Soviet Air Force pilot Capt. Igor Mentyukov was sitting at a bus station in Perm when he was recalled to base and ordered to get into his Sukhoi Su-9 wearing whatever he had on. He was not wearing a flight suit or any other gear, and his fighter was currently unarmed. His orders from Moscow were to take off immediately and pursue an enemy aircraft flying at high altitude - and ram it.
He headed toward his plane and took off, headed for certain death. Luckily for Mentyukov, he never made it that far. His onboard radar failed, and he couldn't see his target. He switched off his afterburner and flew home, low on fuel.
The enemy plane flying above the Soviet Union that day was a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, flown by American CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers. Mentyukov may have missed Powers, but the Soviets fired eight S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missiles at the spy plane.
Powers had taken off from a base in Pakistan to fly over almost 3,000 miles of Soviet airspace to land in Norway. His mission was to photograph ICBM sites at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh SSR and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome north of Moscow. He made it as far as Sverdlovsk in the Ural Mountains. Soviet Air Defenses knew he was coming and were waiting for him.
None of the S-75 missiles fired at him scored a direct hit; otherwise, he would never have lived to tell his side of the story, but one of them exploded behind Powers' plane. That was enough to bring it down and force Powers to bail out.
"The nose pitches forward, the wings snap off, and the fuselage goes into an inverted spin," the pilot's son, Francis Gary Powers, Jr., tells Together We Served. "Dad is hanging upside down by a seatbelt, his harness spinning out of control down towards the ground. If he engages the ejection seat, it'll sever his legs off."
Powers decided to open the canopy on the plane, which quickly went flying off into the air. When he unlatched his harness, he was sucked out of the cockpit but is still attached to the plane by his oxygen hose. As he's being banged around the side of the fuselage, he tried to reach the self-destruct button, knowing he'll only have 70 seconds to free himself once he hits it.
But he never got the chance. He broke free of the air hose and the airplane. At 15,000 feet, his parachute opened automatically. He landed in a farmer's field in Sverdlovsk, disoriented and with a ringing in his ear. A farmer tried to help him, but speaking no Russian, he could not communicate. He was soon taken to the local police station.
Back in the United States, the U.S. government tried to cover up the incident by claiming a NASA aircraft from Turkey had gone missing and that the pilot might have blacked out with the autopilot engaged.
American officials had no idea if Powers was alive. He might have survived the incident, but he was issued a false silver dollar coin containing a potent neurotoxin to use in case of capture. They stuck to their story, but on May 7, 1960, Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev revealed that Powers was indeed alive and in Soviet custody - and so was the aircraft.
"Once he was captured, he had meager orders at best," says the younger Powers. "He basically was told, ‘If you're caught, you might as well tell them everything. They'll get it out of you anyway. Expect to be tortured.' But my father had made up his mind that he was not going to. The first seven days, dad was lying to his captors outright, holding back as much information as possible, misleading them any way he could."
The same day Khruschev announced the USSR was holding Powers was the first time the CIA pilot learned about the incident's notoriety and the press. The KGB gave him a copy of the New York Times that outlined the entire shoot down. The Times article also revealed the Powers had been lying to the KGB the whole time.
"So from that moment forward, my dad decided to tell the truth when he knew they could verify the information in the press. That would give him credibility. He lied to them when he could get away with it," his son says. "It would be close enough to be believable, yet far enough away to keep other pilots out of harm's way should the missions continue. He also did it to get a message back home to the CIA that he wasn't telling the full truth."
After three months of i
nterrogation, Powers was put on trial, but he knew it was all a propaganda show. The Soviets were going to use the trial to embarrass the United States and claim a propaganda victory. That's exactly what happened.
He was convicted and sentenced to three years of imprisonment and seven years of hard labor. He would only serve one year and nine months before he was exchanged for the captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in February 1962. But Powers' story doesn't end there. The U-2 Incident disrupted a scheduled peace conference between the U.S. and Soviet Union, and Khruschev's political trap forced President Eisenhower to admit to the U-2 spy program.
While he was in captivity, the American and British press printed unflattering, accusatory accounts. Some leveled charges that Powers had defected and given all his sensitive information to the Russians. Others charged that he hadn't committed suicide like he was supposed to do. The fact that he wasn't able to destroy the plane made it easier for the press to say everything short of accusing him of treason.
"It is easier to blame the pilot than it is to have to admit that the Soviets have the capability to shoot down the U-2 at 70,000 thousand feet," says Powers Jr. "It was easier to blame the pilot than to continue to embarrass the President of the United States, who had to admit he had personally authorized these U-2 overflights."
The CIA, it turns out, told President Eisenhower that no pilot would ever survive a CIA shootdown, but they never told the pilots that. The cover story about oxygen deprivation was also left out of the pilots' briefings. As far as the suicide device is concerned, that was optional 
at the pilot's discretion.
"I remember him telling me that he thought he could use it as a weapon if he had to escape," says Powers Jr. "He could use it if he's in a crash and bleeding out, or if in the event of torture he could use it under that circumstance."
The only reason Powers kept the device at all was to keep it out of the hands of some poor Russian farmer who might come across it to keep it as a souvenir.
Francis Gary Powers was partially exonerated during a Senate Armed Services Select Committee hearing. He received his back pay of $50,000 for the period where he was held captive. CIA director Allen Dulles even offered praise for his performance in flight and in captivity. But the full story couldn't be told until the full account of the incident was declassified in 2000 and 2012.
Sadly, Powers didn't live to see it. He died when a KNBC News helicopter he was flying in Los Angeles crashed in 1977.
