in the front window. I remember going with Dad at midnight to pick up Mom at the factory where they made army uniforms.

[MoralSense]

Others who have received the medal include Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh, Navy Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd and Amelia Earhart.

And my father-in-law, Malcolm Thon (Tony) Dungan, Marine Corps, for flying F-4Us in the Solomon Islands.

[MeekOneGOP]

Good article, Sam. Thanks. Almost 60 years to get this award? What are they thinking?

Better late than never, I guess !

[SAMWolf]

Yep, Both the TV Series and the Movie. I liked Combat the best.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks, I saw that website when I was researching a thread about Ball Turret Gunners. Interesting reading.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the great links.

[pabianice]

As a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, Hoad, who served 27 years in the Army Air Corps and Air Force Reserve, is in good company. Others who have received the medal include Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh, Navy Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd and Amelia Earhart.

EARHART? More political correctness gone berserk. The DFC is the US' second highest military award for valor. Earhart, a civilian and a truly lousy pilot, died because she screwed up yet again. Earhart's flying record is one of being cargo, getting lost, and crashing. Hey! The next FAA Administrator!

[cpdiii]

The pilots and crews that flew out of England suffered horrible loses at the beginning of the war. They would fly back to base and the cot next to them may be empty that night. They got up the next day and would bomb Germany again. The arms production capacity they destroyed saved many hundred thousands of allied lives. Many of those men were barely shaving. Ever one of them was a GIANT.

I recently went to my sons graduation from the US Army Boot Camp. To those that worry about our country, rest assured those GIANTS still live here and are ready to defend us.

[Cold Heat]

I liked Combat the best

"Checkmate King Two, Checkmate King Two, This is White rook.....OVER!"

[Cold Heat]

Agreed!

[Victoria Delsoul]

They decided to make three landing attempts and if they failed they would bail out and ditch the aircraft. "We had a plan," Hoad said. "That's the way you do this. You don't keep trying it 'til you kill yourself. You have a plan and then do it. "I was supposed to aim it for the runway.

Good thinking!

Good post, Sam. Thank you.