This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Tommy Burgdorf (Birddog), FC2
to remember
Hume, Kenneth Edward, LCDR.
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LCDR Kenneth E. Hume of VF-154, flying F-8D BuNo 148668, was hit while making a ZUNI rocket attack against a AAA site. Although a small fire was visible, Hume decided to try to get to Danang, but within minutes his F-8 suddenly went into a dive and was lost at sea. Although his escort saw the canopy separate before water impact Hume did not eject. His remains were not recoverable.
This Sailor has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
Other Comments:
Name of Award
Distinguished Flying Cross
Years Awarded
1965
Details behind Awards:
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Edward Hume, United States Navy, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving with Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-FOUR (VF-154), in the Republic of Vietnam on 29 March 1965. As an aircraft Section Leader, Lieutenant Commander Hume led his unit in a rocket attack against an enemy military installation of prime importance. The unit made a diving attack in the face of heavy hostile ground fire, scoring direct hits and inflicting severe damage to the objective. After completing his attack, Lieutenant Commander Hume reported a fire in the after section of his aircraft and attempted to save the plane by flying at reduced power to his carrier base. However, control was subsequently lost and his aircraft crashed into the sea. General Orders: All Hands (January 1966) Action Date: March 29, 1965 Service: Navy Rank: Lieutenant Commander Squadron: Fighter Squadron 154 (VF-154) Ship: USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)
Description Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station. Carriers conducting air operations at Yankee Station were said to be "on the line" and statistical summaries were based on days on the line. The name derived from it being the geographic reference point "Y", pronounced "Yankee" in the NATO phonetic alphabet. In turn the term Point Yankee derived from the launch point for "Yankee Team" aerial reconnaissance missions over Laos conducted in 1964. It was located about 190 km due east of Dong Hoi, at 17° 30' N and 108° 30' E.
During the two periods of sustained air operations against North Vietnam (March 2, 1965-October 31, 1968 and March 30, 1972-December 29, 1972) there were normally three carriers on the line, each conducting air operations for twelve hours, then off for twelve hours. One of the carriers would operate from noon to midnight, another from midnight to noon, and one during daylight hours, which gave 24-hour coverage plus additional effort during daylight hours, when sorties were most effective. However at the end of May, 1972, six carriers were for a short period of time on the line at Yankee Station conducting Linebacker strikes.
The first aircraft carrier at Yankee Station was USS Kitty Hawk, which was ordered there in April 1964 for the Yankee Team missions. Kitty Hawk was joined by Ticonderoga in May and Constellation in June, two months prior to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Ticonderoga and Constellation launched the first bombing missions from Yankee Station on August 5, 1964. Constellation was also the last carrier conducting operations at Yankee Station on August 15, 1973. USS Forrestal suffered a major accident while at Yankee Station when a series of fires and explosions on her deck killed 134 men and injured another 161.
A corresponding Dixie Station in the South China Sea off the Mekong Delta was a single carrier point for conducting strikes within South Vietnam from May 15, 1965 to August 3, 1966.
