Latest news with #AirMedal
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Army pilot killed in helicopter training accident in Kentucky identified
A 40-year-old Army pilot was killed, and a second pilot was injured, in a helicopter training accident Wednesday evening at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the Army post said. The soldier killed was identified Friday by the 101st Airborne Division as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright. In a post to social media earlier Friday, the 101st Airborne Division said the incident involving an AH-64 Apache helicopter had occurred in "preparation for the Army's 250th birthday," the festival and parade being held in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the Army's 250th anniversary — that also coincides with President Trump's 79th birthday. However, in a follow-up post, the division said it wanted to "clarify" that the incident "occurred during a routine attack aviation training mission inside the Fort Campbell training area. The crew was not in direct support of Week of the Eagles or Army Birthday." A spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division also told CBS News by phone Friday that the training exercise had "100% nothing to do with the birthday parade in D.C." and was simply "happening while the Army prepares for the 250th birthday date." Week of the Eagles is an annual event that honors the heritage of the 101st Airborne Division. The injured pilot was treated and released from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital for minor injuries, officials said. No further details were provided. The incident is under investigation. Wright joined the Army in 2010 and had served at Fort Campbell since May 2022. He was highly-decorated, having been awarded the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Parachutist Badge, among others, his division said. "The entire 101st Combat Aviation Brigade grieves the loss of CW2 Dustin Wright," Col. Tyler Partridge, commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, said in a statement Friday. "A former Infantryman, Dustin cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops. He did so with strength and honor. We will forever cherish the memories of his service, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him." Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was among those offering condolences to the family of the soldier who died. "No matter how it happens, when we lose someone who has committed to serving our country, I know it hurts that family but it should hurt us all," the Democratic governor said Thursday. Kentucky state Sen. Craig Richardson, whose western Kentucky district includes the Fort Campbell area, said the soldier's death was heartbreaking. "This tragedy is a solemn reminder that the dangers our military faces are not limited to distant battlefields," the Republican lawmaker said. "The call to serve brings risks at home, in training, preparation, and quiet readiness." The sprawling Fort Campbell post straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line. Video shows Air India plane crashing in Ahmedabad Air India plane crashes shortly after takeoff, carrying more than 240 people Israel ready to launch operation into Iran, U.S. officials say
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Purple Heart medal returned to veteran's family 80 years after his death
The Brief The Purple Heart was found in a Georgia junkyard. The junkyard turned the meal over to a local VFW post. The medal belonged to a World War II veteran who died 80 years ago. The medal is now with a family member of the veteran's who lives in Bolinas. NOVATO, Calif. - On Wednesday evening, VFW Post in the North Bay held a ceremony to return a medal won at great cost by a fighter pilot killed in World War II to a family. The ceremony took place in Novato. The Purple Heart is a medal awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving in the military. This Purple Heart was found in a Newnan, Georgia auto salvage lot under the seat of a forklift. "I would say it's a minor miracle that it ever got found in the first place," said Novato VFW Post 7816 Commander Richard Saber. The salvage yard employee turned the metal over to a local VFW post. How it got into a Georgia scrapyard is unknown, but the VFW Commander knew what to do. He took it to a local historian who was able to find the medal recipient, inscribed with David T. McMahon, who was a resident of Michigan when he died. Lieutenant McMahon was a Lieutenant and a World War II P-51 Mustang pilot in the 348th Army Air Corps Fighter Group. He died in a crash in the Philippines in 1945, 80 years ago. "That medal, when it was first given to me here, the only thing I cared about was getting it to somebody who was part of the family because that is where it belongs," said Jeff Bouchard the VFW Post Commander in Georgia. That somebody was a niece of the medal winner who lives in Bolinas. "My uncle died three years before I was born, so I don't really know too much about him, but in these last two weeks I learned more than I ever knew. I guess I had a lot of sadness. You know he died so young," said McMahon's niece Lee Chisholm Colodzin. After the medal was given to her by another Purple Heart recipient, another member of the Post read from a certificate presented by the Manila Cemetery where the pilot is buried. "Time will not dim the glory of their deeds; a quote from General Pershing." The niece was very humbled by it all. "I feel very honored that they all took so much time and energy to make this happen. I imagine I'll be passing it on to my grandson," she said. Lieutenant McMahon is buried at the Manila's American Cemetery and holds the Purple Heart for death as well as the Air Medal for bravery and meritorious achievement. "Wouldn't you say that's a set of coincidences that had to be established by God?" asked Novato Post Commander Saber. While Georgia is a red state and California is a blue state, to this family, they're both red, white and blue.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WWII pilot credited with saving airman's life is finally accounted for
A World War II pilot who was remembered for helping fellow servicemembers survive the plane crash that killed him has been accounted for, military officials said this week. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook, 23, of Georgetown, Texas, was a member of the 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said in a news release. Before joining the military, McCook had graduated from Southwestern University and came from a family of pilots, according to local newspaper clippings gathered by the DPAA. McCook, nicknamed "Woody," served in China and Burma, according to newspaper clippings. He was one of 20 officers and enlisted men credited for a mission that air-dropped supplies to Allied forces battling Japanese troops in northern Burma. During his service, McCook received the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross, according to newspaper clippings. On August 3, 1943, McCook was the armor-gunner on the B-25C "Mitchell," conducting a low-altitude bombing raid over Meiktila, Burma, the DPAA said. The raid was meant to target the Meiktila dam and nearby Japanese barracks, according to a newspaper clipping. The aircraft crashed during the mission. McCook and three others aboard the plane died, but two men survived. One of the survivors, identified in newspaper clippings as Sgt. John Boyd, said the plane had been hit by an explosive gas shell while flying at a low altitude. McCook, who Boyd recalled "as the best in the business," was able to bring the damaged plane up to an altitude that allowed Boyd and the other surviving soldier to parachute from the craft before it crashed. Boyd said this action allowed him to survive. He and the other soldier were taken captive by Japanese forces, the DPAA said. Boyd spent two years as a prisoner in Rangoon before he was freed, according to newspaper clippings. McCook's remains were not recovered. He was eventually listed as missing in action. In 1947, after World War II ended, the American Grave Registration Service recovered four sets of remains from a common grave near a village in Burma, the DPAA said. Locals said the four sets of remains, designated X-282A-D, were from an "American crash," the DPAA said. But the remains were not identified at the time. They were interred as "Unknowns" at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, or the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii. McCook's name was listed on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. In January 2022, the DPAA disinterred all four sets of remains and taken to the agency's laboratory. Dental, anthropological and isotope analyses were conducted. Other military agencies used mitochondrial DNA analysis and genome sequencing data to help identify the remains. The processes allowed the DPAA to identify one of the sets of remains as belonging to McCook. Now that McCook has been accounted for, a rosette has been placed next to his name on the Walls of the Missing. He will be buried in his hometown in August 2025, the DPAA said. Sneak peek: Where is Jermain Charlo? Baldwin grills McMahon on unallocated funds for students, schools, approved by Congress Hegseth orders Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk, Jeffries calls it "a complete and total disgrace"
CBS News
04-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
WWII pilot accounted for 82 years after being credited with saving airman's life in deadly crash
A World War II pilot who was remembered for helping fellow servicemembers survive the plane crash that killed him has been accounted for, military officials said this week. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook, 23, of Georgetown, Texas, was a member of the 22nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), 10th Air Force during World War II, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said in a news release. Before joining the military, McCook had graduated from Southwestern University and came from a family of pilots, according to local newspaper clippings gathered by the DPAA. McCook, nicknamed "Woody," served in China and Burma, according to newspaper clippings. He was one of 20 officers and enlisted men credited for a mission that air-dropped supplies to Allied forces battling Japanese troops in northern Burma. During his service, McCook received the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross, according to newspaper clippings. On August 3, 1943, McCook was the armor-gunner on the B-25C "Mitchell," conducting a low-altitude bombing raid over Meiktila, Burma, the DPAA said. The raid was meant to target the Meiktila dam and nearby Japanese barracks, according to a newspaper clipping. 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency The aircraft crashed during the mission. McCook and three others aboard the plane died, but two men survived. One of the survivors, identified in newspaper clippings as Sgt. John Boyd, said the plane had been hit by an explosive gas shell while flying at a low altitude. McCook, who Boyd recalled "as the best in the business," was able to bring the damaged plane up to an altitude that allowed Boyd and the other surviving soldier to parachute from the craft before it crashed. Boyd said this action allowed him to survive. He and the other soldier were taken captive by Japanese forces, the DPAA said. Boyd spent two years as a prisoner in Rangoon before he was freed, according to newspaper clippings. McCook's remains were not recovered. He was eventually listed as missing in action. In 1947, after World War II ended, the American Grave Registration Service recovered four sets of remains from a common grave near a village in Burma, the DPAA said. A newspaper clipping describing 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook's heroic actions before the crash that took his life. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Locals said the four sets of remains, designated X-282A-D, were from an "American crash," the DPAA said. But the remains were not identified at the time. They were interred as "Unknowns" at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, or the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii. McCook's name was listed on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. In January 2022, the DPAA disinterred all four sets of remains and taken to the agency's laboratory. Dental, anthropological and isotope analyses were conducted. Other military agencies used mitochondrial DNA analysis and genome sequencing data to help identify the remains. The processes allowed the DPAA to identify one of the sets of remains as belonging to McCook. Now that McCook has been accounted for, a rosette has been placed next to his name on the Walls of the Missing. He will be buried in his hometown in August 2025, the DPAA said.
