Hero of the Week 69

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Yukio Okutsu

Yukio Okutsu was born on November 3, 1921. He grew up in Koloa, Hawaii. Much of his early life was very uneventful. However, although he had no way of predicting it, Okutsu would grow up to become one of America's bravest soldiers in World War II.

In March of 1943, Okutsu enlisted the 100th Infantry Battalion which was part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (a unit comprised of Japanese Americans). Two years later, he had risen to the rank of Technical Sergeant. On April 7, 1945, Sergeant Okutsu and his platoon were patrolling an area in Italy near the town of Bologna. While walking up a nearby mountain (Mount Belvedere), three enemy machine guns opened fire on the platoon.

Okutsu immediately took the initiative. He crawled to within 30 yards of one of the machine guns and threw two grenades at it. The grenades obliterated the gun and killed all three of its crew. Okutsu then crawled to the next machine gun and threw another grenade into the nest. This grenade knocked out the gun and incapacitated the crew. He then assaulted the third position and wounded all four enemy soldiers, forcing them to surrender. Less than 20 minutes after they were ambushed, Sergeant Okutsu has single-handedly stopped the ambush and saved his platoon. Soon, they continued on their patrol.

For his heroism that day, Yukio Okutsu received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple heart. By the end of World War II 442nd Regimental Combat team was one of the most highly decorated units in American history. It had also suffered so many casualties (especial the 100th) that it earned itself the nickname, "the Purple Heart Battalion" (9,486 of them). Numerous soldiers were nominated for the Medal of Honor (Okutsu included) but only one of them received it immediately after the war.

That all changed on June 21, 2000. That day, President Bill Clinton awarded 22 soldiers the Congressional Medal of Honor for acts of valor during World War II. Sadly, only 7 of them were still alive to receive it. Yukio Okutsu was one of those few. Three years later, he passed away at the age of 81. Today he is remembered as a brave and remarkable hero who helped our country win World War II. Like so many before and after, he served a country that was not always grateful, yet he fought for it anyway. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/14/us/yukio-okutsu-81-soldier-who-led-attack-on-germans.html

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/3413

https://www.usapatriotism.org/heroes/moh/ww2/okutsu.htm

Hero of the Week 68

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Piero Calamai

Captain Piero Calamai was born on December 25, 1897. He began his career as a sailor in 1916 when he joined the Italian Navy. After honorably serving both world wars, Calamai joined the Italian merchant marines where he served on more than 27 different ships. By 1953, he was in chosen to be the Master of an Italian ocean liner called, Andrea Doria. He commanded this ship for three years without incident. However, all of this changed in the summer of 1956.

On the foggy night of July 25, the Doria was sailing through the East Coast of the United States just south of Nantucket. On this trip, she was carrying 1,134 passengers and 572 crew (more than 90% of her capacity). By 11 PM, Captain Calamai was one of the few who was still awake. Ten minutes after the hour he noticed lights in the fog bank. He realized it was another cruise ship that was on a collision course with the Doria. He ordered a hard turn to port in an attempt to outrun the other ship. It was too late, the other ship (MS Stockholm) crashed into the starboard side of the Andrea Doria. 

Since the Stockholm was armed with a reinforced bow (so it could break through ice), it snapped right through the Doria's bulkheads and penetrated 30 feet deep into the latter's hull. By the time the two ships ripped apart from each other, they both had suffered severe damage. 

Captain Calamai immediately ordered the crew to their stations and an assessment of the damage. A large hole had been ripped in the starboard side of the Doria. Sea water was rapidly flooding into the ship's hull, overwhelming its water-tight compartments. It became clear to Calamai that he was going to lose his ship. He quickly ordered an evacuation but soon realized that there was a major problem that was hindering the evacuation process. The hole in the side of the Doria was causing the ship to dangerously list 20 degrees to its starboard side. As a result the lifeboats that were located on the ship's port side could not be launched and the ones on the starboard side could only carry just over half of the Doria's passengers.

Calamai quickly radioed this problem to other ships and called for more lifeboats. Despite also being mangled in the collision, the Stockholm (which was not in danger of sinking) lowered its own lifeboats and began aiding the Doria's passengers. Luckily, both ships were located in a heavily traveled area of the Atlantic. As a result, many ships were able to respond to the distress calls. 

