Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Major Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen

United States Air Force
June 29, 1934(1934-06-29) – December 14, 1987 (aged 53)
Colonel Merlyn Dethlefsen 
Colonel Merlyn Dethlefsen
Place of birth Greenville, Iowa
Allegiance Flag of the United States United States of America
Service/branch Flag of the United States Air Force United States Air Force
Rank Colonel
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Awards Medal of Honor

Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen (June 29, 1934 – December 14, 1987) was a United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Dethlefsen joined the Air Force from Royal, Iowa, and by March 10, 1967 had risen to the rank of captain. On March 10, 1967, then-Capt. Merlyn H. Dethlefsen refused to fly his badly damaged F-105 Thunderchief back to Takhli Air Base in Thailand. Instead, he stayed in the skies above the steel works at Thai Nguyen and completely destroyed the site before limping home. His courage in the face of a maelstrom of enemy fire earned him the third Medal of Honor given to an airman in the Vietnam War.

He was born June 1934, in Greenville, Iowa. After his commissioning as a U.S. Air Force officer, and then training as a pilot. He was subsequently assigned to Takhli AB.

Dethlefsen, flying the number three aircraft, and three other F-105s flew ahead of a strike force of fighter-bombers. Their job was to attack the surface-to-air missile complex, antiaircraft guns and a ring of automatic weapons guarding the target. On the first pass, his flight leader was shot down and his wing man was forced to withdraw with severe damage. By this time, the strike force had dropped its bombs and departed with no damage to any of its aircraft. Dethlefsen decided to continue the attack on his own.

As he maneuvered, he evaded an intercepting MiG-21 by flying into heavy enemy antiaircraft fire. His F-105 was severely damaged, but he determined the aircraft could still fly. Despite his nearly crippled plane, Dethlefsen made repeated strikes with his wingman, Maj. Kenneth Bell, against the enemy's defensive positions. Evading a second MiG, Dethlefsen dove through the obscuring haze to locate the missile complex when he was again hit by flak. Making a final dive bombing attack and a strafing run with 20 mm cannon fires, Dethlefsen effectively destroyed two missile sites before finally leaving for Takhli, 500 miles away.

Dethlefsen could have pulled out of the mission with honor many times: when attacked by MiGs, when he and his wingman were hit by flak, when the strike force headed for home, or when the smoke of battle made it difficult to locate the enemy. But he didn't. He made a conscious choice to make repeated passes, each one more dangerous than the one before.

For his heroic actions, Dethlefsen was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Feb. 1, 1968. He became the third of 12 airmen so honored during the Vietnam War. After varying assignments, he retired in the rank of colonel. Dethlefsen died of natural causes on Dec. 14, 1987 and was subsequently buried in Section 65 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Dethlefsen reached the rank of colonel before leaving the Air Force. He died at age 53 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Maj. Dethlefsen was 1 of a flight of F-105 aircraft engaged in a fire suppression mission designed to destroy a key antiaircraft defensive complex containing surface-to-air missiles (SAM), an exceptionally heavy concentration of antiaircraft artillery, and other automatic weapons. The defensive network was situated to dominate the approach and provide protection to an important North Vietnam industrial center that was scheduled to be attacked by fighter bombers immediately after the strike by Maj. Dethlefsen's flight. In the initial attack on the defensive complex the lead aircraft was crippled, and Maj. Dethlefsen's aircraft was extensively damaged by the intense enemy fire. Realizing that the success of the impending fighter bomber attack on the center now depended on his ability to effectively suppress the defensive fire, Maj. Dethlefsen ignored the enemy's overwhelming firepower and the damage to his aircraft and pressed his attack. Despite a continuing hail of antiaircraft fire, deadly surface-to-air missiles, and counterattacks by MIG interceptors, Maj. Dethlefsen flew repeated close range strikes to silence the enemy defensive positions with bombs and cannon fire. His action in rendering ineffective the defensive SAM and antiaircraft artillery sites enabled the ensuing fighter bombers to strike successfully the important industrial target without loss or damage to their aircraft, thereby appreciably reducing the enemy's ability to provide essential war material. Maj. Dethlefsen's consummate skill and selfless dedication to this significant mission were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

[edit] See also

[edit] References