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June 14, 2009
~ Flag Day ~
This video illustrates the importance of the American flag and what it symbolizes for our country.
The video features a young man pawning an American flag for a guitar. The pawnshop owner behind the counter is a Distinguished Medal of Honor Recipient from the Vietnam War, Fred Ferguson.
Chief Warrant Officer Ferguson was commander of a re-supply helicopter monitoring an emergency call from wounded passengers and crewmen of a downed helicopter under heavy attack within the enemy controlled city of Hue during the Tet Offensive. He unhesitatingly volunteered to attempt evacuation. Despite warnings from all aircraft to stay clear of the area due to heavy antiaircraft fire, Ferguson began a low-level flight at maximum airspeed along the Perfume River toward the tiny, isolated South Vietnamese Army compound in which the crash survivors had taken refuge. Coolly and skillfully maintaining his course in the face of intense, short range fire from enemy occupied buildings and boats, he displayed superior flying skill and tenacity of purpose by landing his aircraft in an extremely confined area in a blinding dust cloud under heavy mortar and small-arms fire. Although the helicopter was severely damaged by mortar fragments during the loading of the wounded, he disregarded the damage and, taking off through the continuing hail of mortar fire, flew his crippled aircraft on the return route through the rain of fire that he had experienced earlier and safely returned his wounded passengers to friendly control.
Fred Ferguson joined the Arizona National Guard after earning the Medal of Honor on active duty.
"The American flag is more than a piece of cloth. It symbolizes our nation’s freedom and all of those who fought so hard for it,” said Col. Hanson, a veteran of 23 years who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. “Freedom is a privilege that is earned and it must be guarded and protected.”
Posted by Wild Thing at June 14, 2009 05:40 AM
Comments
Fred Ferguson represents the type of people that have made America great. He also represents the type of pilots we had in Vietnam. Whether they were chopper pilots or fixed wing. Whatever branch of service or Air America civilian pilots. They would always do what they could and were willing to risk their lives to save other people.
Posted by: TomR at June 14, 2009 08:02 AM
Yes Tom those Fred Ferguson types, we sure could use their talents in the White House.
Men like Ed Freeman, Mark McCraken, Joe Marm and Bruce Crandall, who lives just a scant 10 miles away.
Or that unnamed III MAF pilot on his CAS mission at the Cau Lau river just west of Hoi An. The one with the huge hole in the left wing root of his A4-SkyHawk that eventually grounded him from flying through his own bomb flak, but he rearmed with 500lb bombs and flew several more missions that day out of Chu Lai before being grounded, that wing could have and should have ripped off under the G forces but his buddies and fellow Americans were on the ground. I stood in that hole and could have danced with Kate Smith and not touched the edges. Of course the crotch tore him a new one as big as that tear in the wing. He took the chance to save his buds at tremendous risk to himself, that was one magnificent Marine. Last time I saw that bird it was on its way to Okinawa, by barge, with 100 mile tape and a balsa plug in the wing. Never found out what that pilot's disposition was, he sure hung it all out that day.
Posted by: Jack at June 14, 2009 08:50 PM
Thank you so much for sharing about
that, it means a lot to me.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 15, 2009 12:26 AM
Jack, wow thank you for sharing about all
of that, amazing.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 15, 2009 12:28 AM
