thedrifter
10-11-04, 08:05 AM
VMX-22 pilot awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for OEF actions
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 2004109192639
Story by Lance Cpl. Michael Angelo
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (Oct. 8, 2004) -- An Air Force captain assigned to Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron-22 here was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross medal October 8 by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force in a ceremony held outside the squadron hangar.
James S. Peterson, of Arcadia, Calif., received the coveted medal for actions in a mission during early December 2001 during Operation Enduring Freedom. Before transitioning into tilt-rotor aircraft, Peterson was a MH-53M Pave Low pilot.
“It was a seven ship mission. I was the leader of a three ship division. We dodged a lot of small arms fire and managed to land right outside of the al Qaeda compound,” said Peterson.
During the direct action assault mission, the aircraft had to refuel in-flight three times and on its return the helicopter experienced electrical problems.
“I was trying to maintain the problem as we were flying with eight high-level al Qaeda militants,” said Peterson. “We also took a lot of valuable intelligence information from the compound.”
“When Captain Peterson came to the squadron he showed great poise,” said Maj. John C. Vara, squadron operations officer from Bridgewater, N.J. “He is a good pilot, a good officer and a hero who has earned all of the Marines’ respect.”
Despite his heroism, Peterson remains humble and attributes the success of that mission to the efforts of others.
“The real honor is not in the award, it was an honor to work with the highly skilled men who fought on the ground. Getting the recognition is great, but to be able to exchange high fives with all those guys the next morning is where the honor is,” he said. “It is pretty significant to receive recognition on that level and it is a memory I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
Also in attendance were Peterson’s wife, Robyn, and seven-month-old son, Brett.
The Distinguished Flying Cross has been worn by some of the best American pilots, including Army Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, said the Honorable James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, during the award ceremony.
The Distinguished Flying Cross, authorized by an Act of Congress of July 2, 1926 (amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938), was awarded first to Lindbergh for his solo flight of 3,600 miles across the Atlantic in 1927, a feat that electrified the world and made him one of America's most popular heroes. The first DFC to be awarded to a Navy man was to Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd, of the U.S. Navy Air Corps, on May 9, 1926, for his flight to and from the North Pole. Both these famous aviators also received the Medal of Honor with the Distinguished Flying Cross. Earhart’s DFC was the only such award, as an executive order on March 1, 1927, ruled that the DFC should not be conferred on civilians.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004109193028/$file/DFC2low.jpg
The Honorable James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force (left), speaks as Air Force Capt. James S. Peterson, MV-22 operational pilot, stands by to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross medal during a ceremony in the Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron-22 hangar October 8. Peterson was awarded for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Michael Angelo
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/12E6C658BD38140585256F280080C8AE?opendocument
Ellie
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 2004109192639
Story by Lance Cpl. Michael Angelo
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (Oct. 8, 2004) -- An Air Force captain assigned to Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron-22 here was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross medal October 8 by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force in a ceremony held outside the squadron hangar.
James S. Peterson, of Arcadia, Calif., received the coveted medal for actions in a mission during early December 2001 during Operation Enduring Freedom. Before transitioning into tilt-rotor aircraft, Peterson was a MH-53M Pave Low pilot.
“It was a seven ship mission. I was the leader of a three ship division. We dodged a lot of small arms fire and managed to land right outside of the al Qaeda compound,” said Peterson.
During the direct action assault mission, the aircraft had to refuel in-flight three times and on its return the helicopter experienced electrical problems.
“I was trying to maintain the problem as we were flying with eight high-level al Qaeda militants,” said Peterson. “We also took a lot of valuable intelligence information from the compound.”
“When Captain Peterson came to the squadron he showed great poise,” said Maj. John C. Vara, squadron operations officer from Bridgewater, N.J. “He is a good pilot, a good officer and a hero who has earned all of the Marines’ respect.”
Despite his heroism, Peterson remains humble and attributes the success of that mission to the efforts of others.
“The real honor is not in the award, it was an honor to work with the highly skilled men who fought on the ground. Getting the recognition is great, but to be able to exchange high fives with all those guys the next morning is where the honor is,” he said. “It is pretty significant to receive recognition on that level and it is a memory I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
Also in attendance were Peterson’s wife, Robyn, and seven-month-old son, Brett.
The Distinguished Flying Cross has been worn by some of the best American pilots, including Army Capt. Charles A. Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, said the Honorable James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, during the award ceremony.
The Distinguished Flying Cross, authorized by an Act of Congress of July 2, 1926 (amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938), was awarded first to Lindbergh for his solo flight of 3,600 miles across the Atlantic in 1927, a feat that electrified the world and made him one of America's most popular heroes. The first DFC to be awarded to a Navy man was to Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd, of the U.S. Navy Air Corps, on May 9, 1926, for his flight to and from the North Pole. Both these famous aviators also received the Medal of Honor with the Distinguished Flying Cross. Earhart’s DFC was the only such award, as an executive order on March 1, 1927, ruled that the DFC should not be conferred on civilians.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004109193028/$file/DFC2low.jpg
The Honorable James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force (left), speaks as Air Force Capt. James S. Peterson, MV-22 operational pilot, stands by to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross medal during a ceremony in the Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron-22 hangar October 8. Peterson was awarded for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Michael Angelo
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/12E6C658BD38140585256F280080C8AE?opendocument
Ellie