Even so, the evacuation of the Doria's passengers was a painstakingly slow process. Due the starboard list, they were forced to slide down the deck into the lifeboats. For next several hours, one of the largest maritime rescues in history took place as more than 1,600 passengers and crew evacuated from the Doria. Captain Calamai stayed on the bridge the whole time coordinating the rescue and trying to make sure everyone was evacuated. Many passengers were trapped in their cabins due to debris from the collision and needed to be pulled free by the crew. By 5:30 AM, nearly everybody had been evacuated. Captain Calamai was content to stay on his ship (as he knew people were still missing) but he was eventually persuaded to board the last lifeboat. Five hours later, the Andrea Doria slipped beneath the waves.

In all a total of 46 of the Doria's passengers had been killed in the collision. Another five people were killed on the Stockholm. Despite helping to rescue nearly all of his passengers and crew, Captain Piero Calamai was largely scapegoated by the public for not being able to save everyone on board his ship. He was forced to retire from captaining ships after the sinking (and never returned to the sea). Nobody was harder on Calamai than himself. For the rest of his days he was haunted by his inability to prevent the disaster and save all those on the Andrea Doria. He died on April 7, 1972. His last words were reported to be, "Are the passengers safe? Are they all off?"

Despite all the criticism given to Calamai, most of the survivors called him a hero. Many credited him with preventing many more lives from being lost and coordinating one of the largest maritime evacuations from a sinking ship in history. He put his passengers and crew before himself and ensured that most of them were rescued. He is definitely someone who deserves to be held in high regard.

https://www.orderisda.org/culture/stories/andrea-doria-was-beautiful-elegant-and-doomed-as-51-passengers-would-learn-when-disaster-struck/

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/04/10/archives/capt-piero-calamai-dies-at-75-andrea-doria-skipper-in-crash.html

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/entertainment/shipwreck-survivor-sets-record-straight-for-anniversary-of-andrea-doria-sinking/article_ed7e25c9-58f7-56aa-874c-9012c133aeb6.html

http://www.andreadoria.org/TheOfficers/Default.htm

https://www.history.com/news/the-sinking-of-andrea-doria

Hero of the Week 67

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Floyd Gibbons

Floyd Gibbons was born on July 16, 1887, in Washington DC. He attended Georgetown University. After leaving the college in 1907, Gibbons moved to Minnesota where was able to find work as a reporter for the Minneapolis Daily News. His job eventually took him down to Mexico, where he covered the Mexican Revolution and gave an interview with Pancho Villa. However, his biggest challenge would be with the US marines, in the forest of Belleau Wood.

In June of 1917, Gibbons and dozens of other American journalists arrived in France hoping to cover the Western Front of the Great War. They were warned by their censors to stay out unauthorized places (for their own safety). However, Gibbons knew that he would not heed this warning. He wanted to go into combat with American servicemen and give his readers an actual feeling of what war was like.

That day, Gibbons followed the 5th marines under Major Benjamin Berry into the forest of Belleau Wood, just west of the town, Lucy-le-Bocage. Since he was a non-combabtant, Gibbons was not permitted to carry any weapons. As the marines crossed nearby wheat field, they were ambushed by Germans hidden in the woods. Major Berry ordered the marines to hit the dirt and return fire. Just seconds after Gibbons hit the ground who looked up and saw Major Berry get hit by a burst of machine-gun fire. He fell severely wounded with multiple wounds. 

In a complete disregard for his safety, Gibbons immediately began crawling towards the fallen marine in an attempt to pull him to safety. As he reached for Major Berry, a bullet struck Gibbons in his left arm. A second one struck his shoulder. Even then he continued to try to get to Berry. Finally a third bullet ricocheted off a rock and struck Gibbons in his left eye. He was left immobilized in the wheat field as the rest of the marines fell back to call in an artillery strike. Three hours later, Gibbons was evacuated to a hospital where doctors treated his wounds. He survived, but was left blind in his left eye.

Gibbons later found out that Major Berry had successfully called in an artillery strike that silenced the German machine-guns and personally saw to the former's rescue. Gibbons later published a graphic account of the Battle of Belleau Wood that captivated the American public and propelled the US Marine Corps into the national spotlight. For his own valor, he received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Floyd Gibbons continued to work in the US media for the rest of his life. He eventually became a narrator for Hollywood documentaries and newsreels for which received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died on September 23, 1939, at the age of 52.

