The White Falcon - 21.04.1995, Blaðsíða 1

Serving the joint service community since 1941
56 RQS crew garners Mackay award
By Tech. Sgt. Michael J. ChatGeld
Five present and former members of
the 56th Rescue Squadron have won the
Mackay Trophy, one of the Air Force’s
highest aviation awards.
Captains John W. Blumentritt and Gary
W. Henderson, and Senior Airmen
Jeffrey M. Frembling, Matthew A. Wells
and Jesse W. Goerz will receive the award
later in the year from Gen. Ronald
Fogleman, Air Force chief of staff. In
addition, Wells and Goerz have been
selected to receive the Cheney Award,
and Blumentritt earned the Aviator’s
Valor Award.
The presentation of these awards will
complete the final chapter to the rescue
wission flown by the men when they saved
Px members of a foundering Icelandic tug
boat off the eastern coast of Iceland 15
months ago.
Established in 1912, the Mackay
Trophy is sponsored by the National
Aeronautic Association (NAA). The
NAA awards the trophy for the most mer-
itorious flight of the year performed by an
Air Force military member or an aircrew.
The Cheney Award is given for an act
of valor, extreme fortitude, or self-sacri-
fice in a humanitarian interest, performed
in connection with aircraft, but not neces-
sarily of a military nature. It was estab-
lished in 1927.
American Legion Post 743 in New York
sponsors the Aviator’s Valor Award. It’s
presented annually to an Air Force flight
officer for a conspicuous act of valor or
courage during flight.
The rescue occurred January 10, 1994,
when the Icelandic Coast Guard request-
ed assistance from the 56 RQS. The
Go&inn, a 70-foot Icelandic rescue tug,
was attempting to tow a beached fishing
boat to safer waters during a winter
storm. Heavy seas knocked out Godinn’s
power and washed a sailor overboard to
his death.
Wells and Goerz were lowered to the
damaged craft in 25- to 30-foot seas and
assisted the six surviving mariners into the
helicopter.
Two of the surviving sailors required
immediate hospitalization, and the crew
attempted to reach EgilsstaOir, the near-
est medical facility large enough to handle
the emergency.
Severe weather and near whiteout con-
ditions prevented them from reaching
Egilsstafiir, so they landed at
Neskaupstafiur, which had a medical clin-
ic.
When informed of his awards,
Blumentritt praised the teamwork that
made it possible. “While winning the
Aviator’s Valor Award is great,” stated
Blumentritt, “the Mackay Trophy is the
one that means the most to me because
that was my crew. It emphasizes that the
Estonian seaman saved
By .101 Kevin A. Mills
A life-or-death situation sent the 56th
Rescue Squadron (56 RQS) out again
last Friday night, this time to aid a sea-
man aboard the Estonian trawler
assistance because the trawler was 265
patient was suffering from a second
degree concussion and a fracture on the
back of the head. It was then deter-

The first rescue helicopter was
This is the third rescue flight for the
sauadrnn in the oast month. The 56
9 lives in its 24-year

entire crew had to work together.
Everyone made a vital contribution.”
‘Jason Project’ aids elementary students
Elementary School recently
By JOl Kevin A Mills participated in the Jason VI
______________________________ Project in Lakenheath,
A group of sixth grade stu- England,
dents from A.T. Mahan The Jason Project is a
SO years ago in
The White Falcon
i ... All 10-year-old boys and
Igirls in Germany have been told
by the Nazi government that
they must register for the Hitler
Youth Movement.
Icelandic Comer
Do you accept dollars?
Tekur Jw dollara?
(Take-kur thu doUara)
nation wide interactive
approach to teaching the sci-
ences. Becky Donnelly, Caleb
Fowler, Marc McConnell,
Teresa Meza and Stephanie
Reding were able to interact
with scientists studying volca-
noes in Hawaii through the
use of computer links and tele-
conferencing.
“It was an opportunity for
the kids to experience some-
thing going on in Hawaii as it
happened and not having to
wait to see the eruption of a
volcano,” explained sixth
grade teacher Laura Doherty.
She added that another bene-
fit of the program is the ability
to have questions answered
quickly. “Instead of wonder-
ing what’s happening, the stu-
dents can get their questions
answered right then,” she stat-
ed.
Each student was able to
participate in the program. “I
liked the technology,” said
See Project, page 5