"In June of 2012, the Air Force posthumously awarded my father the Silver Star," Powers' son says. "So dad has been publicly recognized as a hero to our country. The United States government has officially acknowledged him as such and helped to dispel the misinformation. It took them 40 and 50 years respectively, but it goes to show it's never too late to set the record straight."
The Battle of Iwo Jima is one of the most important battles in the history of the Marine Corps. More than 26,000 United States Marines were killed or wounded for the strategically vital eight square miles of island.
It allowed the United States to attack the Japanese home islands from the air without warning and become the staging point for the coming invasion of Japan. It also came to define the modern Marine Corps. The image of Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi became the iconic memorial to all Marines who gave their lives for their country since 1775.
The Marine Corps Memorial also birthed one of the Corps’ most enduring myths - that of the mysterious 13th hand.
Iwo Jima was the modern Marine Corps’ finest 36 days. More Medals of Honor were awarded there than any other single battle in American history, 27 to Marines and five to Navy Corpsmen. A full 20% of the Medals of Honor awarded in World War II were earned at Iwo Jima.
Perhaps the most enduring image of the fight for Iwo Jima - and the modern Marine Corps - was the image of six Marines raising the American flag over Mount Suribachi just five days into the battle.
Marines raised two flags that day. When they raised the first one over the mountain, it caused such an uproar from the Americans that Marines fighting below the mountain could be heard cheering, and the Navy ships offshore sounded their horns. When the top brass realized what a boon it was to morale, they ordered a larger one raised.
Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal was able to capture the Marines raising the second, larger flag. Almost immediately, his photo became synonymous with the United States Marine Corps as the image spread quickly around the world on AP wires.
On Feb. 23, 1945, Austrian-born sculptor and U.S. Navy Petty Officer Felix de Weldon was looking through wire photos when he saw Rosenthal’s now-iconic image.
"I was deeply impressed by its significance, its meaning, that I imagined that it would arouse the imagination of the American people to show the forward drive, the unison of action, the will to sacrifice, the relentless determination of these young men," De Weldon later told the Truman Presidential Library. "Everything was embodied in that picture."
His original assignment was to create a painting for the U.S. Naval Academy. Instead, he created a three-dimensional wax model of the Iwo Jima Flag Raising. He completed it over the following weekend. Upon seeing it, his commander immediately sent him and the model to Washington, where three casts were made from it.
One of the models nearly started a battle in the halls of the Navy Department over who would get to keep it, the Navy or the Marine Corps. But Treasury Secretary John Snyder commissioned De Weldon to make a larger one for a victory bond drive.
In creating the larger model, De Weldon used the actual likeness of three of the flag raisers who survived the battle, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, and John Bradley (the Marine Corps has since determined that Bradley, a Navy Pharmacist's Mate, raised the first flag, not the second one captured by Rosenthal).
That statue was dedicated on Nov. 10, 1945. As De Weldon created his statue for the bond drive, World War II ended, and the U.S. Congress passed a resolution that the image of the flag-raising would become a national monument to the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1951, the Marine Corps Memorial Foundation commissioned him to create the 78-foot bronze monument that now stands on Arlington Ridge in Washington, DC.
De Weldon created six figures; three were modeled after survivors Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, and John Bradley. The other three modeled using all available photos of the men who died at Iwo Jima, Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, and Harlon Block. The entire monument took three years to create a 
plaster statue and cast it in 12 bronze pieces. It took a three-truck convoy to deliver the monument to Washington, where it was dedicated on Nov. 10, 1954.
The hands of the men on the flag, at first glance, look like a jumble. The positioning of the hands is accurate, as related in Rosenthal's photo. But almost as soon as the statue was dedicated, a rumor began that De Weldon had created a 13th hand in the statue.
The supposed meaning was most often cited as the hand of God. Less often, it’s said to represent the men fighting below, who made the victory at Iwo Jima possible. The rise of the internet has only since given the rumor new life.
Tom Miller, a Marine Corps veteran who fought at Iwo Jima, only learned about the rumor in 1999. He decided he would write a pamphlet about the statue that would dispel the rumor of the 13th hand. That pamphlet soon turned into a book - which included an interview with sculptor Felix De Weldon.
"Thirteen hands?" came De Weldon’s response when asked about the rumor. "Who needed 13 hands? Twelve were enough."
The first major battle of the Spanish-American War was also one of the U.S. Navy's most resounding victories. Much has been written about how and why the Spani
sh-American War started, what the catalyst for the war was, and who's to blame for it all. Once Spain declared war on the United States and the U.S. Congress responded in kind, the U.S. Navy was ready for action.
When the war broke out, the Spanish had a formidable squadron of ships stationed in the Philippines, and it was crucial for American war plans to knock it out. The man dispatched to do it was the commander of the U.S. Asiatic Squadron, Adm. George Dewey.
Dewey, until this point, was not a celebrated war hero or a known name, even in U.S. Navy circles. In 1898, he was a 60-year-old Civil War veteran who idolized Adm. David Farragut and served under him at the Battle of New Orleans. But then-Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt saw potential in the old sailor and arranged for him to be posted to the Asiatic Squadron in Hong Kong in January 1898. It was a good call.
The Naval War College's attack plans had drawn up in 1896 called for the Asiatic Squadron to simply deplete the Spanish fleet or divert its ships so they couldn't be used elsewhere. But Roosevelt's orders to destroy the Spanish ships in the Philippines and Dewey set sail for the mission on April 27, 1898.
Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron was the commander of the Spanish Navy in the Philippines. He knew the Asiatic Squadron would be bearing down on his ships. He ordered the fortification of nearby Subic Bay to position his ships under a battery on Isla Grande and surprising Dewey from behind if he moved on Manila. But by the time the Spanish fleet arrived, the preparations were far from complete -, and Montojo knew the Americans were on the way.
