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Contact Info
Home Town Kansas City, Kansas
Last Address Lane County, Oregon
Date of Passing Sep 25, 2013
Location of Interment Willamette National Cemetery (VA) - Portland, Oregon
He learned several jobs in several types of aircraft and spent 785 days as a POW.
His DFC citations:
Distinguished Flying Cross
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major Norbert Anthony Gotner (AFSN: 0-3085196/0-58952), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-4D Weapons System Operator over Southeast Asia on 6 September 1970 On that date, Major Gotner flew deep into hostile territory to strike a newly discovered military structure and bunker complex. Hostile defenses fired at his aircraft in an attempt to discourage the attack, but the ground fire was successfully evaded and all of Major Gotner's ordnance impacted on target. The results of his accurate bombing attack were one military structure destroyed, one structure damaged, two bunkers destroyed and four bunkers uncovered. The professional competence, aerial skill and devotion to duty displayed by Major Gotner reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Action Date: September 6, 1970
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Major Norbert Anthony Gotner (AFSN: 0-3085196/0-58952), United States Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-4D Weapons Systems Operator over Southeast Asia on 15 September 1970. On that date, he flew in the lead aircraft of a scrambled flight of two F-4Ds and struck an opposing armed force moving across hostile territory. His accurate bombing attacks into intense small arms fire caused numerous casualties and disrupted the movement of the hostile force. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Major Gotner reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Action Date: September 15, 1970
Aircraft/Missile Information
From Wikipedia: The F-4 Phantom was designed as a fleet defense fighter for the U.S. Navy, and first entered service in 1960. By 1963, it had been adopted by the U.S. Air Force for the fighter-bomber role. When production ended in 1981, 5,195 Phantom IIs had been built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.[7] Until the advent of the F-15 Eagle, the F-4 also held a record for the longest continuous production with a run of 24 years. Innovations in the F-4 included an advanced pulse-doppler radar and extensive use of titanium in its airframe.[8] Despite the imposing dimensions and a maximum takeoff weight of over 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg),[9] the F-4 had a top speed of Mach 2.23 and an initial climb of over 41,000 ft per minute (210 m/s).[10] Shortly after its introduction, the Phantom set 15 world records,[11] including an absolute speed record of 1,606.342 mph (2,585.086 km/h), and an absolute altitude record of 98,557 ft (30,040 m).[12] Although set in 1959?1962, five of the speed records were not broken until 1975 when the F-15 Eagle came into service.[11] The F-4 could carry up to 18,650 pounds (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and unguided, guided, and nuclear bombs.[13] Since the F-8 Crusader was to be used for close combat, the F-4 was designed, like other interceptors of the day, without an internal cannon;[14] In a dogfight, the RIO or WSO (commonly called "backseater" or "pitter") assisted in spotting opposing fighters, visually as well as on radar. It became the primary fighter-bomber of both the Navy and Air Force by the end of the Vietnam War. Due to its distinctive appearance and widespread service with United States military and its allies, the F-4 is one of the best-known icons of the Cold War. It served in the Vietnam War and Arab?Israeli conflicts, with American F-4 crews achieving 277 aerial victories in South East Asia and completing countless ground attack sorties.[15] The F-4 Phantom has the distinction of being the last United States fighter to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two WSOs,[16] and the USN one pilot and one RIO,[17] become aces in air-to-air combat. It was also a capable tactical reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (suppression of enemy air defenses) platform, seeing action as late as 1991, during Operation Desert Storm.[4][5] The F-4 Phantom II was also the only aircraft used by both of the USA's flight demonstration teams.[18] The USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the USN Blue Angels (F-4J) both switched to the Phantom for the 1969 season; the Thunderbirds flew it for five seasons,[19] the Blue Angels for six.[20] The baseline performance of a Mach 2-class fighter with long range and a bomber-sized payload would be the template for the next generation of large and light/middle-weight fighters optimized for daylight air combat. The Phantom would be replaced by the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force. In the U.S. Navy, it would be replaced by the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18 Hornet which revived the concept of a dual-role attack fighter.[21]