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An Air Force honor guard team, veterans and members of the Patriot Guard joined the family of Tech. Sgt. Roy Prater who was buried June 19, 2010, in Columbia City, Ind. Sergeant Prater's helicopter was shot down in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He was missing in action for more than 25 years when Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command officials recovered the accident site and later identified his remains. (Courtesy photo)
Community members line the streets to pay tribute to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Roy DeWitt Prater June 17, 2010, in Columbia City, Ind. Sergeant Prater's helicopter was shot down in 1972. He was missing in action until Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command officials recovered and later positively identified his remains. (Courtesy photo)
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presents Coast Guard Petty Officer Lake Downham with the American Legion Spirit of Service Award with National Commander Clarence E. HIll, left, and Ben Stein, right, actor and comedian, during the 92nd National Convention of the American Legion in Milwaukee, Aug. 31, 2010. To receive this recognition, an individual must be an outstanding military professional and actively involved in community volunteer projects during off-duty hours. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pauses for a standing ovation before speaking at the 92nd National Convention of the American Legion in Milwaukee, Aug. 31, 2010. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison.
Delegates hold hands during a prayer at the Disabled American Veterans 89th National Convention in Atlanta, Aug. 2, 2010. President Barack Obama addressed the group and spoke about the ongoing drawdown in Iraq, support for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the administration’s commitment to serve veterans. White House photo by Samantha Appleton.
PEARL HARBOR (Aug. 5, 2010) Carole Hickerson appears on the Navy News segment of KHON2 TV with anchor Jai Cunningham. Hickerson designed the logo for the POW/MIA flag during the Vietnam War. Hickerson and her husband, Jim, a former Vietnam War POW, were both selected as honorees at the annual American Patriot Awards Banquet hosted by the Navy League of Honolulu. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Logico/Released)
Former President George H.W. Bush watches flight operations from the landing signal officer's platform aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, in the Atlantic Ocean, July 14, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Hall.
Former President George H.W. Bush looks at a display of his former ship, the USS San Jacinto, in the tribute room of the USS George H.W. Bush, in the Atlantic Ocean, July 15, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Hall.
Rededication ceremony of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial
Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. George Price, left, John Piltzecker, National Mall and Memorial Parks superintendent, center left, Lindy Hart, widow of sculptor Frederick Hart, center right, and Jan Scruggs, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund founder and president, unveil the Three Servicemen Statue during a rededication ceremony on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., July 8, 2010. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden. Story
Vietnam War veterans listen during a rededication ceremony of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial Three Servicemen Statue at Lincoln Circle in Washington, D.C., July 8, 2010. DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden.
World War II veterans and guardians visit the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., on June 29, 2010. More than two dozen World War II veterans visited the area for free, courtesy of the Honor Flight Network. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Christopher P. Baines.
World War II veterans of the Central Illinois Honor Flight salute for a group photo in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., June 29, 2010. Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization that takes veterans to the nation's capital for free so they can see the memorial during their lifetime. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Christopher P. Baines.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates takes a photo with Army Sgt. Legrand Strickland and Army Spc. Reed Jones III and their families at Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas, June 30, 2010. Gates awarded the Purple Heart to both soldiers for wounds received in combat while deployed to Afghanistan. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates receives a tour from Michael R. Anastasio, director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, right, June 30, 2010. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison.
Kenneth Fisher, chairman of the Fisher House Foundation, addresses the audience during the National Intrepid Center of Excellence dedication ceremony at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, Md., June 24, 2010. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen.
Richard Santulli, chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, left, and Arnold Fisher, honorary chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, right, cut the ribbon to officially open the National Intrepid Center of Excellence during a dedication ceremony at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, Md., June 24, 2010. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen.
Korean War veterans attend a ceremony in the Pentagon marking the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, Arlington, Va., June 24, 2010. DoD photo by Elaine Wilson.
Story 60th Anniversary Korea Korea PhotosBill Scott, left, and Harold Ruddy, both Korean War veterans, bow their heads during a ceremony at the Pentagon to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, Arlington, Va., June 24, 2010. DoD photo by Elaine Wilson.