Instead of lying in wait for the Americans, Montojo moved the ships to Manila and brought every gun he could to bear. Most of them were obsolete, and only a handful could fire far enough to hit incoming ships. The Spanish admiral was concerned about the town's safety, so rather than wait for the Americans under the protection of coastal defenses, the Spanish fleet positioned itself under the guns of Cavite.
For Montojo, the added benefit was the shallow waters in this position. In case his sailors had to abandon ship, they would be able to escape. Montojo had every reason to be concerned about his men. While he had six steel ships, four with armored decks, many of his ships were also obsolete. His largest ship was made of wood. The American squadron bearing down on him was a far superior force without the shore batteries.
The Spanish believed Manila Bay was unnavigable at night without a Spanish pilot, so he expected Dewey to launch an attack on the morning of May 1st. But Dewey had waited to depart for the battle until he could get the latest intelligence from the U.S. Consul in Hong Kong. With the information provided, Dewey felt confident in moving at night on April 30th.
Dewey painted his white ships gray so they could move undetected under cover of darkness. They crept into Manila Bay through the Spanish channel single file. Dewey led the squadron aboard the flagship Olympia, which was followed by the USS Baltimore, Boston, Raleigh, Concord, and Petrel. The Revenue Cutter McCulloch and two cargo ships that sailed with the fleet held back as the Navy slipped into the bay.
At 5:15 in the morning on May 1st, the Spanish shore batteries and the fleet began firing at the Americans, but they were well out of range. Less than a half-hour later, in position to attack, Dewey gave the famous order, “You may fire when ready, Gridley.”
Dewey's squadron was already in line and began an oval pattern, firing a broadside into the Spanish fleet. They then swung around and poured another broadside into the enemy. The Spanish returned fire, but it had little effect. They repeated the action four more times over two hours, devastating the Spanish and setting two of the ships on fire.
After the first round, Dewey withdrew to a safe distance and convened a meeting of his captains. With plenty of ammunition left and few injuries, the Americans stopped to have breakfast and then re-engaged the Spanish fleet. In the meantime, the Spanish pulled their ships into shallower to make themselves a smaller, more difficult target for the large U.S. ships. Dewey simply ordered his two gunboats into the bay to finish them off.
Montojo's fleet was completely destroyed. Whatever wasn't destroyed by the Americans was scuttled by the Spanish to keep them from being used by the enemy. 
The U.S. ships then fired on the shore batteries and government offices, each of which quickly surrendered. The next day, Dewey landed a force of United States Marines at Cavite and finished off the shore positions.
The Spanish suffered 77 killed and 271 wounded. Only nine Americans were wounded, and the Chief Engineer aboard the USGSC McCulloch died of a heart attack. A force of more than 10,000 soldiers under Army Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt would arrive to capture the Philippines by August 13, 1898.
Dewey's victory was so complete that the aging, once-unknown sailor became a national celebrity back home. His face was plastered on everything from plates and bowls to ribbons and buttons. His men were awarded a special medal designed by Tiffany & Co. bearing Dewey's likeness. Dewey was elevated to Admiral of the Navy in 1903, the only naval officer ever to hold the rank.
The annals of Air Force history are rich with the performance and accomplishments of individual units, but often reflect specific battles, a conflict, or other such moments in time. Due to ever-changing budgets, technology, restructuring, and more, tenure alone is a barrier to the creation of longstanding unit heritage and tradition. Nonetheless, select organizations can trace a significant lineage with associated individual and group exploits. Perhaps not well known to other than their sister units, the 336th Fighter Squadron is one such organization, serving with distinction for eighty years while continually reinventing themselves to embrace advancing fighter aircraft and technology.
The earliest roots of the 336th Fighter Squadron track to World War II prior to entry of the United States, then known as 133rd Eagle Squadron. The unit was constituted in August 1941 (Coltishall, England) as the third of three British fighter squadrons manned by American volunteers. Interestingly, the remaining two Eagle Squadrons (71st and 121st) were transferred to US control along with the 133rd in September 1942, becoming the 334th and 335th Fighter Squadrons, respectively. Though thousands volunteered only 244 pilots were commissioned by the RAF and by VE Day, 107 had been killed and 34 were captured. Under 8th Air Force Fighter Command, the three units aligned to form the 4th Fighter Group, "one of the most distinguished fighter units in the world and one of only two Air Force units that trace their histories to a foreign country". Initially flying the Hawker Hurricane followed by four different models of the legendary Supermarine Spitfire, then followed by the US P-47 and P-51, the group popularized their motto "Fourth but First": first fighters to use b
elly tanks, first to penetrate Germany, first to accompany bombers to Germany, and first to accomplish the England-to-Russia shuttle. Perhaps most noteworthy was credit as the first unit to down jet aircraft introduced by the Germans.
By war’s end in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) the group was credited with 1,016 enemy aircraft destroyed and thirty-eight aces, more than any fighter group in the 8th Air Force and earning the first Distinguished Unit Citation for the 336th. Among the top ten US aces in the 336th were Don Gentile (26 kills, surpassing Eddie Rickenbacker’s WWI record), John Godfrey (18 kills) and Vermont Garrison (17 kills).
The 336th Fighter Squadron was idled briefly from November 1945 to September 1946 but reactivated in response to growing cold war tensions and the need to re-arm. But this time the unit was designated a jet-propelled fighter squadron, introducing new aircraft, tactics (e.g., night operations) and giving rise to the nickname Rocketeers. Following training with the F-80 Shooting Star the unit transitioned to F-86 Sabre jets and prepared for deployment to Korea, now part of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group.
