Duane D. Hackney as a Technical Sergeant

Chief Master Sergeant Duane D. Hackney (5 June 1947 – 3 September 1993), of Flint Michigan, a United States Air Force Pararescueman, was the most decorated airman in USAF history and the recipient of 28 decorations for valor in combat (more than 70 awards and decorations in all), and winner of the Cheney Award for 1967 (the Cheney award is given annually to a member of USAF for an act of valor, extreme fortitude, or self-sacrifice in a humanitarian interest performed in conjunction with aircraft). Image File history File links Duane_hackney. ... Image File history File links Duane_hackney. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The U.S. Air Force redirects here, for the offical song, see The U.S. Air Force (song) The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... Pararescuemen (AFSC 1T2X1), also called PJs (a nickname pronounced pee jays that refers to the earlier title para jumpers), are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operatives tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. ... The Cheney Award is presented each year in memory of 1st Lt. ...

Three days after reporting for duty, Hackney flew his first combat mission. Somewhere on that mission, a .30-caliber slug buried itself in his leg. To avoid being grounded by the medics, he had one of his PJ friends remove the slug with a probe. That incident set the tone for the more than 200 combat missions he was to fly in three and a half years of Vietnam duty, all as a volunteer.

Five times in the months ahead his helicopter was shot down. He doesn't recall how often he went down into the jungle looking for survivors or how many lives his medical training helped him save. As he became a legend in the rescue world, he earned four Distinguished Flying Crosses, not for flying a certain number of missions but for specific acts of heroism, and 18 Air Medals, many for single acts of valor. Then came the Air Force Cross, for which he was the first living recipient, the Silver Star, the Airman's Medal, the Purple Heart, and several foreign decorations. The Distinguished Flying Cross. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. ... The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... Airmans Medal The Airman’s Medal is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and is awarded to those service members who distinguish themselves by heroic actions, usually at the voluntary risk of life, but not involving actual combat. ... For the plant genus, see Purpleheart. ...

Hackney's most celebrated mission was on 6 February 1967, when two HH-3 helicopters, Jolly Green 05 and Jolly Green 36, launched from the 37th ARRS at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. They were attempting the recovery of a downed O-1F pilot, Nail 65, northwest of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. After Airman Hackney made one unsuccessful trip to the ground in search of the pilot, both Jollys returned to base due to foul weather. Later in the day, the helicopters launched again and located the survivor. Airman Hackney was lowered to the ground, and after securing the survivor into the Stokes litter, both were lifted out. No sooner did they reach Jolly 05's door when ground fire erupted. As they raced to exit the area, the helicopter was hit with a 37 mm anti-aircraft round and caught fire. With complete disregard for his own welfare, Airman Hackney removed his parachute and placed it on the survivor. He lunged to grab another one from storage as the helicopter, a growing, blazing fireball, arched across the sky. In an instant, it exploded, just as Airman Hackney slipped his arms thuough the harness. He was blown out of Jolly 05 by the explosion. Dangling from the harness, he was able to manage to pull the ripcord, and the chute opened just as he hit the trees, where he plunged a further 80 feet and came to rest on a ledge in a crevasse. He narrowly avoided capture while enemy troops jumped across the crevasse, mere feet above. Jolly 36 immediately made a run in to locate any survivors, and, when it arrived, found only burning wreckage...and Duane Hackney waving his arms for pickup. He was the only survivor. February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... For the original Viking use of the name, see Sea-King. ... Đà Nẵng International Airport (IATA: DAD, ICAO: VVDN) is located in Da Nang of central Vietnam. ... National motto: ??? Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809km² N/A population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... Dong Hoi is a capital city of Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ...

Airman Hackney went on to receive more than 70 individual awards becoming the most decorated enlisted men in Air Force history. Upon his return from Viet Nam in 1967, Hackney was deployed to the 41st Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (41st ARRS) at Hamilton Air Force Base, in Marin County California. Shortly after the awarding of his Air Force Cross on September 9, 1967, Hackney made a guest appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1991 he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant and died of a heart attack in September 1993. He was 46 years old. Hamilton Army Airfield, CA - 1937 Hamilton Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Base located along the northern shore of San Francisco Bay California. ... The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. ... Ed Sullivan The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by former entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. ... Chief Master Sergeant is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Master Sergeant, and is a non-commissioned officer. ...

In June, 2006, the training facility at Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio was renamed the Hackney Training Complex. The facility has space to train up to 1,200 people, and a staff of 50. His widow, Carole Hackney Bergstrom, stated about the dedication "I just wish he could see this. I think he'd really be proud of what he did. He would tell you, 'All this stuff wasn't necessary. I was just doing my job.'" Lackland Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located west of San Antonio, Texas, USA. It is located at 29°2323 North, 98°3645 West (29. ...

References

The Pararescue Association. (1996). Airman Second Class Duane D. Hackney pg. 112: Fine Books Publishing Company, LLC Charlotte, NC. Library of Congress Number: 94-061879

Air Force Magazine March 1989, Vol. 72, No. 3 - "USAF's Most Decorated PJ" - by John L. Frisbee

External links

• USAF's Most Decorated PJ - Air Force Magazine article about Duane Hackney
• Air Force Link entry: PJ Chief Master Sergeant Duane D. Hackney
• Air Force Link entry: PJ Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger
• Air Force Link entry: PJ Technical Sgt. Tim Wilkinson
• United States Air Force Pararescue Association
• A1C Bill Pitsenbarger posthumously awarded Medal of Honor for actions in Vietnam in 1966