Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

USAF Medal of Honor Recipients

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

1. USAF Medal of Honor Recipients Marker

Inscription.

USAF Medal of Honor Recipients. . In memory of USAF Medal of Honor Recipients. World War I. 2d Lt. Erwin R. Bleckley - Oct. 6, 1918, Binarville, France . 2d Lt. Harold E. Goettler - Oct. 6, 1918, Binarville, France . 2d Lt. Frank Luke, Jr. - Sept. 29, 1918, Murvaux, France . Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker - Sept. 25, 1918, Billy, France, World War II. Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania . Maj. Richard I. Bong - Oct. 10-Nov. 15, 1944, Southwest Pacific . Maj. Horace S. Carswell, Jr. - Oct. 26, 1944, South China Sea . Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Castle - Dec. 24, 1944, Liege, Belgium . Maj. Ralph Cheli - Aug. 18, 1943, Wewak, New Guinea . Col. Demas T. Craw - Nov. 8, 1942, Port Lyautey, French Morocco . Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle - Apr. 18, 1942, Tokyo, Japan . SSgt. Henry E. Erwin - Apr. 12, 1945, Koriyama, Japan . 2d Lt. Robert E. Femoyer - Nov. 2, 1944, Merseburg, Germany . 1st Lt. Donald J. Gott - Nov. 9, 1944, Saarbrucken, Germany . Maj. Pierpont M. Hamilton - Nov. 8, 1942, Port Lyautey, French Morocco . Lt. Col. James H. Howard - Jan. 11, 1944, Oschersleben, Germany . 2d Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania . Maj. John L. Jerstad - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania . Col. Leon W. Johnson - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania . Col. John R. Kane - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania . Col. Neel E. Kearby - Oct. 11, 1943, Wewka, New Guinea . 2d Lt. David R. Kingsley - June 23, 1944, Ploesti, Romania . 1st Lt. Raymond L. Knight - Apr. 25, 1945, Po Valley, Italy . 1st Lt. William R. Lawley, Jr. - Feb. 20, 1944, Leipzig, Germany . Capt. Darrell R. Lindsey - Aug. 9, 1944, Pontoise, France . SSgt. Archibald Mathies - Feb. 20, 1944, Leipzig, Germany . 1st Lt. Jack W. Mathis - Mar. 18, 1943, Vegesack, Germany . Maj. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. - Dec. 25-26, 1944, Luzon, P.I. . 2d Lt. William E. Metzger, Jr. - Nov. 9, 1944, Saarbrucken, Germany . 1st Lt. Edward S. Michael - Apr. 11, 1944, Brunswick, Germany . 2d Lt. John C. Morgan - July 28, 1943, Kiel, Germany . Capt. Harl Pease, Jr. - Aug. 7, 1942, Rabaul, New Britain . 1st Lt. Donald D. Pucket - July 9, 1944, Ploesti, Romania . 2d Lt. Joseph R. Sarnoski - June 16, 1943, Buka, Solomon Is. . Maj. William A. Shomo - Jan. 11, 1945, Luzon, P.I. . Sgt. Maynard H. Smith - May 1, 1943, St. Nazaire, France . 2d Lt. Walter E. Truemper - Feb. 20, 1944, Leipzig, Germany . Lt. Col. Leon R. Vance, Jr. - June 5, 1944, Wimereaux, France . TSgt. Forrest L. Vosler - Dec. 20, 1943, Rabaul, New Britain . Brig. Gen. Kenneth N. Walker - Jan. 5, 1943, Rabaul, New Britain . Maj. Raymond H. Wilkins - Nov. 2, 1943, Rabaul, New Britain . Maj. Jay Zeamer, Jr. - June 16, 1943, Buka, Solomon Is., Korea. Maj. George A. Davis, Jr. - Feb. 10, 1952, Sinuiju-Yalu River, N. Korea . Maj. Charles J. Loring, Jr. - Nov. 22, 1952, Sniper Ridge, N. Korea . Maj. Louis J. Sebille - Aug. 5, 1950, Hamch'ang, S. Korea . Capt. John S. Walmsley, Jr. - Sept. 14, 1951, Yangdok, N. Korea, Vietnam. Capt. Steven L. Bennett - June 29, 1972, Quang Tri, S. Vietnam . Col. George E. Day - Conspicuous Gallantry While POW . Maj. Merlyn H. Dethlefesn - Mar. 10, 1967, Thai Nguyen, N. Vietnam . Maj. Bernard F. Fisher - Mar. 10, 1966, A Shau Valley, S. Vietnam . 1st Lt. James P. Fleming - Nov. 26, 1968, Duc Co, S. Vietnam . Lt. Col. Joe M. Jackson - May 12, 1968, Kham Duc, S. Vietnam . Col. William A. Jones, III - Sept. 1, 1968, Dong Hoi, N. Vietnam . A1C John L. Levitow - Feb. 24, 1969, Long Binh, S. Vietnam . Capt. Lance P. Sijan - Conspicuous Gallantry While POW . Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness - Apr. 19, 1967, N. Vietnam . Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks - Feb. 24, 1967, Dalat, S. Vietnam