Just as in World War II, the squadron performed with distinction in the Korean War (December 1950- July 1953) and recorded a series of landmark firsts: first to fly the F-86 Sabre in combat, first to shoot down a MIG-15 (Lt. Col. Bruce Hinton, Commander 336th Squadron), and first to engage in an all-jet air battle. To accomplish the MIG kill Hinton mimicked flight behaviors and call signs of the outdated F-80, and once engaged, unleashed the enhanced combat capabilities of the F-86. All said and done, the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group destroyed 504 enemy aircraft, more than fifty percent of the Korean War’s total, producing twenty-four aces and earning the 336th squadron a second and third Distinguished Unit Citation. 
One of these aces, Robinson "Robbie" Risner, is credited with one-hundred combat missions (8 kills) and would later set a transatlantic speed record flying the new F-100, ending his career as a Brigadier General.
On the heels of the Korean War Cease Fire in 1953, the 336th deployed globally to be front and center in all US interests: Cuban Missile Crisis, USS Pueblo Incident, Vietnam War with over 8,000 combat missions, NATO Operations, Defense of Saudi Arabia, Liberation and Defense of Kuwait with over 1,300 combat missions, Operation Noble Eagle (defense of the US following 9/11), and the Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. In doing so the unit was reconstituted several times to meet the ongoing needs of their assignments: Fighter-Bomber Squadron (1955), Tactical Fighter Squadron (1958), and back to Fighter Squadron (1991). More importantly, the squadron ensured its relevance, combat leadership and readiness with advanced aircraft (following Korea, the F-100, F-105, F-4 and the first fully operational F-15 squadron in the Air Force) and pioneering efforts in state-of-the-art strategies, chief among them the Global Mobility and Rapid Deployment model in use today and eerily similar with early deployment systems of the founding RAF Eagle Squadrons.
In recognizing the accomplishments of the 336th Squadron it is necessary to also appreciate contributions of the broader organization, the 4th Fighter Wing, and those units comprising it. Contemporary conflicts have proven the need for complimentary air, ground, and support resources to coordinate air-ground operations and effectively serve as a force multiplier. In October 2009, this strategy permitted Captains Polidor and Dove of the 335th Squadron to direct air support after expending their own munitions, to prevent a command post from being overrun by Taliban forces and earn the Distinguished Flying Cross. Likewise, in 2010 during his seventh deployment in Afghanistan, Master Sgt. Hood of the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal was awarded a third Bronze Star for actions while locating and destroying improvised explosive devices, demonstrating heroism outside the cockpit. To universally recognize accomplishments of the 4th Fighter Wing the Air Force Historical Foundation awarded the first-ever General James Doolittle award, "For gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management of joint operations in accomplishing its mission under difficult and hazardous conditions in multiple conflicts" (June 2011).
The 336th Squadron is not a household name, but perhaps it should be. For eighty years, an organization committed to the defense of our country and freedom around the world, built on the heart and heroism of volunteers. Stephen Hawking once suggested "each generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them", leveraging the culture and exploits of their predecessors. Isaac Newton went still further to declare," if I have seen further it’s because I have stood on the shoulders of giants". The 336th and its sister squadrons comprising the 4th Fighter Wing are among the elite, with a legacy of courage, devotion, and excellence reaching back to the RAF Eagle Squadrons. However, this heritage is equally an obligation for current generations to provide requisite leadership for new generations, paying it forward to take their place walking in the footprints of those giants who came before them.
Hollywood hasn't made a Korean War movie in decades, but one of the era's most moving stories inspired a movie that's now in production.
Based on Adam Makos' bestselling book "Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice," the movie chronicles the close friendship between Navy aviators Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner and their heroism during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
Jonathan Majors, currently starring in "Da 5 Bloods" and "Lovecraft Country," stars as Brown, and Glen Powell, soon to be seen as Hangman in "Top Gun: Maverick," plays Hudner. The film is directed by J.D. Dillard and has been on location in Savannah, Georgia, this spring.
The two aviators were close friends before Brown was shot down on Dec. 4, 1950, while providing air cover for the Marines pinned down at Chosin Reservoir. Hudner was flying overhead and crashed his own plane in a rescue attempt to save Brown.
Brown didn't survive that day, but Hudner later received the Medal of Honor for his actions as he tried to save his friend and fellow aviator.
"Devotion" is the working title for the movie, and it's being produced by Black Label Media for Sony Pictures. Black Label knows how to make war movies and tell stories of heroism. Over the past few years, they've brought us the Afghanistan war movie "12 Strong," firefighter drama "Only the Brave" and both "Sicario" movies.
Powell found the book and brought it to the producers, and the film originally was scheduled to begin production last spring before it was delayed by the COVID pandemic.
At a Paramount Pictures event in January 2020 that kicked off promotion for "Top Gun: Maverick" and its soon-to-be delayed June release, Powell was incredibly excited about the script and heading off to make a film that would bring the Korean War back into the spotlight.
The virus had other plans and a lot of projects fell apart for good during the shutdown, so it's a relief to hear that this one stayed on track. The producers promise that a full complement of vintage aircraft were used in the production, so here's hoping we get a portrayal of air combat that doesn't rely too much on computer graphics.
Brown was the first Black aviator in the Navy, so he'd be a historic figure even if this wasn't such a compelling story of friendship and heroism. We almost certainly won't see this movie before 2022, but this is one worth watching for as we ease our way back to the movies this summer and fall.
