War Stories with Preston and Sayre12 Syys 2020

LTJG Nathan Gordon (Patrol Squadron 34) 09FEB1944, Bismarck Sea

15FEB1944: Serving with Patrol Squadron 34 based out of New Guinea, LTJG Nathan Gordon and his men were regularly tasked with the challenging mission of rescuing downed American pilots in the vast Pacific Ocean.

During an attack on the island of Kavieng on February 15th a handful of A-20's and B-25's had been shot down and the call went out for a potential rescue mission. LTJG Gordon and his crew, flying the 'Arkansas Traveler' PBY Catalina, took off in hopes of saving the downed American pilots.

Escorted by a group of fighters, Gordon landed between waves nearly 20 feet tall to search the first pile of wreckage for survivors. Unsuccessful and taking on water, he took back off but was quickly notified that some survivors had been found a short distance away. Within range of enemy fire, Gordon twice landed and pulled aboard the surviving airmen. In both instances, having to shut off his engines to complete the rescue.

Taking off with a full load and low on fuel, a call came in that an additional life raft had been spotted, a mere 600m from the Japanese gun positions. Without hesitation, Gordon spun his aircraft around, buzzed the enemy position at low altitude, landed and picked up an additional six airmen. Now overweight with 24 men on board, Gordon successfully fought the plane to get airborne and not crash into the oncoming waves.

LTJG Gordon and his crew were able to save 15 downed airmen that day that would have otherwise perished at sea or been taken prisoner by the Japanese. For his incredible bravery in rescuing those men, LTJG Nathan Gordon would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Gordon would survive the war and go on to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas for twenty years.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(232)

225: Fighting the Global War on Terror with the Bastogne Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division

Today we are joined with Michael Franks. Michael joined the Army in 2005 on an 18X contract inbound to Special Forces. Injury changed his course where he then found himself with the historic 2nd Batta...

2 Joulu 202254min

224: David Bellavia - Remember the Ramrods

We are joined today with David Bellavia. Famed for his legendary valor and determination, Bellavia is the Iraq War's sole living Medal of Honor recipient for his actions on November 10, 2004 as a squa...

11 Marras 20221h 7min

223: Chuck Holton - Reporting events on the ground in Ukraine

Today we are joined with Chuck Holton to discuss Ukraine. Chuck is a former Army Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment having served in Panama for Operation Just Cause. After leaving the military, Chuc...

21 Loka 202259min

222: Diving into the Civil War with James Cosgrove of Project Past

Today we are joined with James Cosgrove. James is the curator of Project Past which explores American battlefields, museums, and little-known historic sites here in the United States. His page highlig...

14 Loka 202254min

221: Sharing insights from the war in Ukraine with Ian Richardson

Today, we are again joined with Ian Richardson to discuss Ukraine. Ian is a Captain in the Army Reserve and formerly served as a Logistics Officer in Iraq in 2020. He is a published museum professiona...

7 Loka 20221h 7min

220: Why Ukraine Matters with John Spencer

We are joined again today with John Spencer to talk Ukraine. Spencer is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combat veteran, and internationally recognized expert and advisor on urban warfare ...

30 Syys 20221h 4min

219: A LRRP Ranger in Vietnam helping to improve the VA for his fellow veterans - Artie Guerrero

Today we are joined with Artie Guerrero. Artie served in Vietnam so his younger brother didn't have to and was one of fourteen to be hand-selected into the newly formed Ranger LRRP unit assigned to th...

23 Syys 20221h 7min

218: Exploring World War 2 Battlefields with JD Huitt of The History Underground

JD Huitt of the YouTube channel The History Underground joins us today. JD is a historian who has spent much of his personal time travelling to and documenting historical locations to provide the view...

16 Syys 20221h 1min