A U.S. Marine salutes the Rolling Thunder members as they travel to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial through downtown Washington, D.C., May 30, 2010. Thousands of bikers from across the United States turned out for the annual event that aims to raise awareness for the needs of veterans, prisoners of war and those still missing in action. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, poses for photos with U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran Sgt. Paul Masi at the annual Memorial Day Observance Ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 2010. Mullen gave the keynote address and recognized the addition of six new names to the over 58,000 service members who perished in that war. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley.
BETHESDA, Md. (May 28, 2010) A Scottish drummer from the Rolling Thunder motorcycle organization watches as riders enter the National Naval Medical Center during a Memorial Day tribute to wounded warriors recovering at the hospital. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Timothy Wilson/Released)
BETHESDA, Md. (May 28, 2010) Capt. Daniel Zinder, deputy commander of National Naval Medical Center, welcomes Rolling Thunder participants to National Naval Medical Center to ride through hospital grounds in honor of recovering veterans. Zinder also wished Bob Griffith, center, a happy birthday. Griffith was born at the hospital 60 years ago to the day. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Timothy Wilson/Released)
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speak with Army Capt. Josh Mantz at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kan., May 8, 2010. Mantz told Gates how he was wounded in Iraq and is now back on active duty. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen. Photos
U.S. military veterans render honors during the playing of the national anthem as part of the Victory in Europe 65th Anniversary Program at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kan., May 8, 2010. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen. Click for Story
A vintage B-25 Mitchell bomber flies near the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, during a memorial flight honoring the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, April 18, 2010. The 68th Doolittle Raiders reunion commemorates the anniversary of the Doolittle Tokyo Raid. U.S. Army Air Forces Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle's squad of 16 B-25 Mitchell aircraft bombed Japanese targets, April 18, 1942, in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife Deborah tour the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 18, 2010. The couple has embarked on a "Conversation with the Country" tour, the first leg in a yearlong series of stops at America's universities discussing issues important to the military and how educational institutions can help veterans and their families. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley.
About 250 veterans gather at the World War II Memorial, March 11, 2010, as producers Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks honor them in connection with the premiere of “The Pacific,” a miniseries that documents the lives of three Marines as they fight their way through the Pacific theater. U.S. Army photo by Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown. Click for Story
Producers Stephen Spielberg, left, and Tom Hanks, center, honor about 250 veterans in advance of their new HBO series, "The Pacific." at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., March 11, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown.
U.S. Reps. Barbara Mikulski, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Susan Davis hold hands as a show of support for the World War II women pilots who flew for the Women Airforce Service Pilots during a ceremony to honor all 1,102 pilots with the Congressional Gold Medal at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2010. DoD photo by Linda Hosek.
Deanie Parrish, a former pilot who flew for the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II, receives the Congressional Medal of Honor on behalf of all 1,102 women pilots as members of Congress and several speakers look on, including Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley, second from left, and Air Force Lt. Col. Nicole Malachowski, in front, recovering from a broken leg. DoD photo by Linda Hosek. Click for Story
Rose Penn Ross, a pilot who flew with the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II, poses for a photo for her family after a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the pilots at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va., March 10, 2010. The ceremony was part of a two-day event to honor the 1,102 women civilian pilots who served their country by flying military aircraft under the direction of U.S. military forces. DoD photo by Linda Hosek. Story
Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, military members and guests salute a wreath and roses dedicated to the 38 out of 1,102 women pilots who died during service to their country during a ceremony at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va., March 9, 2010. The women were civilian pilots and the first to fly military aircraft under the direction of U.S. forces. Fewer than 300 women are alive and more than half were expected to attend the events. DoD photo by Linda Hosek.