Boston Globe
29-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Remains of Somerville airman killed during WWII returned to Massachusetts 80 years later
Lord and members of his crew were reported missing in action. In 2018, investigators combing through a suspected crash site recovered ossified remains that were later confirmed to be Lord's, according to the Defense Department's POW/MIA Accounting Agency. A Southwest flight carrying Lord's remains and captained by his great-nephew, Charles Axtell landed at Logan Airport in Boston on Thursday afternoon. Advertisement 'I'm not sure if I can put it into words what it means to be flying him home,' his great nephew, Charles Axtell, said by email before the flight. 'It has been a special journey the whole way.' Lord's remains were also escorted by his great-great niece, Space Force 2nd Lieutenant Katherine Hendl. Lord's remains were taken to Bedford Funeral Home and will be interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett on June 7, alongside Lord's parents and his sister Ruth, his family said in an Axtell, who worked on the excavation that recovered Lord's remains, said that returning his great-uncle's remains to his home state represents 'the end of 80 years of torment.' Advertisement 'Now we know and we have the ability to give hope to the other 80,000+ MIA's since WW2,' said Axtell, who lives in New Hampshire. " . 'We also are reminding our present day armed forces that we do not quit looking for them! This is closure for our family but I think every veteran and military family member knows in their hearts what it means.' Lord's family still has letters he wrote while overseas. Axtell said Lord would end his letters writing, 'Remember me to all' and 'Loads of Love.' 'In today's world that makes me smile, knowing that all anyone wants is to be remembered,' Axtell said. Charles Axtell said his great-uncle, Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant Loring E. Lord, signed his letters home with "remember me to all" and "loads of love." Charles Axtell Axtell retired from the Air Force in 2015 and later joined Southwest Airlines. 'We are honored to support Captain Axtell as he transports his great uncle to his final resting place,' Chris Perry, a spokesperson for Southwest, said by email. Lord was officially accounted for on Sept. 18, 2024, according to There was no indication that anyone escaped the plane crash, which happened less than two months before victory was declared in Europe on May 8, 1945, the agency said. An article in the Boston Traveler on Feb. 23, 1946, reported that Lord, a graduate of Somerville High School who worked at Pratt & Whitney, had been listed as missing in action since March 21, 1945, while on his 31st mission. He entered the Army on Oct. 10, 1941, and received the Air Medal, Silver Star, and Purple Heart, the newspaper reported. Lord's family said he was engaged to be married at the time of his death. Advertisement U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Loring E. Lord of Somerville was killed when his plane was shot down in Germany in March 1945. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency After the war ended, the American Graves Registration Command began investigating and recovering the remains of missing US service members in the European Theater. In 1949, investigators visited villages between Velen and Dülmen, including Reken, where they met a former police chief who recalled seeing an American plane crash after one of its wings was shot off, according to the accounting agency. Heinrich Mels reported that the German military secured the crash site and buried several airmen at a local cemetery, the agency said. The remains were exhumed in April 1945 when US forces occupied the town and were identified as crew members from Lord's aircraft, the agency said. Investigators later located several aircraft parts at the crash scene, but no other remains were located. Decades later, in 2014, Adolf Hagedorn, a German researcher, reported another possible crash site to the accounting agency. In 2018, after several recovery missions, investigators with the agency located 'identification media' for one of Lord's crew members, as well as ossified remains, during an excavation of the site. The remains were sent to the agency's laboratory, where scientists were able to identify them as Lord's based on anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence, as well as mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial genome sequence analysis, according to the agency. Nick Stoico can be reached at