Greetings everyone,
I hope you all and your loved ones are doing well. I have a few notes to share with you. Please pass on to others.
• Thank you to the Members and Chapters that have been supporting our Challenge Coin Fundraiser, Vanguard Life Member Program, and Membership Drive Program.
• We are over the 600 New Member mark towards achieving our 1000 new member goal by the Conference. Let’s all continue to make a big push to exceed that goal! Just think, if we all sign up just 1 New Member in any category we will blow that goal out of the water! A good place to start is at home and in your neighborhoods.
• Please plan to attend the Conference 20-23 July in San Antonio. The information to register and other information is on the NCOA Website www.ncoausa.org
• Conference Sponsorship is going very well. A Salute to our Military Vanguard Sponsors: USAA (ARMY) – NCOA JROTC (MARINES) - NCOA ROGUE CHAPTER (NAVY) - ALIGNED MORTGAGE (AIR FORCE) - GIECO MILITARY (COAST GUARD)
Other Sponsorship opportunities are available. If you know of any that would like to support in some way contact me.
• It would be great to see as many Delegates from your Chapters as possible at the Conference. I know some may still be a bit hesitant about traveling, however for those that can and are willing, please attend and encourage others to attend.
• News on New Chapters: as you should know by now, we started the All American Chapter at Fort Bragg NC. Plans to start one at Ft Campbell Ky, Fort Lee Va., and the DC MD areas are in the works.
• Our chapters are doing wonderful things in their communities i.e. SPONSORING PROGRAMS SUCH AS JROTC, SCHOLARSHIPS, PROGRAMS FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND HOSPITALIZED VETERANS, ETC. - HOSTING VARIOUS ENGAGING FUNDRAISERS. - ACTIVE SUPPORT IN PROGRAMS SUCH AS SPECIAL OLYMPICS, WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA, MIGHTY OAKS, ETC. - HOST ACTIVITIES SUCH AS VETERAN DAY SALUTE CEREMONIES, CARE PACKAGES FOR ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBERS OVERSEAS, ETC.
• If you are in or near those areas and want to assist in any way let me know! That doesn’t mean we aren’t looking in other areas as well. If you have any contacts in any areas that have an interest in starting up a Chapter please contact me. It only takes 5 Members to get started.
• I am reaching out to USAA Military Affairs contacts that are throughout the US. My plan is to link them up with Chapters that are in their AORs. I am asking you to collaborate with these individuals to see how we can support each other. As you know USSA is our Primary Affinity Partner and it only makes sense to reach out to them directly if in your location to establish a working relationship. I will provide information as I continue to coordinate this effort.
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• As things are slowly coming back to some sort of normalcy, please get involved in whatever way you can. Also re-engage with those in your communities both on and off base. We Need everyone to assist in building our Association to be the Military Association of Choice!
Thank you all in advance for stepping up to help where you can. Anything you do can and will make difference! Please continue to keep safe.
“Strength In Unity”
Respectfully,
Joseph Terry
SGM, US Army (Ret)
Executive Director
Non Commissioned Officers Association
www.ncoausa.org
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Family-oriented entertainment is getting harder and harder to find on television these days. Even with 500 channels and a multitude of streaming services, finding quality entertainment, everyone can watch can be difficult.
But a new show soon to stream on Newsmax wants to provide just that - while raising money for good causes.
Stu Newmeyer and Laurie Stillman are a husband-and-wife comedy duo who have been performing in exclusive casino shows, nightclubs, and special events for more than 20 years. Now, they're bringing their act, "The Stu and Laurie Variety Hour," to Newsmax TV - with a special emphasis on veterans issues.
"I think it's important to thank the people who keep us and our country safe and make it possible to do what we do," says Newmeyer. "The best way to thank them is by supporting them in a real, effective way through what we do. For us, that's family entertainment."
"The Stu and Laurie Variety Hour" is a show in the vein of "The Carol Burnett Show," "The Dean Martin Show," and "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour." It brings together musical acts, sketches, and other performances in a commercial-free format that allows veteran-owned businesses and charities to promote their causes during the show.
Aside from in-show segments featuring veteran causes and businesses, the show's sponsor, the VTN Commerce Club, also provides a way for people to purchase directly from veteran-owned businesses while giving money to a cause.
Shoppers can sign up for the VTN Commerce Club's online store for a $15 monthly fee, a portion of which goes directly to the veterans the shopper wants to support. Once a member, shoppers can purchase directly from the veteran merchants featured on the show.
Merchants will also have to pay a small fee to sell on the website, a portion of which will support veteran nonprofits. VTN does not take a percentage or other revenues from the veteran merchants.
"We will have contests and promotions to compel buyers to buy from veteran-owned businesses, to hire veterans, and to offer discounts to veterans," says Newmeyer. "We also want to drive traffic to their own websites."
One of the show's first small business partners is Scars & Stripes Coffee, which is not only a seller of coffee products but also a franchise that seeks to help veterans open their own Scars & Stripes Coffee location. The company provides business training and life coaching for transitioning service members and their families while helping them find a sense of belonging in the military-veteran community.
Newsmax saw a surge in new subscribers in recent months, the network says, making it the fourth-largest cable news network in the United States. For veteran-owned businesses appearing on "The Stu and Laurie Variety Hour," it could mean an entirely new market.
"We want to give any veteran-owned small business a platform on the show, so their business and their product can get in front of potentially millions of people," Newmeyer says. "We want to give them a chance to compete with the big boys, and this audience is a good way to do that."
Learn more about the "Stu and Laurie Variety Hour," how to partner with the VTN Commerce Club or the businesses that signed on to participate by visiting the website.
