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My sole SOS find: Silver Star/ LOM group to Hugh Mahoney


Teamski
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I was pretty tied up with the Dover Army/Navy table for the entire show. Thanks to all those who dropped by the table. It was a real pleasure to meet all of you!

 

Anyways, on one of my trips to the bathroom, I saw this group and knew it had everything I would want in a group like this. I was thrilled I got it considering what other groups were out there at the same price range.

 

This grouped belonged to Colonel Hugh Mahoney, Navigator, 23rd BS, 42nd BS and Group Navigator for the 498th BG. Here are the bare facts:

 

Born in 1918

Aviation Cadet 1940

At Pearl Harbor during attack with 23rd BS...Flew sorties out of Pearl Harbor in search of Japanese fleet (B-17's)

Assigned to 42nd BS during Midway. Awarded SS for action during that period.

Assigned 498th BG....Recieved PH for ditching and 5 days alone in a raft (featured in chapter 14 of Journey of the Giants)

Received Mao Chi medal in 1947 as part of the US advisory group in China.

Served in Korea

Retired with LM in 1970

 

Came with a good amount of original and photocopied paperwork and photos/ articles. Everything verified.

 

Silver Star a numbered BBB example officially named with matching numbered box. LM a wrapped brooch, officially named. No other medals named.

 

As far as I know, he is still alive. I was able to find another photo of him and his crew in 1942. Pilot at the time was Captain Wuertele. Complete records for the 42nd are available online, so I need to print them out.

 

Who ever had the group before me did a lot already. He/she photocopied all of the GO's for the medals, so that helps a lot! I'm pretty sure the naming on the SS is official. Any comments welcome. Thanks for looking!

 

-Ski

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Here is the original Legion of Merit citation. Compare this one to ones written today. This is old skool USAF! I have his original USAF Commendation Medal citation and it reads the same.

 

-Ski

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Truly a superb group, especially with his participation at Midway. Would you let me know the number on his BB&B Silver Star? Thanks, Tom

 

12172.....Thanks for the comments!

 

-Ski

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What medal is this? Nice original issued card/cloth.

4starchris

 

It is the Mao Chi medal issued by the Nationalist Chinese Government. Others may have more information on it as I have no clue about it outside the official issue orders above.

 

-Ski

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Here is another photo of the front. The envelope is an interesting cloth one. I like that the medal is numbered along with the envelope.

 

-Ski

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Thanks guys.

 

I found this article online from 2008. Mahoney is interviewed....

 

Story and photo by Dr. Philip Breeze

15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --

 

Several World War II veterans of the Hickam Field

attack on December 7, 1941, and their families,

gathered here over the weekend to be part of Air

Force Remembrance ceremonies.

Lou Roffman was a young technical sergeant

assigned to the 31st Bombardment Squadron as a B-

17 flight engineer. He remembers having been on

alert through most of November of that year and

going into town to celebrate their release from alert

status. He spent the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6,

1941 letting off a little steam and says he was sleeping

it off the following morning when loud booms

and the sound of low-flying aircraft awakened him.

"I thought, damn those gunners over at Fort

Kam. Can't a guy get a little sleep? And it wasn't

unusual for us Army Air Corps guys and the Navy

fliers over at Pearl to fly over the other fellows if we

knew they'd been having a party the night before."

But luck was with him that morning. He skipped

chow to try to catch a few extra winks and was still

in his bunk when the chow hall took a direct hit.

His luck continued the next day when he and his

crew, one of only two to get into the air that day,

were sent south to search for the Japanese fleet.

"If we had found them that day, just the two aircraft,

I wouldn't be here today to talk about it," he said.

Max Baker was a private, also assigned to the

31st. He recalls an over-eager young noncommissioned

officer, "who had seen too many John

Wayne movies. We went to the armory to get the

bombs and ammunition out, and it was locked. This

NCO said to everyone, 'Stand back, I'm going to

shoot the lock off.' Well, he missed the lock, and the

doors were steel and that lead bullet just fell to the

ground.

"Just about that time, though, the master sergeant

arrived from home with the key, and we were

able to get the ammunition and bombs out," Baker

recalled with a chuckle.

The seasoned NCOs from World War I really

saved a lot of lives that day. They sprang into action,

getting the .30-caliber machine guns into action and

cautioning everyone to avoid bunching up, Baker

said.

Like many on the base that morning, retired Col.

Hugh Mahoney, then a second lieutenant, was on the

flight line waiting for a flight of new B-17Ds to

arrive from Hamilton Field, California.

"After the first attack ended I was mad. I wanted to

fight, so I jumped in with a mixed crew who needed

a navigator, and we launched. Col. Brooke Allen

was at the stick. One other plane joined us," Mahoney said.

They, too, thought the Japanese fleet was to the

south. And it is probably for that reason that Lieutenant

Mahoney survived to navigate "Hell on

Wings" across the Pacific in the ensuing years, and

earn a Silver Star for gallantry in the process.

Sixty-seven years later, the veterans returned to take

part in various remembrance events.

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Who ever had the group before me did a lot already. He/she photocopied all of the GO's for the medals, so that helps a lot! I'm pretty sure the naming on the SS is official. Any comments welcome. Thanks for looking!

 

-Ski

 

Ski I remember looking at this grouping at the show, never bothered to ask price but we got some great early books from the guy at very reasonable prices. From what I was told the previous owner is a dedicated (full time) researcher in the National Archives which would explain the mass of paperwork you got with the grouping!

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Ski I remember looking at this grouping at the show, never bothered to ask price but we got some great early books from the guy at very reasonable prices. From what I was told the previous owner is a dedicated (full time) researcher in the National Archives which would explain the mass of paperwork you got with the grouping!

 

That would definitely explain it. Thanks!

 

-Ski

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