Lt. Col. William A. Jones III leads a mission near Dong Hoi, North Vietnam, to rescue a downed pilot. Locating the pilot, who had activated his emergency locator beacon, Colonel Jones attacked a nearby gun emplacement. On his second pass, Colonel Jones' aircraft was hit and the cockpit of his Douglas A-1H Skyraider was set ablaze. He tried to eject, but the ejection system failed. He then returned to base and reported the exact position of the downed pilot before receiving medical treatment for his burns. The downed pilot was rescued by helicopter the next day. Colonel Jones was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions during the rescue attempt, but he died in an aircraft accident in the United States before he could be presented with the award.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Atlanta falls to Union forces, 1864
- American Revolution
- King George refuses Olive Branch Petition, 1775
- Automotive
- Federal legislation makes airbags mandatory, 1998
- Civil War
- North and South clash at the Battle of Chantilly, 1862
- Cold War
- Korean Airlines flight shot down by Soviet Union, 1983
- Crime
- A teenage boy murders his father, 1981
- Disaster
- Minnesota town burns, 1894
- General Interest
- Aaron Burr acquitted, 1807
- Germans invade Poland, 1939
- Qaddafi leads coup in Libya, 1969
- Wreck of the Titanic found, 1985
- Chechen separatists storm Russian school, 2004
- Hollywood
- Penn’s Into the Wild premieres, 2007
- Literary
- Robert Pirsig is born, 1928
- Music
- P.T. Barnum brings Jenny Lind to New York, 1850
- Old West
- First Anglo women settle west of the Rockies, 1836
- Presidential
- Richmond Recorder publishes report of presidential concubine, 1802
- Sports
- First Japanese player makes MLB debut, 1964
- Vietnam War
- De Gaulle urges the United States to get out of Vietnam, 1966
- Fighter pilot nominated for Medal of Honor, 1968
- McGovern-Hatfield amendment defeated in the Senate, 1970
- World War I
- Soldier recounts brush with poison gas, 1917
- World War II
- Germany invades Poland, 1939
Fighter pilot nominated for Medal of Honor
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This Week in History, Sep 1 - Sep 7
- Sep 01, 1966
- De Gaulle urges the United States to get out of Vietnam
- Sep 01, 1968
- Fighter pilot nominated for Medal of Honor
- Sep 01, 1970
- McGovern-Hatfield amendment defeated in the Senate
- Sep 02, 1969
- Ho Chi Minh dies
- Sep 02, 1972
- 47th North Vietnamese MiG shot down
- Sep 03, 1950
- U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group arrives in Saigon
- Sep 03, 1967
- Thieu-Ky ticket wins national election
- Sep 04, 1967
- Marines in heavy fighting
- Sep 04, 1969
- Radio Hanoi announces the death of Ho Chi Minh
- Sep 05, 1969
- Calley charged for My Lai massacre
- Sep 05, 1970
- U.S. forces launch last major American operation of the war
- Sep 06, 1969
- Ho Chi Minh to be succeeded by committee
- Sep 06, 1972
- Thieu abolishes popular elections
- Sep 07, 1965
- Marines launch Operation Piranha
- Sep 07, 1967
- McNamara Line announced
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