Floyd Gibbons showed outstanding courage and dedication to his occupation. Even though he was not required to do so, he followed American servicemen into combat and fought by their sides through battle. It was because of men like him, that an accurate description of the American war experience was shared with the public. He definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://spartacus-educational.com/Jgibbons.htm

http://www.worldwar1.com/sffgbw.htm

Axelrod, Alan. Miracle at Belleau Wood : the birth of the modern U.S. Marine Corps.Guilford, Conn: Lyons Press, 2007

Hero of the Week 66

Welcome back viewers

This week we will honor a team of heroes

They are...

The men of the Honolulu Fire Department of 1941

The Honolulu Fire Department was first established in the 1850s and was the very first of any within the Hawaiian Islands. By the turn of the 20th century, it had become one of the best in any territory that was occupied by the US. But on December 7, 1941, the firemen of the HFD would become some of the bravest and most distinguished firemen in history. 

The morning of December 7, began like any other day for the fireman of Honolulu. All of a sudden at 8:05 AM, the telephone at the department's alarm bureau rang in the quarters of Engine Company 6. It was answered by Lieutenant Frederick Kealoha who quickly rang the house gong. As the firemen quickly assembled behind the station, they noticed a large amount of anti-aircraft gun fire being directed from miles away. They initially assumed it was a military drill until Lt Kealoha told them the terrifying reality. This was no drill, it was a military attack on Oahu. Since only a dozen were on duty that morning, they would have do something that no fireman had ever done before: enter a war-zone.

They quickly got into two firetrucks and drove to Hickam Airfield. Their job would be to rescue the wounded airmen and try to fight the fires as best they could. By the time they arrived, the first wave of Japanese planes had completed their attack run on the airfield. The airfield had more than a dozen fires burning and hundreds of bodies were strewn across the tarmac. With Lt Kealoha conducting the operations, the 12 firemen quickly attempted to rescue the wounded, recover the bodies, and put out the raging fires. Although another fire company (Engine 1) arrived on the scene, dousing the flames proved to be exceptionally difficult because the airfield's primary water main had been struck by a bomb making all fire hydrants non-functional. To make matters worse, a second wave of Japanese planes appeared and immediately began to attack the survivors of the first wave.

The firemen were forced to scramble for cover, unfortunately not all of them were able to avoid the  oncoming attack. Within seconds, the entire airfield was being raked with bullets and bombs. Those caught in the open where shot to pieces. Others were disintegrated when fuel tanks exploded near them. Some tried to fire back with rifles and machine guns, but they were no match. Anyone who attempted to get airborne was quickly shot down. The entire attack on Hickam Airfield from the second wave lasted only 15 minutes. Never the less, it had caused major devastation.

At least three firemen were dead and another three (including Lt Kealoha) were severely wounded. Shrapnel had severely damaged all three of the fire trucks (Engine 1 had all six tires punctured). Despite the damage, the firemen quickly got back to work fighting the fires and tending to the wounded. Even as a third attack wave (luckily it had fewer planes) descended on Hickam, they continued to do their jobs and rescue as many people as possible. They eventually managed to repair their engines by plugging the holes in the radiators with brown soap and toilet paper. Despite the limited water supply, the firemen refused to back down from the raging flames. They fought the flames inside hangers, the barracks, fuel storage tanks, and even ammunition storage buildings. After 14 hours, the fires at Hickam Airfield were finally quelled.

For the rest of the day, the firemen of Honolulu responded to more than 39 fire alarms on December 7. All of the department's firemen were called in to save as many people as possible. They would remain on duty until the morning of December 9. Six firemen received the Purple Heart from the US military (three posthumously). To date, the HFD is the only fire department in American history that has fought fires caused by enemy attack under combat conditions. 

When many of us think of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, we remember the brave sailors, marines, and soldiers who fought and died defending our country. However, the story of the firemen of Honolulu has largely been forgotten by the general populace of America. In reality, they were just as brave as those in the military. Despite not being equipped for combat scenarios, they answered calls for help and put their lives on the line to save those in need. I believe that they should be remembered as some of America's greatest heroes of Pearl Harbor.

