Air Force Cross Society

11/05/2025

55 years ago today, Lt Col Earl G. Cobeil died at the hands of his North Vietnamese communist captors - 5 November 1970. For his heroism in combat and as a Prisoner of War, he was awarded the Air Force Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal. His remains were returned to the United States in 1974 and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

https://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=18

05/19/2025

Major Roy A. Knight, Jr., was Killed in Action over Laos 58 years ago today - 19 May 1967. He was officially listed as Missing in Action and promoted through the ranks to Colonel before being declared dead in September 1974. His remains were returned to the United States in February 2019, and positively identified in June 2019. Col Knight was buried with Full Military Honors on August 10, 2019.

For his heroism in combat, Col Knight was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross.

https://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=1180

05/18/2025

56 years ago today, Lt Col Edwin L. Atterberry was tortured to death by his communist North Vietnamese captors. For his heroism in captivity, he was later posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross:

https://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=15

12/24/2023

True story 😊

12/14/2023

A few days late, but…true story:

Go Army, SINK Navy!

While Air Force sits over here laughing because neither of you have a winning record against us! 😂

09/18/2023

Happy 76th Birthday to the world’s greatest Air Force! The U.S. Air Force divorced the Army on September 18, 1947!

09/11/2023

Todd Beamers words on Flight 93😔🇺🇲

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?

Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?

Todd: No

Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?

Todd: There are three that we know of.

Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?

Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.

Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?

Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.

Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?

Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.

Lisa: Have they said what they want?

Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!

Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.

Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.

Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.

Todd: It’s United Flight 93.

Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?

Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.

Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?

Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.

Lisa: Has anyone been injured?

Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.

Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?

Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!

Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!

Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.

Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?

Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??

Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.

Todd: Oh God —help us!

Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.

Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?

Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.

Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..

Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.

Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?

Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.

Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…

Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……

Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.

Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?

Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.

Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?

Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.

Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?

Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..

Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?

Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.

Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.

Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.

Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..

Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?

Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.

Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.

Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?

Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?

Lisa: Yes…What is it?

Todd: Would you pray with me?

They pray: Our father which art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive our trespassers,

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory

Forever…..Amen

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside the still waters

He restores my soul

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for His name’s sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..

Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)

Are you guys ready?……..

Let’s Roll……

09/10/2023

On this night twenty-two years ago, 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. Sixty police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. Eight paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift of saving lives. None of them saw past 10:00 AM on Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love. Snuggle a little tighter and never take one second of your life for granted.

9/11/01. Never forget. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

07/05/2023

07/04/2023

Independence Day.... the deadliest day for the American President!

Around lunchtime on July 4th, 1826, Thomas Jefferson died in his bed at Monticello. America’s third president was 83 years old, had battled declining health for nearly 10 years, and didn’t go alone; five hours later, former president John Adams died of heart failure in his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. Among Adams’ last words: “Thomas Jefferson survives.” For better or worse, news never reached Adams that this was no longer the case.

The astounding coincidence that America’s second and third presidents both died on the exact 50-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence they both labored so hard to pass was not lost on their peers. Congressman Daniel Webster called their long lives and timely deaths “gifts of Providence,” proof that God really did shed his grace on the USA. Then, in 1831, Independence Day claimed a third Founding Father. James Monroe—our fifth president and a hero of the Revolutionary War—passed at the age of 73, on the 55th anniversary of American Independence.

Independence Day is, without contest, the single deadliest day for American presidents. If you’re wondering why, you’re not alone. After Monroe’s passing in 1831, papers called the Presidential Deathday a “coincidence that has no parallel,” so extraordinary that any precedent was “scarcely to be found in history.” But now, with the benefit of nearly 200 years of hindsight, we may be able to guess at an answer. And it has to do with the fact that you’re more likely to die on your birthday than any other day.

Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the nation’s birthday—a nation they, er, helped birth—after long fights with chronic illnesses. Jefferson himself is said to have awoken in his deathbed in the middle of the night on July third and asked those around him, “This is the Fourth?” When his grandson said it soon would be, Jefferson denied a dose of laudanum from his physician. “No, doctor, nothing more.”

Did Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe will themselves to resist death until one more Independence Day? A century later, did presidents Harry S. Truman and Gerald Ford will themselves to stay alive until December 26th—the second most popular POTUS death day—to experience one last holiday with their loved ones? We’ll never know for sure. But we do know this: three good American presidents have died on our nation’s Independence Day (so far). This July Fourth, pour a little Sam Adams onto the grass for them, suck in a deep breath, and enjoy the life they laid out for us.