"The Stu and Laurie Variety Hour" will air Sundays on Newsmax TV. The fourth show of every month will be a two-hour telethon to raise donations for veteran causes.
Late on the evening of 5 June 1944, two brave young Americans were poised for the greatest challenge and risk of their lives. Both "answered the call” to military service and represent the thousands of others from America's greatest generation, who were in harm’s way, on D-Day, 6 June. 1944.
They were my parents, and I am their only son, Lt. Col. Stephen Pedone, USAF, from Naples, FL. I tell their story in my article titled, "The D-Day Pilot and Flight Nurse." My dad was Captain Vito Pedone, and my mother was First Lieutenant Geraldine (Jerry) Curtis, both officers in the U.S. Army Air Force stationed in England early in the war. My dad, "The Pilot," was the co-pilot of the lead 9th Air Force Pathfinder Troop Carrier C-47, dropping the first "stick" of 101st Airborne Pathfinder Paratroopers into Drop Zone "A," behind Utah Beach, at 0013 hours, on 6 June 1944. My mom, "The Flight Nurse," flew into the Normandy combat area in the same C- 47s on 10 June 1944 to care for and evacuate by air the severely wounded soldiers back to hospitals in England.
My parent's story is one of duty, bravery, and determination in the face of danger, to execute the planned Normandy D-Day Invasion. They were part of the D Day Airborne Invasion forces, which crossed the English Channel to go in first, as the “tip of the spear," to defeat Nazi tyranny and free Europe. They were very successful! Amid all the war-time preparation and danger, theirs is also a "love story," Their story begins in 1943, while both were stationed in England preparing for D-Day.
My dad arrived in England first, in 1942, and flew (25) 8" Air Force combat missions in the single-pilot, twine engine A-20 light bomber, attacking Nazi coastal targets. In early 1943, he transferred to the newly activated Troop Carrier Pathfinder unit to fly C 47s. My mother followed in early 1943. Although stationed on different bases, they had a common mission: - 'To fly into combat in C-47s, on D Day!" They met and later married in England in September 1943. Like so many Americans from different parts of the country, they likely would have never met had it not been for WWII, which brought them together to do a tough and dangerous job for our country.
Through the military build-up of invasion forces in England, from 1943 to mid '44, my dad and mom planned, prepared, and trained to be ready to execute their D-Day missions. The key lesson learned from previous airborne assaults, like in Sicily, was that specially trained "Pathfinder" C-47 aircrews and paratroopers were essential to lead the way, to find and mark the correct drop zones, to ensure successful deployment of all the paratroopers.
My dad's C-47 would lead the tight formation of (20) Pathfinder aircraft, each with (18) Pathfinder paratroopers, low across the English Channel, in total darkness. As the Pathfinders approached the Normandy coast, a thick bank of clouds obscured the sky and view of the ground, which made formation flying very dangerous. They proceeded inland on the designated navigation heading to the drop zones. The Germans, hearing the sound of the C-47 engines, began to fire into the night's sky. Tracer bullets all around them filled the sky with danger. As my dad's aircraft approached Drop Zone "A," behind Utah Beach, the clouds parted just long enough for him to confirm the Drop Zone "A" location visually, and the "green jump light” was turned on to signal the paratroopers to jump! It was 0013 hours, 6 June 1944. The first American forces were on the ground in Normandy! Once on the ground, their mission was to “mark the (7) drop zones” for the follow-on "main body" of (821) C-47 Troop Carrier aircraft, led by the C-47 "That's All Brother," which were approximately 30 minutes behind the Pathfinders. These C-47s would drop thousands of 101“ and 82J Airborne Paratroopers into their specific Normandy Drop Zones (DZ|. Upon landing back in England, my dad and the other pilot were order to personally report directly to General Eisenhower to provide a first-hand account of their mission. They then jumped back in their C-47, "to get in line," to take more paratroopers into Normandy.
My mother's Medical Air Evacuation C-47 missions began tour days after D-Day. On 10 June 1944, when combat conditions were relatively secure enough for the first C-47 aircraft, with a Flight Nurse on-board, to land on dirt fields near the Normandy combat area behind Utah beach. The aircraft broußht-in a cargo of urgently needed supplies, which were quickly unloaded, so that (14) severely wounded soldiers on stretchers could be quickly loaded and stacked three-high on side-mounted stretcher straps. The aircraft were the actual C-47s used during the D-Day air assault, with only "D-Day Invasion Stripes” markings, and were not marked with red crosses. They were on the ground a minimum time before they took off to return over the Channel to hospitals in England. The Flight Nurse was responsible for caring for, and keep alive, the wounded soldiers during the flight. My mom helped to save many lives and proved the worth of air medical evacuation.
The D-Da
y "Operation Overlord" air and sea invasion was a total success and marked the beginning of the road to ultimate “Victory in Europe" on 8 May 1945. My dad and mom had an important part in our victory in WWII, and their story of military service would continue.
My dad rose to the rank of Colonel during his 30-year distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force and participated in many other important moments in our nation's history. My parent's story ends at a very special place in our nation, Arlington National Cemetery, where they lie together for eternity - "There is no greater honor."
Last June, on the 75lh Anniversary of D-Day, my wife, Ximena, and I attended the special D-Day commemorative ceremonies in England and Normandy to honor my dad and mom.
My parent's "D-Day Pilot and Flight Nurse" story endures in our history, reflecting our "Greatest Generation," which left a legacy of service and sacrifice to our nation and the world in a terrible time of war, thus securing our freedom. "I am forever grateful to them and will never forget them."
Stephen Pedone. Lt. Col., USAF, Ret.
