Leo K. Thorsness - Wikipedia

Thanks CW5 Jack Cardwell for honoring Medal of Honor awardee Leo Keith Thorsness who was a colonel in the United States Air Force who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the medal for an air engagement on April 19, 1967. He was shot down two weeks later and spent six years in captivity in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war. After his military service, Thorsness served one term in the Washington State Senate.
Image: Major Leo K. Thorsness and Captain Harold E. Johnson with their Republic F-105F Thunderchief, Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 1967

THORSNESS, LEO K.
Rank: MajorOrganization: U.S. Air Force
Company: 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Born: 14 February 1932, Walnut Grove, Minn.
Departed: Yes (05/02/2017)
Entered Service At: Walnut Grove, MNG.O. Number:
Date of Issue: 10/15/1973 Accredited To: Walnut Grove, MN
Place / Date: Over North Vietnam, 19 April 1967

Medal of Honor Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F- 105 aircraft, Lt. Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles, and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In the attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the 2 crewmembers abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon being advised that 2 helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's position and that there were hostile MlGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted 4 MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MlGs, damaging 1 and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely. Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3433/thorsness-leo-k.php
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CW5 Jack Cardwell A real Officer and a Gentleman. When I met him, he was thanking my twin brother and i for our service in Vietnam. We tried to tell him he had it all wrong; its the other way around Colonel. My twin brother and I with Colonel Thorness in Boston. Its a shame we lost him a couple years ago.

CW5 Jack Cardwell Thank you for the interesting post. Colonel Thorsness earned his Medal of Honor.