The three firemen who paid the ultimate price:

Captain John Carreira, Engine 1

Captain Thomas Macy, Engine 4

Hoseman Harry Tuck Lee Pang, Engine 6

https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/handle/10524/551/JL13142.pdf?sequence=2

https://www.fireengineering.com/2013/12/06/253629/from-the-fire-engineering-vault-pearl-harbor-and-world-war-ii/#gref

https://www.firefighternation.com/2017/12/07/purple-heart-for-honolulu-firefighters-killed-in-attack-on-pearl-harbor/#gref

Hero of the Week 65

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Cornelia ten Boom

Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was born on April 25, 1892, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She was the youngest of four children who grew up in a watchmaker's shop. Like her father, she became a watchmaker (the very first woman to be licensed as one in the country). When she wasn't running her family's watch shop, she was teaching Bible classes at Sunday schools (she was very committed to her faith in the Dutch Reformed Church). Her faith and dedication to her neighbors would become powerful motivations in the coming years.

In May 1940, Nazi Germany launched its Blitzkrieg campaign against Western Europe. In less than a year, the Allied armies were soundly defeated and most of Europe was occupied (Holland included). It wasn't long before, the Nazis began to persecute Holland's Jewish population. Within just weeks of Holland's occupation, thousands of Dutch Jews were arrested and deported out of the country to concentration camps.

Corrie was determined to help her neighbors in any way that she could. She and her family opened up their home to any refugees who needed to hide from the Gestapo. They built a secret hiding place in Corrie's bedroom. This room was eight feet long by two feet wide and could hold up to six people. The family also installed a warning buzzer which would signal any guests to hide whenever the Gestapo were seen in the area. 

Four the next four years, Corrie and her family sheltered hundreds of refugees and resistance fighters within their home and helped coordinate attacks from behind enemy lines. Unfortunately a Nazi informant reported the ten Boom's rescue operation to the Gestapo. On February 28, 1944, Corrie, her family, and thirty others were arrested. However, the Gestapo failed to locate the secret hiding place which was sheltering six Jews (they were picked up by the Dutch resistance two days later). 

Corrie ten Boom was deported (along with her sister, Betsie) to an infamous concentration camp in northern Germany called, Ravensbruck. For the rest of the year, Corrie struggled to survive in appalling conditions. Her sister died of malnutrition after being incarcerated in the camp for 8 months. Corrie was released 15 days later due to a "clerical error" in the guard's paperwork. She was one of the lucky few prisoners to survive while being over 40 (she later found out that all other prisoners in her age range were gassed). It is believed that more than 90,000 people (mostly women and young girls) were murdered in Ravensbruck.

Corrie spent the rest of the war in hiding. When it was over she immigrated to the United States where she worked as an evangelist (she also became good friends with Rev. Billy Graham). It is believed that she participated in the rescue of more than 800 people during World War II. In 1962, Corrie ten Boom received a knighthood from the Queen of the Netherlands. Six years later she was awarded Righteous among the Nations from Israel. 

In 1971, she wrote and published a book called, The Hiding Place. In this book, Corrie chronicled her families efforts to aid people during the Holocaust and their motivation for doing so. The book immediately became a bestseller and sold over 2 million copies in its first year. For the rest of her life, Corrie ten Boom continued to give lectures on the Holocaust and helping to educate the next generation. She passed away on her birthday in April 1983, at the age of 91. Today she is remembered as one of the greatest heroes of World War II, a title that could not be more fitting.

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/corrie-ten-boom

https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-corrie-ten-boom-4164625

https://www.biography.com/activist/corrie-ten-boom

Hero of the Week 64

Welcome back viewers

This week we will honor a team of heroes

They are...

The marines of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion

Part I

In the year 1966, thousands of American servicemen were stationed in the country of Vietnam. Among them were thousands of recon marines who were trained to scout out enemy positions deep in hostile territory. Usually, it was these men who would be the first into a fire fight. This story is about a small group of recon marines that faced a long and particularly violent night while outnumbered and outgunned.

In June of 1966, seven recon marine teams were sent into Vietnam's Hiep Duc region in order to occupy strategic positions around the valley. One team was led by First Sergeant Jimmie Howard. Howard was a veteran of the Korean War and highly decorated. He commanded a platoon of 15 marines and 2 navy corpsman. On June 13, Howard and his platoon were dropped into the Hiep Duc Valley. They were tasked with occupying a 488 meter barren knob named, Nui Vu Hill. It was designated as, Hill 488.

