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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 485

A fine Vietnam United States D.F.C., Air Medal group of eight awarded to Major J. R. Exon, United States Air Force, who piloted Cessna 0-2A 'Skymaster' aircraft on highly dangerous target marking missions, in addition to co-ordinating air strikes and reporting target damage

United States of America: Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Medal, with 2 'silver' clusters; Meritorious Service Medal; Air Force Military Merit Medal; Air Force Combat Readiness Medal; National Defense Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; South Korea, Vietnam Campaign Star, clasp, 1960-, together with embroidered uniform unit flashes (6), including those for '20 TASS' and '27 TASS', good very fine (14)

D.F.C.: 'For extraordinary achievement in aerial flight on 31 August 1971.'

Air Medal: 'For meritorious achievement in aerial flight in the period 17 August 1970 to 13 June 1971'.

Jack Richard Exon was born in San Angelo, Texas on 3 April 1946, the son of Brigadier-General Arthur E. Exon, a much-decorated U.S.A.F. officer who had returned from captivity in Germany in the previous year.

Young Jack was educated at the General H. H. Arnold High School and Wiesbaden High School in Germany, where his father served as Chief of Ballistic Missiles, followed by attendance at Middletown Area High School in Pennsylvania, where he was keen on sports and a 'genius in physics'.

On graduation he followed in his father's footsteps, joining the U.S.A.F. and qualifying as a pilot. And he served as a Forward Air Controller in 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron (T.A.S.S.) in Vietnam in 1970-71, piloting Cessna 0-2a 'Skymaster' aircraft out of Da Nang and assorted forward observation bases. With a maximum speed of just 199 m.p.h. and a service ceiling of just 19,300 feet, the Skymaster was susceptible to enemy MiG fighters, so Exon's multiple excursions in the August 1970 to June 1971 were of a highly perilous nature.

Exon was further entitled to 2 clusters on his Meritorious Service Medal and four 'stars' on his Vietnam Medal, the latter suggesting he extended his tour. Be that as it may, he was placed on the Retired List as a Major and died in Los Angeles, California in March 1997.

Sold with his original D.F.C. and Air Medal (First Thru' Tenth Oak Leaf Cluster) certificates of award, the former dated 21July 1971 and the latter 29 August 1971; together with his U.S.A.F. Certificate of Training for 'Special Ops. Training Course, 0-2A Pilot, 144104', this dated 11 June 1970.

For the Medals of his father, please see Lot 331.


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Estimate
£180 to £220

Starting price
£140