SSGT US AIR FORCE
PERSIAN GULF
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Also Located on Row 1 Block 2 of The Gulf War Veterans Memorial.
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0635 hrs. marks the anniversary of the shooting-down of a 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunship, with the call-sign "Spirit 03."
It happened twelve days into Operation Desert Storm during the Battle of Khafji, a battle to stop Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions from moving south from Kuwait to cross the border into Saudi Arabia near a Saudi town named Khafji.
As part of a decisive demonstration of air power over ground forces, three AC-130 Spectre gunships joined the battle to provide air-to-ground fire and close air support.
As the last of the three AC-130s still on station early on the morning of January 31, and about to end its mission, Spirit 03 "received a call from the Marines – they needed an enemy missile battery destroyed. Despite the risk of anti-aircraft artillery fire, and the greater danger of the morning sun casting light on the circling gunship, the crew of ‘Spirit 03' chose to remain and destroy the position requested."
"Spirit 03" did what it had been asked to do, it destroyed the target designated by the Marines who were under fire, but that action came at a heavy cost.
An SA-7 "Grail" man-portable surface-to-air missile was fired by the Iraqis at the now in-the-early-morning-light-visible AC-130 in the sky over Khafji.
"The missile found its target and at 0635 hours the aircraft sent out a "mayday" distress call and then crashed into the waters of the Persian Gulf," according to SpecialOperations.com.
All 14 crewmembers were killed.
The loss of the crew of "Spirit 03" was the largest single loss by any Air Force unit during Operation Desert Storm.
"We will never forget this mission and the sacrifice that they made."
The crewmembers of Spirit 03, killed in action Jan. 31, 1991:
Maj. Paul J Weaver
Capt. Thomas Clifford Bland
Capt. Arthur Galvan
Capt. William D Grimm
Capt. Dixon L Walters
Senior Master Sgt. Paul G Buege
Senior Master Sgt. James Blaine "Jim" May
Tech. Sgt. Robert K Hodges
Tech. Sgt. John L Oelschlager
Staff Sgt. John Blessinger
Staff Sgt. Timothy "Tim" R Harrison
Staff Sgt. Damon V Kanuha
Staff Sgt. Mark J Schmauss
Sergeant Barry M Clark
------
A Big Thank You goes to Find A Grave contributor Velma for this information
------
PERSIAN GULF
------
Also Located on Row 1 Block 2 of The Gulf War Veterans Memorial.
------
0635 hrs. marks the anniversary of the shooting-down of a 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunship, with the call-sign "Spirit 03."
It happened twelve days into Operation Desert Storm during the Battle of Khafji, a battle to stop Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions from moving south from Kuwait to cross the border into Saudi Arabia near a Saudi town named Khafji.
As part of a decisive demonstration of air power over ground forces, three AC-130 Spectre gunships joined the battle to provide air-to-ground fire and close air support.
As the last of the three AC-130s still on station early on the morning of January 31, and about to end its mission, Spirit 03 "received a call from the Marines – they needed an enemy missile battery destroyed. Despite the risk of anti-aircraft artillery fire, and the greater danger of the morning sun casting light on the circling gunship, the crew of ‘Spirit 03' chose to remain and destroy the position requested."
"Spirit 03" did what it had been asked to do, it destroyed the target designated by the Marines who were under fire, but that action came at a heavy cost.
An SA-7 "Grail" man-portable surface-to-air missile was fired by the Iraqis at the now in-the-early-morning-light-visible AC-130 in the sky over Khafji.
"The missile found its target and at 0635 hours the aircraft sent out a "mayday" distress call and then crashed into the waters of the Persian Gulf," according to SpecialOperations.com.
All 14 crewmembers were killed.
The loss of the crew of "Spirit 03" was the largest single loss by any Air Force unit during Operation Desert Storm.
"We will never forget this mission and the sacrifice that they made."
The crewmembers of Spirit 03, killed in action Jan. 31, 1991:
Maj. Paul J Weaver
Capt. Thomas Clifford Bland
Capt. Arthur Galvan
Capt. William D Grimm
Capt. Dixon L Walters
Senior Master Sgt. Paul G Buege
Senior Master Sgt. James Blaine "Jim" May
Tech. Sgt. Robert K Hodges
Tech. Sgt. John L Oelschlager
Staff Sgt. John Blessinger
Staff Sgt. Timothy "Tim" R Harrison
Staff Sgt. Damon V Kanuha
Staff Sgt. Mark J Schmauss
Sergeant Barry M Clark
------
A Big Thank You goes to Find A Grave contributor Velma for this information
------
SSGT US AIR FORCE
PERSIAN GULF
------
Also Located on Row 1 Block 2 of The Gulf War Veterans Memorial.