This hill was located at the furthermost outpost of the American perimeter. Anything further, was enemy territory. Hill 488 was also the tallest in the surrounding terrain. However, it was also dangerously exposed. The hill had almost no cover except for a large boulder that was the size of a small car. It was also only 75 feet wide at its widest point. This meant that defending this hill would be a very difficult task.

On June 13, Sergeant Howard and his platoon dropped into the valley and ascended Hill 488. Their mission was to use the hill to observe enemy movements and call in airstrikes. Upon reaching the top, Sergeant Howard and his second-in-command, Lance Corporal Ricardo Binns, quickly began to set up a perimeter. They decided that the large boulder at the top of Hill 488 would be the headquarters and rallying point incase they were attacked. For the next two days, Howard and his platoon observed and reported enemy positions back to headquarters. Unfortunately the North Vietnamese became aware of the marines on Hill 488 and decided to try and wipe them out. What followed would be one of the most legendary stands in military history.

Part II

On the afternoon of June 15, an American Special Forces unit spotted hundreds of Viet Cong and NVA soldiers advancing on Hill 488. Their orders were to assault and wipe out the American outpost on the hill, no matter the cost. The Special Forces quickly radioed Sergeant Howard and alerted him to the approaching danger. He organized his men into tight perimeter (only 20 meters across) and prepared for fierce combat. The assault began when darkness fell.

On the north blade of the hill, LCpl Binns spotted a bush moving towards them. He fired two shots at it and an enemy soldier fell out and rolled down the hill. Binns then threw a grenade and pulled back to a more secure position in the perimeter. Seconds later, a large volume of fire erupted from the darkness towards the marines. Before long, one marine was dead and another critically wounded. Sergeant Howard realized they were surrounded, outnumbered, and severely outgunned.

The marines then heard cracks in the bamboo thicket and opened fire. The NVA and VC soldiers returned fire and vicious firefight ensued. Soon a grenade severely wounded one of the two navy corpsman. Another landed between Binns and another marine named, Bob Martinez. Both men were severely wounded but were able to quickly kill the thrower. Before long, the second corpsman (Billy Holmes) was severely wounded while giving first aid to a wounded marine.

Another marine (Pfc. Thomas Glawe) was firing an M79 Grenade Launcher at the enemy. For a couple minutes he was able to inflict severe casualties on the North Vietnamese, until a machine gun round struck him in the head and killed him instantly. After he fell, Sergeant Howard crawled to his position, picked up the M79, and resumed firing. Soon a grenade landed near his position and detonated. Despite his severe wounds, Sergeant Howard crawled back to his command post at the rock and tried to make a radio call for help. He then quickly called for flares to be fired so he and his platoon could see the enemy. After the flares were fired, Howard quickly observed how dire his situation was and called for an evacuation by helicopter. However this was impossible due to the darkness and heavy gunfire. Sergeant Howard and his platoon would just have to hold on through the night until daybreak.

Part III

Sergeant Howard and his platoon had inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. By midnight, they had pulled back and decided to change their tactics. Instead of launching a direct assault, the VC went to hit and run tactics in order to probe for weak spots in the marines' defense. They proceeded to attack in small groups that would try to sneak up on an unsuspecting marine and kill them one by one. Their attacks would get especially vicious as soon as the flares went out. Sergeant Howard was forced to repeatedly call for flares to be fired in order to deter the Viet Cong from launching another devastating attack.

Even with the flares on, the marines on Hill 488 were spared no rest. It wasn't long before short but deadly firefights began along the perimeter. Two marines (LCpls John Adams and Ray Hildreth) spotted an enemy machine gun being set up 30 meters away. Before they could neutralize it, three VC soldiers sprang out of nowhere and charged them. Hildreth was able to shoot one, while Adams killed the other two in hand to hand combat. Unfortunately, the enemy machine gun opened fire on both marines. The barrage missed Hildreth, but struck Adams directly in the torso and blew out his back. Although Hildreth quickly returned fire and killed the machine gunner, he was too late to save Adams who died less than a minute after he was hit.

