Iceal Hambleton
Iceal Eugene Hambleton | |
|---|---|
 Hambleton around 1973 | |
| Nickname(s) | Gene |
| Born | November 16, 1918 Rossville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | September 19, 2004 (aged 85) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1943–1973 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Commands held | 571st Strategic Missile Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (4) Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal |
Iceal Eugene "Gene" Hambleton (November 16, 1918 – September 19, 2004) was a career United States Air Force navigator who was shot down over South Vietnam during the 1972 Easter Offensive. He was aboard an EB-66 aircraft whose call sign was Bat 21.[1]: 30 As the ranking navigator/EWO on the aircraft, he was seated immediately behind the pilot, giving him the call sign "Bat 21 Bravo". He survived for 11+1⁄2 days behind enemy lines until he was retrieved in a ground operation. His rescue was the longest and most costly search and rescue mission during the entire Vietnam War.[2] He received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart during his career.
Military career
Hambleton served in the
He then worked during the 1960s on various USAF
Vietnam War
Hambleton switched from the Strategic Air Command to
On his 63rd mission, on April 2, 1972, Hambleton was a
Hambleton was the only one of the three-man crew able to eject from the crashing aircraft.[7] He parachuted into the middle of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive and landed in the midst of tens of thousands of North Vietnamese soldiers. His eventual rescue from behind enemy lines was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue" operation during the entire Vietnam War.[2]
Hambleton had received water survival training at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, and escape and evasion training and survival basics at the Pacific Air Command Jungle Survival School in the Philippines.[4]: 6 During the rescue operation, five aircraft were shot down, 11 airmen were killed in action, and 2 were captured. Nine additional aircraft and helicopters were badly damaged during the ongoing rescue attempts.[8]: 53
General
Hambleton was rescued after 11+1⁄2 days by
Death
Hambleton died on September 19, 2004, in Tucson, Arizona, at age 85. The cause of death was pneumonia related to lung cancer, according to a family member.[13] He was interred in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, Illinois.[14]
Awards and decorations
Hambleton was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart during his career.[12]
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| USAF Master Navigator badge | |||||||||||
| Silver Star | Distinguished Flying Cross | ||||||||||
| Purple Heart | Meritorious Service Medal | Air Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters | |||||||||
| Air Force Commendation Medal | Air Force Presidential Unit Citation with bronze oak leaf cluster |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with bronze oak leaf cluster | |||||||||
| Combat Readiness Medal | Army Good Conduct Medal | American Campaign Medal | |||||||||
World War II Victory Medal
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National Defense Service Medal with service star |
campaign stars
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| Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze campaign stars |
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver oak leaf cluster |
Armed Forces Reserve Medal | |||||||||
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
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Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
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Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
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United Nations Korea Medal
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Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
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Korean War Service Medal | |||||||||
In popular media
The story of Hambleton's evasion and rescue was told in the 1980 book, Bat 21, written by Air Force Colonel William Charles Anderson.[15] This was followed by the dramatic 1988 film, Bat*21, starring Gene Hackman as Hambleton and Danny Glover as a forward air controller. A second book, The Rescue of Bat 21, based on a large amount of declassified information, was written by Col. Darrel D. Whitcomb and published in 1998. Whitcomb was a decorated pilot, and from 1972 to 1974 a forward air controller based in Southeast Asia.[16]
References
- ISBN 1-55750-946-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-312-38467-8. Archivedfrom the original on 2017-11-16.
- ^ a b "Lieutenant-Colonel Iceal Hambleton". The Times. London. October 1, 2004. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Busboom, Lt. Col. Stanley (April 2, 1990). Bat 21: A Case Study (PDF). Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania: U.S. Army War College. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ "Interdiction of Communist Infiltration Routes in Vietnam" (PDF). CIA. 24 June 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2017.
- ^ "E/R/W/B-66 Production, Attrition and History". Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^ a b "Bio, Walker, Bruce C." Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7603-3310-5. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ a b Mack, Amy P. (July 26, 2010). "The Rescue of BAT-21". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
- ^ Zimmerman, Dwight Jon (August 27, 2010). "A Story of the Brotherhood of Arms". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ Haseman, John B. (December 2008). "The Unsung Hero in the Amazing Rescue of Bat 21 Bravo" (PDF). Vietnam. HistoryNet.com: 45–51. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-10.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-345-47618-0. Archivedfrom the original on 2017-11-16.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (September 27, 2004). "'Gene' Hambleton, 85; His Rescue Depicted in 'Bat-21' Books, Film". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
- ISBN 0-13-069500-9
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (27 September 2004). "Bat 21 Rescue – Gene Hambleton, 85, His Rescue Depicted in 'Bat-21' Books, Film". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
External links
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