Naples, FL
My Next Station
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At MNS, we know how stressful moving/PCSing can be. We've been there! We are a 100% veteran-owned organization that specializes in getting quality results for all military members/veterans when it comes to the big move. We understand that the move puts a lot on your plate. New area, new co-workers, new boss, new job, new schools, the list goes on and on. At MNS we are here to make that process easier for you.
Did you know that 90% of real estate agents fail within the first year or two? That means that there is a 90% chance that when you PCS/move, you are getting in contact with an inexperienced agent in the area you're headed to. We feel that the military deserves quality real estate professionals that have been in the game for quite a while. Here at MNS, we strive to put you in contact with seasoned military veteran real estate professionals that know the area, schools, restaurants, let alone be efficient at agent duties such as filling out contracts. In only 24 hours we promise to have you connected with one of these quality professionals and a VA-friendly lender if you need it. After that just let them do all of the work for you. FREE OF CHARGE FOR ALL MILITARY/VETERANS!
Our goal at MNS is to take some of that burden off of you. Veterans have shown a great amount of dedication to this country. Current military move to areas you don't know because of the overall mission. Let us do the thinking and get you connected with proficient real estate professionals that know what you're going through and that can do all of the work for you!
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During the Cold War, the United States relied on three radar lines to detect incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles that might come from the Soviet Union. The most important and most capable of the three was the Distant Early Warning Line - affectionately known as the DEW Line.
In Cape Lisburne, Alaska, Arthur Wayland was manning the 711 Aircraft Control and Warning station. It was a very remote radar station, the westernmost site of the DEW Line. His job was to warn the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) of any enemy aircraft that crossed into U.S. airspace.
Wayland spent a year on the DEW Line between 1969 and 1970. His book, "Operation Top Cover: A Year on the DEW Line," recounts his time spent there.
It was an eventful year for the Cold War. Richard Nixon was elected as President of the United States, the Apollo 11 astronauts won the Space Race by landing on the moon, and Nixon implemented the "Madman Theory," racing B-52 bombers armed with nuclear weapons to the Russian border in an attempt to make them think he was capable of anything.
The international events of the Cold War weren't first in Arthur Wayland's mind. His year in Alaska was spent braving temperatures of -90° Fahrenheit, with a wind chill that could reach -135°. His job was to keep the heat and water running, maintaining three boilers that meant the difference between life and death above the Arctic Circle.
"Operation To
p Cover: A Year on the DEW Line," tells the story of life as the first line of defense against a Soviet first strike, braving Polar Bears, Wolverines, and Wolves in a place where the sun never goes down for part of the year and never rises for another part of the year.
Wayland didn't need to read the news to learn what the Soviet Union was up to; he could see the Siberian coastline from his duty station as he and his fellow watchers endured constant harassment from Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" bombers. Totally isolated, their only link to the outside world was the occasional supply plane that brought food and letters from home.
With the Vietnam War in full swing, the country's attention was focused elsewhere, but Wayland and his fellow airmen maintained their watch, hopeful they would never have to issue an alert.
"Operation Top Cover: A Year on the DEW Line" is a self-published but charming personal account of one of the forgotten arenas of the Cold War. It's a short read, about 50 pages, and clearly self-written, but for those interested in the areas of joint nuclear defense, it's a fascinating account of what life was like in a remote outpost.
The book is Air Force veteran Arthur Wayland's only title but was a labor of love, an effort to describe his Arctic tour to his wingmen who didn't see life in the frozen north. "Operation Top Cover: A Year on the DEW Line" is available on Amazon in print for $9.50 and on Kindle for $2.99.
He headed toward his plane and took off, headed for certain death. Luckily for Mentyukov, he never made it that far. His onboard radar failed, and he couldn't see his target. He switched off his afterburner and flew home, low on fuel.
nterrogation, Powers was put on trial, but he knew it was all a propaganda show. The Soviets were going to use the trial to embarrass the United States and claim a propaganda victory. That's exactly what happened. 
at the pilot's discretion.
It allowed the United States to attack the Japanese home islands from the air without warning and become the staging point for the coming invasion of Japan. It also came to define the modern Marine Corps. The image of Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi became the iconic memorial to all Marines who gave their lives for their country since 1775. 
Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal was able to capture the Marines raising the second, larger flag. Almost immediately, his photo became synonymous with the United States Marine Corps as the image spread quickly around the world on AP wires. 
plaster statue and cast it in 12 bronze pieces. It took a three-truck convoy to deliver the monument to Washington, where it was dedicated on Nov. 10, 1954.
sh-American War started, what the catalyst for the war was, and who's to blame for it all. Once Spain declared war on the United States and the U.S. Congress responded in kind, the U.S. Navy was ready for action.
Instead of lying in wait for the Americans, Montojo moved the ships to Manila and brought every gun he could to bear. Most of them were obsolete, and only a handful could fire far enough to hit incoming ships. The Spanish admiral was concerned about the town's safety, so rather than wait for the Americans under the protection of coastal defenses, the Spanish fleet positioned itself under the guns of Cavite. 
At 5:15 in the morning on May 1st, the Spanish shore batteries and the fleet began firing at the Americans, but they were well out of range. Less than a half-hour later, in position to attack, Dewey gave the famous order, “You may fire when ready, Gridley.” 
The U.S. ships then fired on the shore batteries and government offices, each of which quickly surrendered. The next day, Dewey landed a force of United States Marines at Cavite and finished off the shore positions.