The Viet Cong continued to launch unrelenting attacks on the marines. Before long all of the defenders were either dead or wounded. Sergeant Howard continued to fire the M79 until he ran out of grenades. He told his platoon to make every shot count as their ammo was fast dwindling. As he was speaking a bullet struck him in the side. Howard immediately lost feeling in his legs as the bullet struck his spinal cord (paralyzing him from the waist down).

By 2 AM, all the marines and corpsmen in Sergeant Howard's platoon had either been killed or wounded. The Viet Cong had also been badly mauled and decided to attempt a bit of psychological warfare against the Americans on Hill 488. They began shouting, "Marines, you die tonight! Marines you die in one hour!"

Binns heard these taunts and shouted to Howard, "Hey, Top Notch, ain't that a laugh?" Although Sergeant Howard had very little to be optimistic about he decided it was time to deliver a, "masterstroke in psychological one-upmanship". In a low voice he said, "All right Marines, give them the old horse laugh on three". On Howard's cue, all of the marines (even the ones who were near death) began laughing at the top of their lungs. This laugh caused a major amount of confusion and a drop in morale among the Viet Cong who began to think that the Americans on Hill 488 were insane.

Although their laughter had helped to demoralize the Viet Cong, Sergeant Howard and his marines knew that they could not hold out much longer. By now almost all of their ammunition was gone and many were starting to pass out from blood loss. By now, they had resorted to throwing rocks after they had run out of grenades and each man was down to his last 10 rounds. But then, they began to hear the familiar sound of helicopters in the night. Help was on the way.

Epilogue

The fighting went on for another 10 hours. It finally ended when the Viet Cong retreated from the area around Noon. Finally, the exhausted marines on Hill 488 were rescued. Six of Howard's marines had died in the fighting, and all of the remaining 12 were severely wounded. Only three of the group were not carried down the hill on stretchers. A further eight marines had been KIA while trying to rescue them. Although only 42 bodies of Viet Cong soldiers were located around Hill 488 after the battle was over, it is estimated that they had lost more than half of their force during their assaults on the hill.

Despite his severe wounds, 1st Sergeant Jimmie Howard survived and was able to regain his ability to walk. On August 21, 1967, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson. Howard continued to serve in the US marine corps for another 10 years before he retired in 1977. He spent the rest of his days coaching high school football and attending reunions with his fellow veterans. He passed away on November 12, 1993, at the age of 64.

All of the men in Sergeant Howard's platoon were honored for their heroism at Hill 488. Lance Corporal Ricardo Binns and three others received the Navy Cross. Thirteen received the silver star and all received Purple Hearts. Binns survived the battle, but never fully recovered from his wounds. In 1971, he received a medical discharge. Efforts were made by his family and fellow veterans to get congress to upgrade Binns's Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor. Sadly, the recommendation was ultimately denied in 2014. Ricardo Binns passed away on November 10, 2018, at the age of 72.

The story of the Recon Marines on Hill 488 is one of the most legendary struggles in military history. Despite being cut off, surrounded, out-numbered, and out gunned, they continued to follow their commander and hold their ground. Not only did they survive, they were victorious. They showed some of the greatest courage and dedication that few have ever duplicated. I believe that their story should always be remembered.

The six KIAs from Howard's platoon:

Lance Cpl. John Adams
Pfc. Ignatius Carlisi
Pfc. Thomas Glawe
Lance Cpl. Alcadio Mascarenas
Pfc. James McKinney
Cpl. Jerald Thompson

https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=95316

https://www.historynet.com/long-night-hill-488.htm

https://vietnam-war-history.com/post/the-battle-of-hill-488

https://sofrep.com/news/jimmie-howard-recon-legend/

https://www.newsbf.com/news/1105/27ric_binns.html

Hero of the Week 63

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Officer Charles Troyer

Charles Troyer was born on September 25, 1943, in Baltimore, Maryland. After serving the US Navy, he joined the Anne Arundel Country Police Department in October of 1967. For the next seven years, he worked as a policeman and protected his country. Nothing could have prepared him for the events of February 22, 1974.

That day, Officer Troyer was working at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. While he was getting himself some coffee, he heard gunshots coming from one of the boarding gates. He raced to the gate and found a fellow officer lying in a pool of blood. After calling for backup, Officer Troyer took the fallen officer's weapon and ran down the corridor where the shooter had gone. As he approached the airplane, (Delta Airlines Flight 523) the shooter opened fire on Troyer who pulled two flight attendants out of harms way. The shooter than slammed the airplane's doors shut, locked it, and took more than a dozen people hostage. 

