FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Nathan G Gordon ~ 25 June 2018

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Nathan G. Gordon

Info from this website.

           

Nathan Green Gordon (September 4, 1916 – September 8, 2008) was an American lawyer, politician, and decorated naval aviator. A Democrat, he served as the Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas for ten terms, from 1947 to 1967. As a United States Navy officer in World War II, he received the U.S. military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for rescuing the crews of several downed airplanes.

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Biography

Gordon was born in Morrilton, the seat of Conway County in central Arkansas, to Edward Gordon and the former Ada Ruth Bearden. After graduation from Morrilton public schools, he graduated Columbia Military Academy, Columbia, Tennessee, in 1933 followed by Arkansas Polytechnic College in Russellville.  He then attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, graduating with a Juris Doctor degree in 1939.

Gordon practiced law in his hometown of Morrilton before joining the Navy in May 1941. After qualifying as a naval aviator, he was sent to the southwest Pacific Ocean, where he would serve more than two years.  By February 15, 1944, he was a lieutenant, junior grade, in command of a PBY Catalina flying boat named the "Arkansas Traveler", part of Patrol Squadron 34 (the Black Cat Squadron).  On that day, in the Bismarck Sea off the island of New Ireland, Gordon piloted his aircraft through heavy Japanese fire to rescue the survivors of several downed United States Army planes. He was subsequently promoted to lieutenant and awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.  He served in the Navy until 1945, when he was released to inactive duty.

After the war, Gordon formed a business partnership with his brother, Edward Gordon, Jr., and returned to the practice of law in Morrilton.  His political career began in 1946, when he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas under Governors Benjamin Travis Laney. He took office in January 1947 and was re-elected to nine more two-year terms, finally leaving office in January 1967. During his tenure he served under four different Governors: Laney (1945-1949), Sid McMath (1949-1953), Francis Cherry (1953-1955), and Orval Faubus (1955-1967).

Lieutenant Gordon's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

    For extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty as commander of a Catalina patrol plane in rescuing personnel of the U.S. Army 5th Air Force shot down in combat over Kavieng Harbor in the Bismarck Sea, 15 February 1944. On air alert in the vicinity of Vitu Islands, Lt. (then Lt. j.g.) Gordon unhesitatingly responded to a report of the crash and flew boldly into the harbor, defying close-range fire from enemy shore guns to make 3 separate landings in full view of the Japanese and pick up 9 men, several of them injured. With his cumbersome flying boat dangerously overloaded, he made a brilliant takeoff despite heavy swells and almost total absence of wind and set a course for base, only to receive the report of another group stranded in a rubber life raft 600 yards from the enemy shore. Promptly turning back, he again risked his life to set his plane down under direct fire of the heaviest defenses of Kavieng and take aboard 6 more survivors, coolly making his fourth dexterous takeoff with 15 rescued officers and men. By his exceptional daring, personal valor, and incomparable airmanship under most perilous conditions, Lieutenant Gordon prevented certain death or capture of our airmen by the Japanese.

Gordon did not seek reelection in 1966, when the Democratic nominee, James Pilkinton of Hope, narrowly lost the general election to Maurice L. Britt, the first Republican to hold the state's second highest office since Reconstruction. Like Gordon, Britt was also a military hero.

More on Nathan Gordon's heroics here.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

” or did you teach it the words?”
THAT is what I should have said to Mike!
LOL

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Hubby is a great mechanic, and saves us a fortune!
I’ve only had to take our cars to the shop a few times.
That was simply because he didn’t have the tools he needed.
(Like a welder,( etc.)
Yeah it DOES hurt!
If money could talk. it would say goodbye!

[radu]

It’s nice being married to a mechanic, isn’t it? I am, too, and Hubby’s a great one as well. We never take our vehicles to a garage because he’s fortunate to have all the tools he needs.

If money could talk, it would laugh as it said goodbye!

[luvie]

It’s a relief to know that you’ve hired someone with integrity and who is wanting to do the best job for you. That is SO rare!

[luvie]

LOL! It was a great answer! He’s quick on his feet, that Mike!

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country and thank StarCMC for this morning's thread.

All is quiet for the moment here in Comanche OK, however there are storms up in Northern OK moving South. We will see how things go this morning.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

(GENTLE HUG & CHASTE SMOOCH RETURNED)
I enjoyed it very much!
The video of Irene Dunn singing for that dying lady
had me in tears.
What a lovely voice!
I am hoping to be here next weekend!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Happy 30th Anniversary, Mr & Mrs MacNessa!

Click

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...if you are needing rain, hope you get some good stuff. No tornadoes!!!

You and Gizmo have a great Monday.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

It’s late!
Good thing I work 2nd shift!
Off to me bedchamber!
Love to all and hugs alla round!

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C.

I hope the storms calm down before reaching you. I saw them when I checked things a little earlier to see what might be headed our way. They said things could get rough here in the morning.

Rain’s a good thing but are you as tired of storms as we are? LOL

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and rest well, MS B...*HUGS*
Thanks for all you do for our troops.

[radu]

The very best to you,
Mr. and Mrs. MacNessa!

[radu]

You’re long in dreamland by now.
Hope you have a splendid day tomorrow.
*Hugz*

[E.G.C.]

((LOL))Yep, rain is a good thing but we could do without the severe weather.

Our power has just come back on. It was off for a couple of hours as the storms started arriving in our town. Our side of town always seem to have power go out for some reason.

[left that other site]

Happy Anniversary!

Love,

ML/LTOS

[ExTexasRedhead]

I received this earlier today and it’s very disturbing!

Extortion 17 FYI

” A retired Air Force captain says the Pentagon lied to families about what caused the Extortion 17 tragedy.

A decorated retired Air Force officer who witnessed one of the most deadly attacks on Navy SEALs in U.S. history is breaking her silence, saying the government covered up evidence detailing that the 2011 downing of a Chinook helicopter gunship that killed 38 fighters in Afghanistan could have been prevented had it not been for restrictions to the military’s rules of engagement that were changed under the Obama administration...”

https://www.circa.com/story/2017/04/18/politics/a-retired-air-force-captain-says-pentagon-covered-up-real-cause-of-deadly-chopper-crash

[radu]

Bummer your power went out. The good thing is it didn’t go out in the middle of the day when it’s hot. That would have been misery.

We apparently had a doozy of a storm while I slept this morning. Hubby said I missed a LOT of wild lightning. No power outage but our internet was down a few hours.

Supposed to have more stormy weather tomorrow. *sigh*

[ConorMacNessa]

Thank you very much, ML! We're looking forward to the next 30 years! !

"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"

[ConorMacNessa]

Thank you very much, Radu! And they said it wouldn't last!!

"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"