Legacy of Valor in the Air by J. Bolling Williamson ’60, Contributing Writer
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everal years after the creation of the United States Air Force, Congress authorized the Air Force Cross, to be awarded for “… extraordinary heroism not justifying the Medal of Honor while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” It is the equivalent of the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross. Recipients of this award include five VMI alumni, and a brief description of their actions, together with a portion of their citations, follow.
sional skill, led his force to a precise ordnance delivery point, placing his own bombs directly on the target. During recovery from the bomb run, his aircraft sustained a direct hit from the extremely intense anti-aircraft fire. He courageously flew his burning aircraft until it became completely uncontrollable, and he was forced to eject over hostile territory. Kirk was captured and spent the next five and one-half years as a prisoner of war. In addition to the Air Force Cross, his decorations include four Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Bronze Stars with V.
Thomas H. Kirk Jr. ’50B Operation Rolling Thunder, an intensive bombing campaign against targets in North Vietnam by Air Force and Navy aircraft, was well underway in July 1967 when Kirk assumed command of a squadron of F-105 fighter bombers based in Thailand. Carrying a bomb load that exceeded that of the B-17 of World War II, the F-105 performed the majority of the strike bombing missions for the Air Force during this phase of the war. Pilots flying over North Vietnam faced an increasingly strong and sophisticated air defense system which included MiG fighters – a tough environment, made even more challenging by rules of engagement that restricted how the pilots could respond to the threats they encountered. Kirk’s squadron was regularly assigned targets in the area around the capital city of Hanoi, where the air defenses were the most intense. A combat tour consisted of 100 missions, and the odds of completing a tour were not good. He had already completed 66 missions when he took off on Oct. 28, 1967. The following portion of Kirk’s Air Force Cross citation explains what happened next: On that date, Lt. Col. Kirk planned and led a 24-aircraft strike force against an important and heavily defended railroad and highway bridge near Hanoi. Despite seven surface-to-air missiles being fired at him and extremely poor visibility, Lt. Col. Kirk, with undaunted determination, indomitable courage and profes14
The F-105 fighter bomber performed most of the strike bombing missions for the Air Force at the time that Kirk assumed command of a squadron in 1967.
Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas H. Kirk Jr. ’50B was a prisoner of war for five and a half years. The photo above was taken on the day of his homecoming.
James R. McCarthy ’52 In early December 1972, major American involvement in Vietnam was nearing the end of its seventh year, truce negotiations were bogged down and Washington was becoming exasperated. President Nixon concluded that the North Vietnamese needed some motivation to return to the table with a more constructive attitude, and he ordered an intensive 12-day bombing campaign (“Linebacker II”) with an expanded list of targets. The use of B-52 heavy bombers was also authorized; heretofore, they had been used only on targets in South Vietnam. By this time in the war, North Vietnam had put together the most extensive and strongest integrated air defense system in history. It included a new, fire-control radar that improved the accuracy of its surfaceto-air missiles, and many in the Air Force believed that the B-52 would not fare well in encounters with it. Nevertheless, the VMI ALUMNI REVIEW
