This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
McManus, Kevin Joseph, Lt Col USAF(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Babylon, New York
Last Address Oakton, Virginia
Date of Passing Jul 31, 2008
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
He and his other crew member were forced to eject from their F-4 over North Vietnam on June 14, 1967, and were both captured and taken as Prisoners of War. After spending 2,076 days in captivity, he was released during Operation Homecoming on February 18, 1973.
http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=362
Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Order G-1988 (November 11, 1967)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Kevin Joseph McManus (AFSN: FR-78805), United States Air Force, for gallantry in action while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force while serving as Pilot of an F-4C aircraft of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron, DaNang Air Base, Vietnam, in action over North Vietnam, on 14 June 1967. On that date, Lieutenant McManus flew in a flight of four F-4C tactical fighters against a railroad yard in a highly defended area. The attack inflicted heavy damage on the target. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Lieutenant McManus has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Order G-1988 (November 11, 1967)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 8, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Captain Kevin Joseph McManus (AFSN: FR-78805), United States Air Force, for gallantry and intrepidity in action in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force during June 1967, while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. Ignoring international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, the enemy resorted to mental and physical cruelties to obtain information, confessions, and propaganda materials. Captain McManus resisted their demands by calling upon his deepest inner strengths in a manner which reflected his devotion to duty and great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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]
