The Pentagon has identified the remains of 1st Lt. James L. Hull, a Lubbock, Tex., native who was killed on Feb. 19, 1971. The O-2A Skymaster Hull and another airman were flying crashed near Vietnam’s border with Laos. US forces recovered the other crewman’s body but couldn’t retrieve Hull’s, which was buried in the wreckage, because of enemy action. Investigations between 1993 and 1997 ultimately led to a crash site just inside Laos. In May 2006, a team got permission to excavate and recovered human and other remains.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.