During an effective attack against vital oil installations in Ploesti, Romania, 1st Lt. Donald D. Pucket’s B-24 Liberator received direct hits from anti-aircraft fire just after “bombs away.” One crew member was instantly killed, six others were severely wounded, and the aircraft was badly damaged. After regaining control of the airplane and turning it over to his copilot, Pucket calmed the crew, administered first aid, surveyed the damage, and jettisoned all guns and equipment. But the airplane continued to lose altitude. He then ordered the crew to bail out, but three members were too badly wounded. After the other crew members jump, he refused to abandon his airplane and was last seen fighting to regain control before crashing on a mountainside. Pucket was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
In the face of Chinese war plans to disrupt U.S. command-and-control networks in the event of a conflict, the Air Force needs to focus less on its “connect everything” efforts and prepare its combat aviators to fight without a constant connection to higher-ups, according to a new report from AFA’s…
