James "Earthquake McGoon" McGovern Jr.
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| James B. McGovern Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Died May 6, 1954 | |
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| Nickname | "Earthquake McGoon" |
| Place of death | KIA in Northern Laos |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army/CIA Pilot |
| Awards | Rank of Knight in French Legion of Honour |
James B. McGovern, Jr. (d. May 6, 1954) was a World War II fighter ace and CIA pilot who died in a plane crash when his C-119 Flying Boxcar cargo plane was hit by ground fire while parachuting a howitzer to the besieged French garrison at Dien Bien Phu. He and his co-pilot, Wallace Buford, were the first two Americans to die in combat in Vietnam. The day after the crash, the garrison at Dien Bien Phu surrendered.
The nickname Earthquake McGoon was given to McGovern in World War II because the first four letters of his last name matched the malapropism (McGovern←→McGoon), and his physical size was considered large for a fighter pilot. The name refers to a character in the Li'l Abner comic strip.
McGovern's skeletal remains were discovered in an unmarked grave in northern Laos in 2002. They were identified in September 2006 by laboratory experts at the U.S. military's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery on May 24, 2007.
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[edit] World War II
McGovern served in China in 1944 as part of the 14th Air Force's "Tiger Shark" Squadron. During this time he was credited with shooting down four Japanese Zero fighters, and destroying another five on the ground.[1]
[edit] Awards
On February 24, 2005, James McGovern was posthumously awarded (along with his co-pilot Wallace Buford, and 6 other surviving pilots) the Legion of Honour with the rank of Knight by the President of the Republic of France for their actions to supply Dien Bien Phu during the 57-day siege.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Remains of 'Earthquake McGoon' sought after 48 years
- ^ [1] Legion of Honor award
