Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh will present the Silver Star to two Vietnam veterans on Dec. 17, the Air Force announced. CMSgt. Ronald Brodeur and Sgt. Eric Roberts II were part of a helicopter crew shot down in Duc Lap, Vietnam, on Feb. 20, 1969. While rescuing a six-man, long-range reconnaissance patrol, their crew was surrounded and in danger of being overrun by a larger enemy force, according to the Air Force. Welsh will award the medals to Brodeur and Roberts for their gallantry and devotion to duty during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
