VF-17 is likely the most famous of all the US Navy squadrons. Their history started back with their deployment to the Solomon Islands in 1943 and participation in the campaigns around Bouganville and Rabul and continues to this day. This episode covers their time in the South Pacific as well as the trials involved in the use of the F4U Corsair as a…

Continuing the series of episodes on the Corsair and the fight for aerial supremacy in the Solomon Islands. In January 1944, the Japanese defenders at Rabul still had some fight in them. Robert Hanson, a 23 year old Marine Corsair pilot, would rack up an impressive string of victories in January, ending with 25 kills at the time of his death. This …

This episode covers Pappy’s time in the South Pacific, his command of VMF-214, The Blacksheep, and their run through the Solomons in late 1943 and early 1944, and finally his time as a prisoner of war. Initially two parts, I condensed it down cutting much of Pappy’s postwar life. If you’re interested in that, there are many books that cover that, i…

Part 1 on Greg "Pappy" Boyington. Before he led the world famous VMF-214 Blacksheep over the Solomons, Pappy Boyington was a broke, sometimes violent, drunk, about to get kicked out of the Marine Corps. He’s given a second chance when he joins the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers. This episode covers Pappy’s early life and time before hi…

1st Lt Kenneth Walsh was the first F4U Corsair ace and a pilot in VMF-124 during the Solomon Islands campaign. He would earn his Medal of Honor over the course of two missions in August of 1943 and finish the war with 21 victories. In addition to Ken Walsh and VMF-124, this episode covers the development of the F4U Corsair and the initial moves of …

Arriving just two days after John L. Smith and VMF-223, the pilots of the 67th Fighter Squadron quickly learned their P-400 Airacobras were woefully inadequate for the air to air mission. Unable to climb quickly or high enough to intercept the Japanese Zeros and Betty bombers, the P-39 variants were pressed into an air to ground role. From Septembe…

In part 5 of 5 in the Guadalcanal series, 1st Lt Jefferson DeBlanc of VMF-112 becomes the first Marine to achieve 5 victories on a single mission. This episode covers DeBlanc's combat experiences from November 1942 through January 1943, his Medal of Honor mission and recovery following his shootdown, as well as the conclusion of the Guadalcanal cam…

Conclusion of Captain Joe Foss' story. Following their defeat in October, the Japanese gear up for another push to take Guadalcanal. The fate of the island will be decided over the course of several days of intense air and naval action from 12-15 November. Once again, the flyers of the Cactus Air Force will be in the thick of the action. Selected r…

On October 9th, 1942, VMF-121 arrived on Guadalcanal in the midst of a major Japanese offensive to take back the island. Over the next two weeks, Captain Joe Foss would rack up 16 of his eventual 26 aerial victories while surviving 2 shootdowns, a near death hypoxia event, and a battleship bombardment. This episode is Part 1 of 2 on Captain Foss an…

While not a Medal of Honor recipient, Marion Carl was twice decorated with the Navy Cross during a combat career that spanned Midway to Vietnam. This episode looks at the life of one of the Corps most accomplished aviators. Along the way, I’ll touch on the Marines at the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal living conditions, the Coastwatchers, a test pil…

Major John L. Smith was the Commanding Officer of VMF-223, the first fighter squadron to operate off Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Facing almost daily Japanese raids, 223 fought from the 20th of August, 1942 until relieved on the 13th of October, 1942. Major Smith would leave the island as the Corps leading ace with 19 kills and the Medal of Hono…

Part 4 of 4 on the B-17 Flying Fortress and the 8th Air Force. Brigadier General Frederick Castle was the commanding general of the 4th Combat Bomb Wing. On 24 December 1944 he led the 8th Air Force's largest strike of the war in support of ground forces fighting the Battle of the Bulge. Hit by enemy fighters, he would stay at the controls of the w…

The only fighter pilot to be awarded the Medal of Honor from the European Theater of Operations, Maj James Howard took on 30 plus Luftwaffe fighters while protecting 8th Air Force bombers over Oschersleben, Germany on January 11th, 1944. This episode covers the development of the P-51 Mustang, from it's beginnings as a British program to it's arriv…

Addendum to the 8th Air Force B-17 series, this episode covers the early history of 8th Air Force Fighter Command focused on the introduction of the P-47 Thunderbolt in 1943. Selected Readings: Wolfpack Warriors: The Story of World War IIs Most Successful Fighter Outfit by Roger Freeman Thunderbolt! The Extraordinary Story of a World War II Ace by …

Part 3 of 4 on the B-17 Flying Fortress and the 8th Air Force. 1st Lt William Lawley is the aircraft commander of a B-17G on February 20th, 1944, day 1 of "The Big Week". This episode takes us through the battle for air supremacy over Europe in late 1943/early 1944 including the Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission into the heart of Germany in August, th…

Part 2 of 4 on the B-17 Flying Fortress and the 8th Air Force. 1st Lt Jack Mathis was a bombardier with the 303rd Bomb Group killed in action on 18 March 1943. He was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in the 8th Air Force and in the European Theater of Operations. This episode also covers Carl Norden and his Norden M-series bombsight, a cor…

Part 1 of 4 on the B-17 Flying Fortress and the 8th Air Force. Staff Sergeant Maynard Smith was a ball turret gunner and the first enlisted aircrewman to receive the Medal of Honor for a May 1st, 1943 mission to St Nazaire, France. This episode covers the development of the B-17 from the prototype Model 299 to the B-17F, the early days of the heavy…

This podcast covers the men and machines behind the Aviation Medals of Honor from World War 1 to Vietnam. This episode is just a brief introduction to my background as a Marine attack pilot and my intent with the podcast. I can be reached at: aviationmoh@gmail.com Semper Fi, Kelly "Beavis" Ramshur Recommended reading: Above and Beyond: The Aviation…