The primary goal of the United States Air Force Academy is to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become leaders of character for the nation.  ----more----One great way to do this is by exposing cadets to individuals who embody the selflessness, grit, and other characteristics we work to instill in them.  No group of leaders has demonstrated these values better than Medal of Honor recipients.  Here, on the second floor of Fairchild Hall is the Academy’s Medal of Honor Wall.  It features the names and likenesses of all members of the Air Force and its predecessor organizations who have earned the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.

The Medal of Honor dates back to the American Civil War.  In December 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation establishing a Medal of Honor, making it the oldest continuously issued combat decoration in the United States.  The Medal of Honor is generally presented to its recipient or family member, in the name of Congress, by the President.  One President, in fact, received this honor – Theodore Roosevelt.  His son also earned the Medal of Honor, making them one of two father-son recipients.  The others:  Arthur MacArthur Jr. and Douglas MacArthur.  Since its inception, The Medal of Honor has been awarded more than 3,400 times.  The rolls include one woman and one eleven-year-old, both Civil War recipients.

The first four of the more than 60 heroes memorialized on the Wall at the Academy are from World War I.  Captain “Eddie” Rickenbacker was the first, earning his for aerial combat in 1918.  Also in World War I, Pilot Harold Goettler and observer Erwin Bleckley, both lieutenants, were awarded the Medal for conspicuous gallantry for their mission to deliver supplies to troops trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest, a mission they did not survive.  Incidentally, their World War I unit, the 50th Aero Squadron, was activated at the Academy from the early 1980s until 2007, under both the Commandant of Cadets and the Dean of the Faculty.

An additional 38 aviation-related Medals of Honor were awarded in World War II and four in the Korean War before the Air Force-specific Medal of Honor was created on April 14, 1965.

Fourteen Air Force members received Medals of Honor for their service in the Vietnam War, including three enlisted warriors:  Airman First Class William Pitsenbarger, Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etchberger, and Airman First Class John Levitow.

Certainly the Medal of Honor recipient cadets are most familiar with is Captain Lance Peter Sijan, Class of ’65, the only Air Force Academy graduate to have one bestowed on him.  On 9 November 1967, then-First Lieutenant Sijan was reported missing after he ejected from his disabled F-4C aircraft during a night bombing mission near Vinh, North Vietnam.  Despite grievous injuries, he managed to evade for 46 days before being captured.  He died in captivity on 22 January 1968.

Two Medal of Honor recipients taught at the Air Force Academy in the 1970s after the conclusion of their Vietnam tours, serving as great role models for the cadets of that era, to include me.  Both officers flew helicopters and were recognized for their heroism on rescue missions.  Captain James Fleming taught on the faculty, while Captain Gerald Young served as a flight instructor.

Several other recipients who appear on the Academy’s wall are very familiar to cadets and staff members.  Jimmy Doolittle is the namesake of the Association of Graduates’ alumni building.  Medal of Honor recipients chosen as class exemplars, leaders for cadets to emulate, include Jay Zeamer Jr., Richard I. Bong, Frank Luke, and George “Bud” Day.

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE WALL IS ALSO AN EXEMPLAR: THE CLASS OF ’26 HAS CHOSEN MASTER SERGEANT JOHN CHAPMAN, KILLED DURING COMBAT IN AFGHANISTAN, AS ITS EXEMPLAR.

The Medal of Honor Wall at the Air Force Academy serves as a reminder of the legacy left by these aviation heroes who went well above and beyond the call of duty.  These stories of integrity, service before self and excellence provide constant inspiration and motivation to the members of the Air Force Academy Cadet Wing who pass this display every day.

The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation