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Click here to go to the Crash Site Report.
Click on the picture to see the full photo taken by Jimmy Moore, a close friend of Jack.
During the Vietnam War 362 aviators were awarded this medal.
Click to read Jack's Distinguished Flying Cross citation.
Awarded for the August 20 1966 rescue of a downed US Air Force pilot who went by the call
sign of TORPEDO.
The rescued USAF pilot referred to in the DFC citation was Edwin Tiffany Hawks, aka Tiff Hawks.
The aircraft, an RF-4C Phantom, took a direct hit from ground fire during a night photo run while dropping flares. The explosion
from the ground fire may have incapacitated the other crew member, Richard M. Milikin III, who was in the rear seat. He was
never recovered. Hawks ejected and evaded the enemy until he was picked up by a rescue helicopter.
On 6/4/02 Tiff Hawks wrote: "I was the downed pilot of the RF-4C, call sign, "TORPEDO", that Jack
and his wingman located, identified and definitely created the rescue that saved my life. The chopper that picked me up was
call sign, "Indian Gal 51", from the Kearsarge. I knew the A-1 Locket flight, was from the Oriskany. I never knew until this
week that Jack Feldhaus was the one who led Locket flight. "INDIAN GAL 51" was piloted by Lt. BIll Roy, co-pilot Lt. Vann
Goodloe and one of the specialists in the back that hoisted me up to safety was named Sitko,"
On Jul 1 2009 Fred Guenzel wrote: I was the skipper's (Gordon Smith) wingman but I was
flying with different people while Gordon, was recovering from burns he received while bailing out of
his burning aircraft. I did fly several times with Jack during that time. I was flying with him when we found
and retrieved the Air Force F4 pilot (call sign "Torpedo 1" I think) in Package 1 (our designation for the southern part
of North Vietnam). Jack spotted him and then flew around in circles and around different spots so we wouldn't lead
the Viet Cong to the pilot on the ground. I went to retrieve the "Big Mother" helicopter and bring it
to the pilot's location. We strafed to keep their heads down while the "Big Mother" picked him up. I didn't
have my camera out on either flight since I was too busy trying to not get shot down, run into anybody, fly the
airplane and keep an eye on what was happening.
Click here to read more about this on Jack's Biography page.
Click to read Tiff Hawk's account of his crash and rescue.
Click to read more. Also click on "Comments" tab at top of page to read more.
Click here to read about the SAR (Sea Air Rescue) history of HS-6 (Indian Gal 15's squadron) during their 1966 deployment
to Vietnam.
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