A Hero Gone, BAT21 is dead

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - A Hero Gone, BAT21 is dead

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:34:58 PM EDT

A true American hero has passed. God Speed Colonel! Thank you for your brave service.

Associated Press
> Sept. 21, 2004 07:05 AM
>
> TUCSON - Iceal "Gene" Hambleton, a military aviator whose 1972 rescue
in
Vietnam inspired the movie "Bat 21," has died. He was 85.
>
> Hambleton, a retired lieutenant colonel from Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base,
died of cancer Sunday at Tucson Medical Center, his family said.
>
> Hambleton was shot down on Easter Sunday in 1972 and was the focus of
the
largest rescue operation in Air Force history.
>
> Actor Gene Hackman played Hambleton in the 1988 film "Bat 21," which
showed how he survived in the midst of thousands of enemy troops.
>
> The movie was based on the 1980 book of the same name. A second book,
"The
Rescue of Bat 21," was published in 1998.
>
> Bat 21 was the call sign of the EB-66 radar jamming aircraft in which
Hambleton flew as navigator.
>
> During 12 days in hostile territory, the then 52-year-old Hambleton
kept
in touch with U.S. forces through his hand-held survival radio,
directing
many strikes against enemy supply lines by calling in the locations of
vehicles on the highway.
>
> Hambleton's actions earned him several medals for heroism, including a
Silver Star, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart.
>
> A funeral service was scheduled for Thursday at Spanish Trail Lutheran
Church in Tucson.
HISTORY

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:37:03 PM EDT

[#1]

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:37:54 PM EDT

[#2]

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:41:09 PM EDT

[#3]

Great men always die but their legends live on to inspire future generations of heroism.

May he rest in peace.

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:41:49 PM EDT

[#4]

Rest In Peace

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:45:40 PM EDT

[#5]

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:48:27 PM EDT

[#6]

I didn't realize so many people know who he is.

May he rest in peace as a true American hero.

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:49:04 PM EDT

[#7]

salute

I read that book when I was 11 years old.

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:49:30 PM EDT

[#8]

Gone.
But Never Forgotten.

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:50:02 PM EDT

[#9]

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:52:15 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
salute

I read that book when I was 11 years old.

+1 I was about the same age when I read it.

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:53:28 PM EDT

[#11]

......

Posted: 9/23/2004 7:55:56 PM EDT

[#12]

God Speed my friend

Posted: 9/23/2004 8:18:33 PM EDT

[#13]

I don’t know.

They did a documentary on him a while back on “Wings” which, admittedly, I didn't see in its entirety. Despite the fact that several men died trying to rescue him, all he seemed to talk about was himself.

Kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

Posted: 9/23/2004 9:21:24 PM EDT

[#14]

RIP Sir

Posted: 9/23/2004 9:26:56 PM EDT

[#15]

Godspeed, BAT-21.

ETA: Can't think of a better way to use my 2000th post.

Posted: 9/23/2004 9:28:12 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
I don’t know.

They did a documentary on him a while back on “Wings” which, admittedly, I didn't see in its entirety. Despite the fact that several men died trying to rescue him, all he seemed to talk about was himself.

Kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

Posted: 9/23/2004 9:28:44 PM EDT

[#17]

Posted: 9/23/2004 9:29:58 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I didn't realize so many people know who he is.

May he rest in peace as a true American hero.

... lots of good folks on this board man

Gene Hambleton

Posted: 9/23/2004 9:30:03 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I don?t know.

They did a documentary on him a while back on ?Wings? which, admittedly, I didn't see in its entirety. Despite the fact that several men died trying to rescue him, all he seemed to talk about was himself.

Kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

After what that guy has gone thru, he deserves to talk about whatever he wants to talk.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:03:02 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I don?t know.

They did a documentary on him a while back on ?Wings? which, admittedly, I didn't see in its entirety. Despite the fact that several men died trying to rescue him, all he seemed to talk about was himself.

Kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

After what that guy has gone thru, he deserves to talk about whatever he wants to talk.

Agreed.

Lots of people died in that war doing lots of things. But the fact this guy was able to move around on the ground, alone and in enemy territory for 12 days while evading capture is a remarkable story. It is the story everyone naturally focuses on. You can bet your ass Hambleton was grateful for the efforts of his rescuers. Probably more than we'll ever know.

Rest in peace Hamb.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:04:42 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
salute

I read that book when I was 11 years old.

+1 I was about the same age when I read it.

+2, I read it in the early/mid '80s. Great story about a man with grit. Rest in Peace.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:07:01 AM EDT

[#22]

Rest in Peace.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:09:22 AM EDT

[#23]

Both books are great reads. Rip Bat21.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:11:32 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I don?t know.

They did a documentary on him a while back on ?Wings? which, admittedly, I didn't see in its entirety. Despite the fact that several men died trying to rescue him, all he seemed to talk about was himself.

Kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

After what that guy has gone thru, he deserves to talk about whatever he wants to talk.

Agreed.

Lots of people died in that war doing lots of things. But the fact this guy was able to move around on the ground, alone and in enemy territory for 12 days while evading capture is a remarkable story. It is the story everyone naturally focuses on. You can bet your ass Hambleton was grateful for the efforts of his rescuers. Probably more than we'll ever know.

Rest in peace Hamb.

It is probably very difficult to get a man talking about the guys who he did not know who died trying to rescue him . . . it must have been terrifying to be so close to rescue only to see the soldiers come to rescue you cut down.

Don't forget, as well, that the editor of documentary may have cut out all the parts that didn't fit the image of the self-important heroe that the editor wanted to project. All the parts where they had to stop and let the Colonel regain his composure would have been cut out.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:13:02 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
I don’t know.

They did a documentary on him a while back on “Wings” which, admittedly, I didn't see in its entirety. Despite the fact that several men died trying to rescue him, all he seemed to talk about was himself.

Kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

The producers edit that stuff, ya know...could have very well been that all THEY wanted you to hear was the stuff about him. I'll happily give any guy like this the benefit of the doubt.

Another good man gone...sad...R.I.P.

Posted: 9/24/2004 4:25:40 AM EDT

[#26]

Posted: 9/24/2004 11:24:18 AM EDT

[#27]

Sonuva....

This guy was awesome. This sucks!

Posted: 9/24/2004 11:42:27 AM EDT

[#28]

Blue Skies,

Also of note is the man who rescued him with a Vietnames LLDB, Lt. Thomas Norris who earned the Medal Of Honor for his actions and Kiet Van Nguyen who received the Navy Cross.

For those who do not know, Lt Norris was wounded in an operation later and was rescued by fellow SEAL who also received the Medal Of Honor.