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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.
Description Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52F Stratofortress as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam. Arc Light missions continued until the cessation of hostilities by all U.S. forces on August 15, 1973.