WASHINGTON (Feb. 28, 2010) Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Cloud was one of the first African Americans to achieve a command position in Naval Aviation. Cloud's detachment of Light Photographic Squadron 63 flew the first Navy mission of the Vietnam War over Laos. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command/Released)
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2010) Astronaut and U.S. Navy Reserve Capt. Kathy Sullivan stands during her induction into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame as photos from her accomplishments flash on a screen behind her. Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sunday Williams/Released)
SAN DIEGO (Aug. 15, 2009) Eleven World War II veterans of the battle of Peleliu reunite for a ceremony in the hangar bay of the battle's namesake ship, the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) in San Diego. Members of the 12th Defense Battalion held their 56th reunion aboard the ship with more than 400 friends, family members, Sailors and Marines in attendance. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Leonard J. Mandap/Released)
NOUMEA, New Caledonia (Sept. 25, 2009) Capt. Thom Burke, commanding officer of the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) receives a wreath to lay at the U.S. war memorial during a ceremony honoring U.S. service members who helped ensure the freedom of New Caledonia during World War II. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Devon Dow/Released)
Surviving members of the famed Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, participate in the ceremony honoring the 65th anniversary of D-Day, at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, June 6, 2009. The group was part of more than two dozen D-Day veterans honored in ceremonies across the Normandy region. U.S. Army photo by Bill Roche. Story
Members of the U.S. Army Europe Band practice in front of the memorial at the American National Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach on Normandy, France, June 6, 2009. Close to 1,000 servicemembers took part in week-long ceremonies honoring the 65th anniversary of D-Day,. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo. Story
More than 500 veterans who escorted the unclaimed remains of seven Iowa veterans to their final resting place line the procession route with American flags after providing a motorcycle escort to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery, Van Meter, Iowa, April 24, 2009. The ceremony coincided with Des Moines Navy Week, one of 22 Navy Weeks planned across America in 2009. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Gary Ward.
Brittany Wallace, 17, stands beside her father, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Henline, as they hold the 2009 Military Child Award she received from Texas-based Operation Homefront in Washington, D.C., April 29, 2009. The award honors her for the support she gave her family and father, the lone survivor of a roadside bomb in Iraq that burned 38 percent of his body. DoD photo by Sharon Foster. Story
I
n M e m o r y O f
Air Force Mourns the Loss of First Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Paul Wesley Airey died March 11 in Panama City, Fla. Chief Airey held the top enlisted from April 3, 1967 to July 31, 1969. During his tenure he worked to change loan establishments charging exorbitant rates outside the air base gates and to improve low retention during the Vietnam Conflict. Chief Airey also led a team that laid the foundation for the Weighted Airman Promotion System, a system that has stood the test of time and which is still in use today. He also advocated for an Air Force-level Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy. Chief Airey retired August 1, 1970. (U.S. Air Force illustration/Cyndi Smith)
Those in attendance at the March 16 memorial service for the first Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Paul W. Airey, clap loudly, rejoicing the life of the Air Force legend. This was in response to a request by the eighth Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Sam Parish, who said though those present were there to mourn, they should also celebrate the life of Paul W. Airey with "resounding applause." (U.S. Air Force photo/Lisa Norman)
Chief Airey Memorial Service Celebrates Life of AF Hero
by Staff Sgt. Joshua Stevens
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
3/17/2009 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.
(AFNS) -- During his life, he was a dedicated member of the
profession of arms and fervent military supporter who became one of the most
iconic figures of Air Force enlisted heritage and culture -- he was Paul Wesley
Airey, the first Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force.
His death was announced March 11 to a mournful Air
Force and nation. A memorial service in the Tyndall Air Force Base Chapel
March 16 brought everyone from top military officials past and present to the
newest Airmen. No matter the rank, they all came with the common purpose of
paying respect to one of our service's most beloved and cherished leaders.
Those attending the service made their way to the
chapel flanked on each pathway by formations of Airmen from the Tyndall Paul W.
Airey NCO Academy; upon entering the chapel, row after row of pews was filled
with a sea of blue service dress uniforms. All eyes were led to the center of
the chapel, where a painted portrait of Chief Airey was placed with flower
memorials on each side. In front of the portrait stood a podium on top of which
a solitary service cap faced forward to the audience. Continued
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright talks with a World War II veteran at the Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial Service in Fredericksburg, Texas, Dec. 7, 2008. Cartwright was the guest speaker at the event, observed at The National Museum of the Pacific War in the hometown of U.S. Navy Fleet Adm. Nimitz. served as Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, for U.S. and Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright shakes hands with a World War II veteran at the Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial Service in Fredericksburg, Texas, Dec. 7, 2008. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump.
