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Last Update: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

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The Silver Star Awarded 34 years Late to Two USAF Fire Fighters

To: Hq AFPC/DPPPRA February 1, 1997

I recommend A1C Martin P. Jester for the award of the Silver Star

Shortly after midnight on November 1, 1964, enemy forces initiated a devastating attack on Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam. Upon hearing the incoming mortar, A1C Jester unhesitatingly led a small group of firefighters from their off duty huts through gun fire and explosions, towards the flight line and burning aircraft.
Arriving at the burning flight line, he found that the fire station, and several fire trucks parked adjacent to the station had been damaged by the heavy mortar barrage and ground fire. Airman Jester also realized that on duty firefighters had abandoned the fire station and evacuated back to the cantonment area in search of shelter from exploding aircraft loaded with fuel, bombs, 2.75 rockets, and incoming mortars.

Despite the chaos and multiple unexploded mortar shells sticking out of the ground around the fire station, Airman Jester assembled a small team of firefighters and directed them to man the fire trucks that were not severely damaged. Instructions given were to get out on the flight line and extinguish as many fires as they could until additional help arrives.

With disregard for his personal safety, Airman Jester jumped into an 0-11A fire truck with another firefighter and a armed U.S. Army soldier acting as a door gunner in the rear crew compartment. They responded through heavy mortar, and ground fire, to try and save a HH-43B Rescue Helicopter that began to burn when the ground power unit hooked directly to it sustained a direct mortar hit and began to burn.

Once the flames were extinguished from the damaged helicopter, Airman Jester drove across the taxiway to the alert aircraft parking ramp, where numerous aircraft were on fire, exploding, and burning out of control. While still under heavy mortar and ground fire, Airman Jester drove his fire truck up to a burning B-57 Bomber, directed foam from the turrets and extinguished the fire on one of the burning wings. A large burning fuel spill under the aircraft was also extinguished, preventing further damage, and the possibility of fuel tanks and munitions from exploding.

About the same time another explosion occurred behind the fire truck and a B-57 on the next row received a direct hit and was totally destroyed. The back of the fire truck also sustained damage by shrapnel.
Airman Jester and his crew once again repositioned at another burning B-57 bomber loaded with fuel and bombs and extinguished a running fuel fire spreading towards stock piles of bombs and fuel bladders between the aircraft. Without his protective fire suit, he advanced a hand line disregarding the exploding munitions and extinguished the fire in the aircraft.

After determining that the bombs were still hot from the fire, and extinguishing agent had been depleted, and the fire was extinguished, Airman Jester withdrew his vehicle and told other personnel in the area to do the same for safety.

Throughout the rest of the night, the enemy withdrew, Airman Jester and his crew continued to extinguish smaller fires using portable fire extinguishers and conduct search and rescue operations. He used rags and strips of his uniform to plug leaking fuel tanks on battle damaged aircraft preventing further disaster.
The heroic fire fighting actions performed beyond the call of duty by Airman Jester is a credit to himself and the United States Air Force.

William E. Bethea
Colonel, USAF(Retired)
Citation to Accompany the Award:
The Air Force Silver Star

To Martin P. Jester

Airman First Class Martin P. Jester distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States at Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam on November 1, 1964. On that date while off duty, Airman Jester was awaken by the sounds of a devastating mortar attack that struck the base shortly after midnight. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Airman Jester responded to the fire station through small arms fire, exploding mortars and ammunition, and initiated and sustained fire fighting and rescue operations on the burning flight line. While under enemy fire, Airman Jester was able to prevent additional damage and loss of life by successfully extinguishing fires on a HH-43B Helicopter, burning B-57 Fighter Bombers, and A1H fighter aircraft loaded with bombs and fuel. By his gallantry and devotion to duty Airman Jester has reflected credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
 

To Hq AFPC/DPPPRA February 1, 1997

I recommend A2C Eugene J. Traczyk Jr., the award of the Silver Star.

Shortly after midnight on November 1, 1964, enemy forces initiated a devastating attack on Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam. Upon being woken and stunned by the incoming mortar explosions and ground fire, Airman Traczyk grabbed his AR-15 and immediately responded from his hut with another off duty firefighter to the burning flight line through ground fire and a barrage of mortar explosions.

Upon arriving at the damaged and abandoned Fire Station and without regard for his personal safety Airman Traczyk jumped on to a partially damaged fire truck with another firefighter and responded to the flight line where aircraft were burning and exploding due to incoming mortar fire.

Airman Traczyk started the pumps on his 0-11A fire truck and proceeded to the HH-43B Helicopter location in efforts to stop the spread of fire from the attached ground power unit hit by mortar. Extinguishing the fire, Airman Traczyk then proceeded with his vehicle to the B-67 bomber parking ramp where several aircraft loaded with bombs and fuel continued to explode and burn out of control.

Airman Traczyk successfully extinguished a fire on one wing of a B-57 utilizing foam through the turrets of the crash truck. A fuel fire under the aircraft was also extinguished. Another B-57 bomber sustained a direct hit and Airman Traczyk deployed a hand line and fought the fire to no avail.

Running low on foam and fire extinguishing agent, after efforts to keep fires from reaching bombs and fuel bladders between the aircraft, Airman Traczyk and his crew evacuated the area, serviced the fire trucks with water and foam, and began search and rescue operations. Airman Traczyk and his crew continued to extinguish smaller fires with portable fire extinguisher. During the night after the mortar attack had subsided, he and other firefighters utilized bayonets to force portions of their fatigues and T-shirts into leaking fuel tanks to temporarily plug the leak.

The heroic fire fighting actions performed beyond the call of duty by Airman Traczyk is a credit to himself and the United States Air Force.

William E. Bethea
Colonel, USAF Retired
Citation to Accompany the Award
The Air Force Silver Star
 

To Eugene J. Traczyk, Jr.

Airman Second Class Eugene J. Traczyk Jr distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States. At Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam on November 1, 1964. On that date while off duty, Airman Traczyk was awaken by the sounds of a devastating mortar attack that struck the base shortly after midnight. With complete disregard for his personal safety, airman Traczyk responded to the fire station through small arms fire, exploding mortars and ammunition, and initiated and sustained fire fighting and rescue operations on the burning flight line. Airman Traczyk was able o to prevent additional damage and loss of life by successfully extinguishing fires during the enemy attack on burning B-57 bombers, A1H fighters bombers loaded with bombs and fuel, and a HH-43B helicopter. By his gallantry and devotion to duty Airman Traczyk has reflected credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.