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Bernard Francis Fisher, Medal of Honor recipient
U.S. Air Force Majors Bernard F. Fisher and D.W. “Jump” Myers, in Vietnam, 10 March 1966. The photo was taken after Fisher’s rescue of Myers from the A Shau Valley Special Forces camp airfield in front of Fisher’s Douglas A-1E Skyraider (U.S. Navy BuNo 132649).
The Douglas A-1E Skyraider (U.S. Navy BuNo 132649) at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton, Ohio, USA) is the airplane flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on 10 March 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam in the midst of enemy troops.
Episode 2805 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about USAF MAJ Bernard Fisher and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story appeared on the Aviation Geek Club website and was titled: The USAF Skyraider pilot who landed his SPAD on a besieged airstrip to rescue another crash-landed A-1 pilot.
The story was submitted by Dario Leone. He is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.
In his story Dario reported that: On Mar. 10, 1966, Maj. Bernard Fisher, flying A-1E S/N 52-132649, rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam. For this deed, Fisher received the Medal of Honor.
As explained by Wayne Mutza in his book The A-1 Skyraider in Vietnam, on the morning of Mar. 10, 1966, as “Hobo Five-One,” Fisher took off on a routine bomb-and-strafe mission, with Captain Francisco “Paco” Vazquez, “Hobo Five-Two,” flying another A-1E on his wing. They had been airborne only ten minutes when they were diverted to A Shau. Reaching the cloud-covered area, Fisher found other Skyraiders looking for a hole and, once again, it was he who found it. Two Spads followed Fisher and Vazquez down to the battlefield in trail formation.
Fisher hugged the ground at about 50 feet altitude and raised the camp’s defenders on his FM radio. He said, “I’m the A-1E that just passed over. Where do you want the ordnance?” They answered calmly, “Hit the south wall. They’re coming over the south wall.”
Listen to episode 2805 and discover more about USAF MAJ Bernard Fisher and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.
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