The annals of Air Force history are rich with the performance and accomplishments of individual units, but often reflect specific battles, a conflict, or other such moments in time. Due to ever-changing budgets, technology, restructuring, and more, tenure alone is a barrier to the creation of longstanding unit heritage and tradition. Nonetheless, select organizations can trace a significant lineage with associated individual and group exploits. Perhaps not well known to other than their sister units, the 336th Fighter Squadron is one such organization, serving with distinction for eighty years while continually reinventing themselves to embrace advancing fighter aircraft and technology.
elly tanks, first to penetrate Germany, first to accompany bombers to Germany, and first to accomplish the England-to-Russia shuttle. Perhaps most noteworthy was credit as the first unit to down jet aircraft introduced by the Germans.
One of these aces, Robinson "Robbie" Risner, is credited with one-hundred combat missions (8 kills) and would later set a transatlantic speed record flying the new F-100, ending his career as a Brigadier General.
In recognizing the accomplishments of the 336th Squadron it is necessary to also appreciate contributions of the broader organization, the 4th Fighter Wing, and those units comprising it. Contemporary conflicts have proven the need for complimentary air, ground, and support resources to coordinate air-ground operations and effectively serve as a force multiplier. In October 2009, this strategy permitted Captains Polidor and Dove of the 335th Squadron to direct air support after expending their own munitions, to prevent a command post from being overrun by Taliban forces and earn the Distinguished Flying Cross. Likewise, in 2010 during his seventh deployment in Afghanistan, Master Sgt. Hood of the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal was awarded a third Bronze Star for actions while locating and destroying improvised explosive devices, demonstrating heroism outside the cockpit. To universally recognize accomplishments of the 4th Fighter Wing the Air Force Historical Foundation awarded the first-ever General James Doolittle award, "For gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management of joint operations in accomplishing its mission under difficult and hazardous conditions in multiple conflicts" (June 2011).
Based on Adam Makos' bestselling book "Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice," the movie chronicles the close friendship between Navy aviators Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner and their heroism during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
Powell found the book and brought it to the producers, and the film originally was scheduled to begin production last spring before it was delayed by the COVID pandemic.
Greetings everyone,
• If you are in or near those areas and want to assist in any way let me know! That doesn’t mean we aren’t looking in other areas as well. If you have any contacts in any areas that have an interest in starting up a Chapter please contact me. It only takes 5 Members to get started.
Stu Newmeyer and Laurie Stillman are a husband-and-wife comedy duo who have been performing in exclusive casino shows, nightclubs, and special events for more than 20 years. Now, they're bringing their act, "The Stu and Laurie Variety Hour," to Newsmax TV - with a special emphasis on veterans issues.
One of the show's first small business partners is Scars & Stripes Coffee, which is not only a seller of coffee products but also a franchise that seeks to help veterans open their own Scars & Stripes Coffee location. The company provides business training and life coaching for transitioning service members and their families while helping them find a sense of belonging in the military-veteran community.
They were my parents, and I am their only son, Lt. Col. Stephen Pedone, USAF, from Naples, FL. I tell their story in my article titled, "The D-Day Pilot and Flight Nurse." My dad was Captain Vito Pedone, and my mother was First Lieutenant Geraldine (Jerry) Curtis, both officers in the U.S. Army Air Force stationed in England early in the war. My dad, "The Pilot," was the co-pilot of the lead 9th Air Force Pathfinder Troop Carrier C-47, dropping the first "stick" of 101st Airborne Pathfinder Paratroopers into Drop Zone "A," behind Utah Beach, at 0013 hours, on 6 June 1944. My mom, "The Flight Nurse," flew into the Normandy combat area in the same C- 47s on 10 June 1944 to care for and evacuate by air the severely wounded soldiers back to hospitals in England.
My dad's C-47 would lead the tight formation of (20) Pathfinder aircraft, each with (18) Pathfinder paratroopers, low across the English Channel, in total darkness. As the Pathfinders approached the Normandy coast, a thick bank of clouds obscured the sky and view of the ground, which made formation flying very dangerous. They proceeded inland on the designated navigation heading to the drop zones. The Germans, hearing the sound of the C-47 engines, began to fire into the night's sky. Tracer bullets all around them filled the sky with danger. As my dad's aircraft approached Drop Zone "A," behind Utah Beach, the clouds parted just long enough for him to confirm the Drop Zone "A" location visually, and the "green jump light” was turned on to signal the paratroopers to jump! It was 0013 hours, 6 June 1944. The first American forces were on the ground in Normandy! Once on the ground, their mission was to “mark the (7) drop zones” for the follow-on "main body" of (821) C-47 Troop Carrier aircraft, led by the C-47 "That's All Brother," which were approximately 30 minutes behind the Pathfinders. These C-47s would drop thousands of 101“ and 82J Airborne Paratroopers into their specific Normandy Drop Zones (DZ|. Upon landing back in England, my dad and the other pilot were order to personally report directly to General Eisenhower to provide a first-hand account of their mission. They then jumped back in their C-47, "to get in line," to take more paratroopers into Normandy.
y "Operation Overlord" air and sea invasion was a total success and marked the beginning of the road to ultimate “Victory in Europe" on 8 May 1945. My dad and mom had an important part in our victory in WWII, and their story of military service would continue.
My Next Station
Our goal at MNS is to take some of that burden off of you. Veterans have shown a great amount of dedication to this country. Current military move to areas you don't know because of the overall mission. Let us do the thinking and get you connected with proficient real estate professionals that know what you're going through and that can do all of the work for you! 
p Cover: A Year on the DEW Line," tells the story of life as the first line of defense against a Soviet first strike, braving Polar Bears, Wolverines, and Wolves in a place where the sun never goes down for part of the year and never rises for another part of the year.