Former Vietnam War POW retired Col. Ken Cordier, left, his wife Barbie, and former POW retired Col. Elmo “Mo” Baker at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for the Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemoration event on March 21 in Dallas. Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, USAF (Ret.)
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
Some 50 years after of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and the end of U.S. participation in the Vietnam War, the Air & Space Forces Association’s Seidel Chapter commemorated the anniversary March 21 with other Dallas-area veterans groups at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
About 450 Vietnam-era veterans and family members joined in, and veterans were individually presented with commemorative Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins. Several spouses of deceased veterans received the Surviving Spouse pin.
Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) offered remarks. Recently elected to the seat held for 29 years by the late Rep. Sam Johnson, a retired colonel and former prisoner of war, Self declared: “It is our obligation to remember the courage of those at Hue and Khe Sanh, at Tan Son Nhut and Saigon, from Hamburger Hill to the B-52 missions in Operation Linebacker and the Wild Weasel anti-SAM missions. Future generations deserve to know that those we honor today won every major battle they fought.”
Seidel Chapter member and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate Jen Colby pins a Vietnam Veteran lapel pin on at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, USAF (Ret.)
Prisoner of War Pins and certificates were presented to retired Cols. Ken Cordier and Elmo Baker, who both spent six years as POWs and earned Silver Stars for bravery.
Other speakers included retired Capt. Allen Clark, who lost both legs in Vietnam and earned the Silver Star, and Natan Ton-that, who emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 11 and later served in the Peace Corps and the U.S. Army. Captain Clark recalled the combat medics who saved his life after he was wounded.
“You veterans here in this museum today, who served your country, are the nobility of the United States,” Ton-that said. “There are hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese Americans who are here in America because of you. You fought for us and came back to a country that did not appreciate your service. Today you should be proud that you served a noble cause.”
Featured during the ceremony were 18 portraits of Vietnam veterans from Texas. Painted by artist, author, and Seidel Chapter member Colin Kimball, the portraits will remain on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum as a reminder of the contributions of the brave men and women who served in the Vietnam War.
Angela Bennett Engle, left, daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Steven Bennett, who was killed in action in Vietnam when she was 2 years old, talks to Texas Congressman from the 3rd District, retired Lt. Col. Keith Self, and portrait artist and Air Force veteran Colin Kimball as they view a picture of her father and his Medal of Honor.Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, USAF (Ret.)
Master of Ceremony Scott Murray describes the Commemoration program to the members in the audience at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, USAF (Ret.)
Master of ceremony Scott Murray, left, thanks Lt. Gen. John Campbell (Ret,), former Seidel Chapter president and event coordinator, during the Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemoration. Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, USAF (Ret.)
Retired Lt. Gen. John Campbell, left, and Texas Congressman retired Lt. Col. Keith Self, present a Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin to U.S. Air Force veteran Fletcher Sharp from the American Legion Harding-Blaine Post 321 Color Guard. Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Nugent, USAF (Ret.)
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
As the U.S. war with Iran intensifies, the Pentagon is rushing more warplanes to the region, deploying Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning II fighters to the Middle East, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The most recent Space Force enlisted promotion selection was the last to use the old board format for sergeants, as the service transitions to a “fully qualified” method of selecting its junior NCOs.
Future Guardians willing to serve eight years for their first Active-Duty enlistment are now eligible for a $25,000 bonus—but the deal won’t last long, according to a recent Space Force announcement.
For former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, building Airmen’s trust in Collaborative Combat Aircraft is a crucial step in the fast-moving development and deployment of the semi-autonomous drones.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said July 16 that the airpower contribution of allied nations is vital for deterring adversaries and endorsed deeper interoperability between the U.S. and its partners.
An Air Force F-16 pilot was presented with one of the service’s highest aerial achievement awards for a mission in which he dodged multiple surface-to-air missiles during last year’s Operation Rough Rider against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Air Force has started upgrading some of its KC-46 refuelers with new beyond-line-of-sight connectivity to help them have greater battlefield awareness, the latest step in a long-term plan to equip tanker and airlift fleets with tools that have long been reserved for fighter and bomber fleets.
One of the Air Force’s developmental Collaborative Combat Aircraft fired a live missile in a recent test, marking a critical step forward in the development of the service’s fleet of semi-autonomous drone fighters.
The Pentagon announced framework agreements for new multiyear deals with three companies to mass-produce more affordable, less exquisite air-to-ground missiles for the Air Force, part of a larger strategy to bring cheaper firepower to a future fight.
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