------
0635 hrs. marks the anniversary of the shooting-down of a 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunship, with the call-sign "Spirit 03."
It happened twelve days into Operation Desert Storm during the Battle of Khafji, a battle to stop Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions from moving south from Kuwait to cross the border into Saudi Arabia near a Saudi town named Khafji.
As part of a decisive demonstration of air power over ground forces, three AC-130 Spectre gunships joined the battle to provide air-to-ground fire and close air support.
As the last of the three AC-130s still on station early on the morning of January 31, and about to end its mission, Spirit 03 "received a call from the Marines – they needed an enemy missile battery destroyed. Despite the risk of anti-aircraft artillery fire, and the greater danger of the morning sun casting light on the circling gunship, the crew of ‘Spirit 03' chose to remain and destroy the position requested."
"Spirit 03" did what it had been asked to do, it destroyed the target designated by the Marines who were under fire, but that action came at a heavy cost.
An SA-7 "Grail" man-portable surface-to-air missile was fired by the Iraqis at the now in-the-early-morning-light-visible AC-130 in the sky over Khafji.
"The missile found its target and at 0635 hours the aircraft sent out a "mayday" distress call and then crashed into the waters of the Persian Gulf," according to SpecialOperations.com.
All 14 crewmembers were killed.
The loss of the crew of "Spirit 03" was the largest single loss by any Air Force unit during Operation Desert Storm.
"We will never forget this mission and the sacrifice that they made."
The crewmembers of Spirit 03, killed in action Jan. 31, 1991:
Maj. Paul J Weaver
Capt. Thomas Clifford Bland
Capt. Arthur Galvan
Capt. William D Grimm
Capt. Dixon L Walters
Senior Master Sgt. Paul G Buege
Senior Master Sgt. James Blaine "Jim" May
Tech. Sgt. Robert K Hodges
Tech. Sgt. John L Oelschlager
Staff Sgt. John Blessinger
Staff Sgt. Timothy "Tim" R Harrison
Staff Sgt. Damon V Kanuha
Staff Sgt. Mark J Schmauss
Sergeant Barry M Clark
------
A Big Thank You goes to Find A Grave contributor Velma for this information
------
PERSIAN GULF
------
Also Located on Row 1 Block 2 of The Gulf War Veterans Memorial.
------
0635 hrs. marks the anniversary of the shooting-down of a 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunship, with the call-sign "Spirit 03."
It happened twelve days into Operation Desert Storm during the Battle of Khafji, a battle to stop Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions from moving south from Kuwait to cross the border into Saudi Arabia near a Saudi town named Khafji.
As part of a decisive demonstration of air power over ground forces, three AC-130 Spectre gunships joined the battle to provide air-to-ground fire and close air support.
As the last of the three AC-130s still on station early on the morning of January 31, and about to end its mission, Spirit 03 "received a call from the Marines – they needed an enemy missile battery destroyed. Despite the risk of anti-aircraft artillery fire, and the greater danger of the morning sun casting light on the circling gunship, the crew of ‘Spirit 03' chose to remain and destroy the position requested."
"Spirit 03" did what it had been asked to do, it destroyed the target designated by the Marines who were under fire, but that action came at a heavy cost.
An SA-7 "Grail" man-portable surface-to-air missile was fired by the Iraqis at the now in-the-early-morning-light-visible AC-130 in the sky over Khafji.
"The missile found its target and at 0635 hours the aircraft sent out a "mayday" distress call and then crashed into the waters of the Persian Gulf," according to SpecialOperations.com.
All 14 crewmembers were killed.
The loss of the crew of "Spirit 03" was the largest single loss by any Air Force unit during Operation Desert Storm.
"We will never forget this mission and the sacrifice that they made."
The crewmembers of Spirit 03, killed in action Jan. 31, 1991:
Maj. Paul J Weaver
Capt. Thomas Clifford Bland
Capt. Arthur Galvan
Capt. William D Grimm
Capt. Dixon L Walters
Senior Master Sgt. Paul G Buege
Senior Master Sgt. James Blaine "Jim" May
Tech. Sgt. Robert K Hodges
Tech. Sgt. John L Oelschlager
Staff Sgt. John Blessinger
Staff Sgt. Timothy "Tim" R Harrison
Staff Sgt. Damon V Kanuha
Staff Sgt. Mark J Schmauss
Sergeant Barry M Clark
------
A Big Thank You goes to Find A Grave contributor Velma for this information
------
