Despite serious aircraft malfunctions, marginal weather, and grave damage to his aircraft from an exploding surface-to-air missile, Col. Broughton placed his armament directly on target, scattering fire and debris which illuminated the target for easy acquisition by the following strike force. Disregarding the crippled condition of his aircraft, which minimized his chances for recovery to friendly territory, Colonel Broughten then willfully acted as a decoy to divert hostile aircraft approaching the strikeforce.
Tag: Heroes Hall Veterans Museum
2LT Louis A. Staff, Distinguished Service Cross: Forward Observer For Mortars
Lieutenant Staff and his party were pinned down for hours by heavy enemy fire. Under cover of darkness, Staff evacuated his men into a nearby woods where he evaded enemy patrols all night. The following morning, he succeeded in reestablishing radio contact with the supporting artillery and, at great personal risk, adjusted artillery fire on vital enemy emplacements and troop concentrations.
Captain, Paul F. McLellan, Navy Cross: Iwo Jima Survivor
Captain McLellan was forced to lead his company when their commander was killed in action. With skill and courage he skillfully led an attack and permitted his company to overrun an enemy strong point near the second airfield and annihilate the Japanese who had previously held up the advance of three Marine divisions. McLellan led the company throughout several other assaults until being seriously wounded himself.
CMDR. Willis E. Hardy, Navy Cross: Ace Fighter Pilot
Attached to the U.S.S. Hornet, Hardy shot down four enemy dive bombers and several aircraft fighters in action against Japanese forces in the vicinity of Okinawa Shima on April 6, 1945.
Captain Vernon C. Jordan, Distinguished Service Cross: Cleared a House of German Soldiers, One Room at a Time
Jordan in February 1945 single handedly attacked a German house with enemy soldiers under direct gun fire, scaled into the building through a window and fought room to room until clearing the house of enemy soldiers.
CPL Ernesto Gomez, Navy Cross: Vietnam War Hero
Gomez, a Crew Chief aboard a CH-46 transport helicopter near the Khe Sanh Combat Base in Vietnam, left his helicopter and rushed across 25 meters of fire-swept terrain to the side of an injured Marine, then selflessly used his own body to shield his comrade from hostile fire and as enemy fire continued, took cover with the casualty in a nearby rocket crater, until both were eventually evacuated.
LTJG. Fred Leroy Dungan, Navy Cross: WWII Pilot Achieved Ace Status
During World War II Fred Dungan became a U.S. Navy ACE, credited with shooting down seven enemy aircraft in aerial combat. Mr. Dungan recently celebrated his 95th birthday.
Lt Donald Lewis, Navy Cross: Pilot in First Battle of the Philippine Sea
Lewis participated in a daring strike against the main Japanese fleet, selecting an enemy aircraft carrier as his target and, skillfully maneuvering his plane to evade fierce enemy fighter opposition, executed a dive-bombing attack of the enemy vessel and scored a direct hit, thereby severely damaging the hostile ship.
Major Sidney Goldstein, Distinguished Service Cross: Broke The Gothic Line
Lieutenant Goldstein took the mission of taking an enemy held hill in the Gothic Line with a small force of 24 men, capturing numerous German soldiers. A park in Westminster is named after him.
Capt. Leon M. Williamson, Navy Cross: Scout Bomber During The Battle of Midway
Williamson, in the face of withering fire from Japanese fighter guns and anti-aircraft batteries, dive-bombed a Japanese aircraft carrier on the night of June 4 and brought his plane back to its base under extremely adverse weather conditions. The following day, after less than four hours’ sleep, he took part in an assault which resulted in the severe damaging of an enemy battleship.









