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Vietnam War Air Force hero Maj Bob Lodge
Episode 3287 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature story about the effort to award Vietnam War Air Force hero Maj Bob Lodge the Medal of Honor. The featured story are titled: Air Force Hero Bob Lodge May Finally Get Medal of Honor with New Proposed Legislation. It appeared on the Air & Space Forces Magazine website and was submitted by Matthew Cox.
Cox reported that Maj. Robert Alfred “Bob” Lodge stands as one of the most remarkable Air Force heroes of the Vietnam War, remembered not only for his skill as a fighter pilot but also for a sacrifice that may ultimately earn him the nation’s highest military honor. Born in New York City in 1941, Lodge pursued an exceptional military and academic career, studying aeronautics while training through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Air Force Academy.
During his second combat tour over Vietnam, Lodge became a driving force behind a revolutionary overhaul of F-4 Phantom fighter tactics. As chief of the Fighter Tactics Branch for the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and a pilot in the famed 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, he helped develop innovative training methods and introduced highly classified technologies such as the Combat Tree radar system. His efforts gave American pilots a decisive edge against North Vietnamese MiGs and contributed significantly to improved air combat success.
On May 10, 1972, during Operation Linebacker, Lodge’s F-4 was critically damaged by enemy fire. While his weapons systems officer successfully ejected, Lodge remained in the aircraft. According to fellow aviators and ace Col. Charles “Chuck” DeBellevue, Lodge understood that capture could expose highly classified tactics, intelligence methods, and war plans. Choosing duty over survival, he stayed with the crippled jet until it crashed, sacrificing his life to protect information that could save countless fellow airmen.
Already awarded a record five Silver Stars, Lodge is now the subject of legislation introduced by Rep. August Pfluger to upgrade one of those awards to the Medal of Honor. More than five decades later, Maj. Bob Lodge remains a powerful symbol of courage, leadership, selflessness, and devotion to his fellow Airmen and country.
Listen to Episode 3287 and discover more about the effort to award Vietnam War Air Force hero Maj Bob Lodge the Medal of Honor.
