Iceal Hambleton
Iceal E. Hambleton
United States Army | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Gene |
| Allegiance |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943-1973 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Awards | Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal |
Lieutenant Colonel Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton (November 16, 1918 – September 19, 2004) was an Officer of the United States Air Force, he's known as being subject of one of the longest one-man search-and-rescue mission in Air Force history named Bat-21. He received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart for his actions during this mission.
Pre-Vietnam years
Hambleton served in the USAF during last years of World War II without seeing any combat. During Korean War, he flew 43 sorties as navigator in a B-29 Superfortress. He then worked during the 1960's on various USAF ballistic missiles projects such as PGM-19 Jupiter, Titan I ICBM and Titan II ICBM.
Vietnam years
Recalled to active service by the USAF, he was assigned to the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (TEWS) in Korat, Thailand. 42nd squadron was equipped with EB-66C/Es (call sign "Bat 21") that flew radar and communications jamming missions to disrupt enemy defenses and early warning capabilities.
The Bat 21 rescue
On his 63rd mission, on 2 April 1972, Hambleton was aboard an EB-66C/E preparing a B-52 Stratofortress strike planned for the following days. Quang Tri, the area targeted, was reported by intelligence to contain around 30,000 ennemy troops and while flying over it at 30,000ft, the aircraft was hit by a North Vietnamese Soviet-built surface-to-air missile. The only one of the six-man crew to eject safely, Hambleton floated to earth when a forward air controller, airborne with the USAF supporting the South Vietnamese response to the North’s offensive, saw his descent, communicating with him over his survival radio. He landed near a highway junction on a Communist supply route and was seriously wounded in the arm and back.
Alerted by the accident, General Creighton Abrams ordered the rescue at any cost of Hambleton who was a valued prisoner for North Vietnamese army and by extention, the Soviet Union for all his knowledge of communications jamming missions and USAF ballistic missiles programs.
Hambleton was finally rescued by American and South Vietnamese Navy SEALs Thomas R. Norris and Nguyen Van Kiet 11 and a half days later, but not before five aircraft and crews were shot down while attempting to rescue him, including a Bell UH-1H Huey (Blue Ghost 39) shot down on 2 April with the loss of three of five crewmen (and two POWs), an A-1 Skyraider shot down on 4 April with the loss of its crew, a Sikorsky HH-53 "Jolly Green Giant" (Jolly Green 67) that attempted to rescue Lt. Col. Hambleton and was shot down on 6 April, resulting in the loss of all six crewmen, an OV-10 Bronco (Nail 38) that was lost on 3 April with the pilot captured, and another OV-10 Bronco (Covey 282) shot down on 7 April, resulting in the weapons officer being captured and later executed. Nine additional aircraft and helicopters were badly damaged during the rescue attempts, most never to fly again.
Hambleton was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart for his effort. While working hard to escape from the ennemy, he also had transmitted valuable information about enemy vehicle concentrations, enabling air strikes to be called in on them.
The story of his exploit was told in "Bat*21" by William Charles Anderson, and later a film version (1988) starring Gene Hackman and Danny Glover. A further book, The Rescue of Bat 21, by Darrel D. Whitcomb, was published in 1998.
Famous quotes
- "It was the most terrible day I had ever lived, I had to stand by and watch six young men die trying to save my life. Heroes, you bet they were."