After being denied entry, Officer Troyer quickly descended to the tarmac with other officers and attempted to shoot out the aircraft's tires. However their bullets were not strong enough to penetrate the tires' thick rubber. After hearing more gunfire from inside the plane, Officer Troyer returned to the corridor and peered through one of the windows. From there, he spotted the shooter and took aim with his revolver. As soon as the shooter walked by the window, Troyer fired four shots. Two of the bullets penetrated the window and struck the suspect who immediately dropped. As other police began to pull open the door, a final shot was fired. 

When they finally opened the door they saw that the shooter had committed suicide after he was shot by Officer Troyer. Lying next to him was a briefcase that contained a bomb. After the passengers and crew were evacuated, the bomb was moved to the tarmac where it harmlessly detonated without killing or injuring anyone. An investigation later revealed that the gunman was planning to assassinate President Richard Nixon by hijacking a jetliner and flying it into the White House. 

For his heroism that day, Officer Charles Troyer was honored by the city of Baltimore. He went on to serve 37 years in the police department before he was forced to retire after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He passed away on September 22, 2016, at the age of 72.

Charles Troyer is one of many police officers who put their lives on the line in order to keep us safe and secure every day. When the time came, he sprang into action and fought back against a deadly terrorist who aimed to kill many people. He is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2005-11-13-0511120472-story.html

http://digitaledition.baltimoresun.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=1112a382-2fbb-4be1-876d-d4f4c9404959

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/24/charles-butch-troyer-officer-who-halted-1974-hijac/

https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/crime/ph-ac-cn-obit-troyer-0924-20160923-story.html

Hero of the Week 62

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Peter Francisco

Peter Francisco was born on July 9, 1760, in the Archipelago of the Azores. He immigrated with his family to Prince George County, Virginia in 1765. Much of his early life there has not been conclusively documented. One thing that has been accurately recorded, is that Francisco would become a patriot and play a crucial role in the American Revolution.

In 1776, Peter Francisco enlisted in the 10th Virginia Infantry Regiment. By the next year, he saw combat at Brandywine, Fort Mifflin, and Germantown. Francisco's height of 6 feet by 6 inches (earning him the nickname, Virginia Giant) made him a constant target on the battlefield. He was severely wounded during the climactic battle of Monmouth Court House. But one of Francisco's greatest acts of valor was his conduct during the Capture of Stony Point.

On the night of July 16, 1779, a Patriot army (under the command of Anthony Wayne) prepared to launch an attack on a British fort located at Stony Point, New York. Francisco was in the vanguard of this attack and was among the first to enter the fort. Within seconds of entering, he was attacked by numerous British defenders. Despite being severely wounded, Francisco killed three defenders and captured a British flag (the loss of this flag was judged to be a pivotal moment in the assault on Stony Point). After less than an hour of fighting, the British garrison at Stony Point surrendered. Francisco's heroism during the assault was mentioned by General Wayne himself in a letter to George Washington.

Peter Francisco also displayed great courage two years later, during the battle of Guilford Courthouse. At this pivotal battle, he personally killed eleven British soldiers in hand to hand combat (while he was again, severely wounded). A month later, while he was riding alone, Francisco was ambushed by nine British dragoons. In the fight that followed, he successfully killed three before forcing the rest to retreat. Two months later, Francisco was present during the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. All in all, Peter Francisco had participated in at least nine battles and skirmishes.

After the war, Peter Francisco settled down in Virginia and raised a family. He spent his last years as the Sergeant-at-arms to the Virginia State Senate. He died on January 16, 1831, at the age of 70. Today he is remembered as one of America's greatest soldiers during the Revolution.   

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/peter-francisco

https://www.historynet.com/peter-francisco-remarkable-american-revolutionary-war-soldier.htm

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-stony-point/

https://books.google.com/books?id=WtURAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA217&dq=Peter+Francisco+1820+petition+to+Virginia+Assembly&hl=en&ei=0rixTNSxBYyMnQe60pyUBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Peter%20Francisco%201820%20petition%20to%20Virginia%20Assembly&f=false