PEARL HARBOR (Aug. 19, 2008) U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeff Wheeler receives an American flag from a Navy honor guard detail during a scattering of ashes ceremony honoring his grandfather and Pearl Harbor survivor, Major Wheeler. Wheeler was a U.S. Navy chief petty officer assigned to the minesweeper USS Widgeon (AM 22) during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The ceremony included a religious ceremony, a three-volley rifle salute and a bugler sounding Taps. Also in attendance was Wheeler's local church choir who sang the Navy Hymn. (U.S. Navy photo by Blair Martin/Released)
Photo by Gary Sheftick - October 10, 2008 - Soldier of the Year Spc. David Obray greets a veteran Wednesday at the World War II Memorial in Wahington, D.C.
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Rebecca Ingram nears the finish of the national Run for the Fallen’s final 10-kilometer leg at Arlington National Cemetery on the morning of Aug. 24. Photo by Master Sgt. Bob Haskell, National Guard Bureau.
A SISTER'S GRIEF - Heather Jutras Glasgow grieves at her brother's grave in Arlington National Cemetery, Aug. 24, 2008. She, her mother, father and younger brother participated in the last day of "Run for the Fallen," a cross-country memorial event to honor troops who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Defense Dept. photo by Samantha L. Quigley. Story
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Aug. 18, 2008) Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) signs his autograph for Chief Culinary Specialist Steve Fontanilla on a photo taken of the two of them in 1991 in the Secretary of the Navy's flag mess. Inouye, who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II, spoke today at a monthly professional development meeting at U.S. Pacific Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Elisia V. Gonzales/Released)
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Aug. 14, 2008) Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., visits the USS Arizona Memorial. Obama was in Hawaii while on vacation with his family. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael A. Lantron/Released)
New program gives vets advantage in owning a business. Employees of Schneider International, Inc., a trucking company headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., stand outside the headquarters July 1 for a ceremony marking the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Schneider and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Courtesy photo)
Acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley speaks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Orlando on Aug. 18. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Laviska)
Wounded Warriors Train to Climb Mount McKinley
August 12, 2008 - Sgt. 1st Class Matt Nyman climbs a 5.8 pitch on his prosthetic leg. Photo by Maj. Marc Hoffmeist.
August 12, 2008 - Retired U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jon Kuniholm (left) and Army Maj. Marc Hoffmeister pause during roped team movement on Pika Glacier. Photo by courtesy.
Veterans Groups Briefed in Iraq
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Lefebvre, center, Multinational Corps Iraq deputy commanding general, briefs, from left, Julie Cram, deputy assistant to the president and director of public liaison; Robert Hastings, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs; Norbert Ryan, former U.S. Navy vice admiral and president of the Military Officers Association of America; and George Lisicki, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, about the status of operations throughout Iraq, July 30, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Woody Paschall.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leaders and contractors brief a group of veterans' organizations representatives about the design and construction of the new U.S. Embassy Compound, July 29, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Woody Paschall.
Airman Finds Piece of Family History at Lackland
The "Heaven's Above" B-17 sits as a static display at the parade grounds at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Meredith Canales) Read Story
A World War II flight crew stands in front of the "Heaven's Above." Howard Gibbs is center in the back row. (Courtesy photo)
Marine Corps War Memorial
Mary Pero, 75, of Conemaugh, Pa., poses with Jonathan Scharfen, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, for media after receiving her brother's certificate of citizenship at the Marine Corps War Memorial July 29. Her brother, Sgt. Michael Strank, helped raise the American flag atop Iwo Jima's Mount Suribach sixty-three years ago. Photo ByLine: Sgt. Clinton Firstbrook.
Cols. Dave Lapan and Gregg Sturdevant talk with Mary Perot, 75, next to the Marine Corps War Memorial after she was presented with her brother's certificate of citizenship July 29. Her brother, Sgt. Michael Strank and the right-most Marine in the statue, was mortally wounded eight days after Joe Rosenthal captured the now iconic flag raising. Photo Date Taken: 7/29/2008. Photo By Line: Sgt. Clinton Firstbrook