If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town Fresno, California
Last Address Fresno, California
Date of Passing Dec 30, 2019
Location of Interment Fresno Memorial Gardens - Fresno, California
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on Feb 14, 1952. During his USAF career he flew/worked on the A-26 Invader, the B-36 Peacemaker, the SM--65 Atlas E missile, and the B-52 Stratofortress.
While flying as a tail gunner on a B-52D during a combat mission over Hanoi, North Vietnam, on Dec 28, 1972, his aircraft was hit and he was forced to manually bail-out, as the early-model B-52's didn't have ejection seats for the gunner. He was taken as a POW by the North Vietnamese and was held in captivity for the next 91 days. After his release during Operation Homecoming on Mar 29, 1973, he continued with his Air Force career and retired as a Chief Master Sergeant on Jan 31, 1979.
Vietnam War/Cease-Fire Campaign (1972-73)/Operation Linebacker II
From Month/Year
December / 1972
To Month/Year
December / 1972
Description Operation Linebacker II (18–29 December 1972) was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War. The operation was conducted from 18–29 December 1972, leading to several of informal names such as "The December Raids" and "The Christmas Bombings".
Unlike the Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker interdiction operations, Linebacker II, would be a "maximum effort" bombing campaign to "destroy major target complexes in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas which could only be accomplished by B-52s." It saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the US Air Force since the end of World War II. Linebacker II was a modified extension of the Operation Linebacker bombings conducted from May to October, with the emphasis of the new campaign shifted to attacks by B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers rather than smaller tactical fighter aircraft.