Staff Sergeant Clifford C. Sims of the 101st Airborne Division displayed extraordinary heroism on February 21, 1968, during the Vietnam War when he sacrificed himself by throwing his body onto a booby trap to save his squad.
Attempting to land the aircraft, Mathies made two unsuccessful attempts before the bomber crashed in an open field on the third attempt, tragically killing him, the navigator, and the pilot.
Williams flew his first combat mission in February 1953. As a wingman in a flight of four Panthers, his role was to attack enemy supply lines, troops, and artillery positions.
Our inaugural Voices of Freedom story features Harold "Doug" McDougal, whose experiences stand as a testament to courage and service. Be sure to listen to his interview after reading the brief article about him.
On October 14, 1947, piloting the Bell X-1 rocket plane, he shattered the sound barrier, reaching a speed of Mach 1.06 (about 700 mph).
As they moved through the darkened landscape, the unit suddenly encountered enemy forces. Rather than retreat, Ackerman boldly led his men in pursuit of the withdrawing enemy, showing complete disregard for his own safety.