In memory of
USAF Medal of Honor Recipients
World War I 2d Lt. Erwin R. Bleckley - Oct. 6, 1918, Binarville, France • 2d Lt. Harold E. Goettler - Oct. 6, 1918, Binarville, France • 2d Lt. Frank Luke, Jr. - Sept. 29, 1918, Murvaux, France • Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker - Sept. 25, 1918, Billy, France

World War II Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania • Maj. Richard I. Bong - Oct. 10-Nov. 15, 1944, Southwest Pacific • Maj. Horace S. Carswell, Jr. - Oct. 26, 1944, South China Sea • Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Castle - Dec. 24, 1944, Liege, Belgium • Maj. Ralph Cheli - Aug. 18, 1943, Wewak, New Guinea • Col. Demas T. Craw - Nov. 8, 1942, Port Lyautey, French Morocco • Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle - Apr. 18, 1942, Tokyo, Japan • SSgt. Henry E. Erwin - Apr. 12, 1945, Koriyama, Japan • 2d Lt. Robert E. Femoyer - Nov. 2, 1944, Merseburg, Germany • 1st Lt. Donald J. Gott - Nov. 9, 1944, Saarbrucken, Germany • Maj. Pierpont M. Hamilton - Nov. 8, 1942, Port Lyautey, French Morocco • Lt. Col. James H. Howard - Jan. 11, 1944, Oschersleben, Germany • 2d Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania • Maj. John L. Jerstad - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania • Col. Leon W. Johnson - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania

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• Col. John R. Kane - Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti, Romania • Col. Neel E. Kearby - Oct. 11, 1943, Wewka, New Guinea • 2d Lt. David R. Kingsley - June 23, 1944, Ploesti, Romania • 1st Lt. Raymond L. Knight - Apr. 25, 1945, Po Valley, Italy • 1st Lt. William R. Lawley, Jr. - Feb. 20, 1944, Leipzig, Germany • Capt. Darrell R. Lindsey - Aug. 9, 1944, Pontoise, France • SSgt. Archibald Mathies - Feb. 20, 1944, Leipzig, Germany • 1st Lt. Jack W. Mathis - Mar. 18, 1943, Vegesack, Germany • Maj. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. - Dec. 25-26, 1944, Luzon, P.I. • 2d Lt. William E. Metzger, Jr. - Nov. 9, 1944, Saarbrucken, Germany • 1st Lt. Edward S. Michael - Apr. 11, 1944, Brunswick, Germany • 2d Lt. John C. Morgan - July 28, 1943, Kiel, Germany • Capt. Harl Pease, Jr. - Aug. 7, 1942, Rabaul, New Britain • 1st Lt. Donald D. Pucket - July 9, 1944, Ploesti, Romania • 2d Lt. Joseph R. Sarnoski - June 16, 1943, Buka, Solomon Is. • Maj. William A. Shomo - Jan. 11, 1945, Luzon, P.I. • Sgt. Maynard H. Smith - May 1, 1943, St. Nazaire, France • 2d Lt. Walter E. Truemper - Feb. 20, 1944, Leipzig, Germany • Lt. Col. Leon R. Vance, Jr. - June 5, 1944, Wimereaux, France • TSgt. Forrest L. Vosler - Dec. 20, 1943, Rabaul, New Britain • Brig. Gen. Kenneth N. Walker - Jan. 5, 1943, Rabaul, New Britain • Maj. Raymond H. Wilkins - Nov. 2, 1943, Rabaul, New Britain • Maj. Jay

Guardian Missile image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

2. Guardian Missile

Zeamer, Jr. - June 16, 1943, Buka, Solomon Is.

Korea Maj. George A. Davis, Jr. - Feb. 10, 1952, Sinuiju-Yalu River, N. Korea • Maj. Charles J. Loring, Jr. - Nov. 22, 1952, Sniper Ridge, N. Korea • Maj. Louis J. Sebille - Aug. 5, 1950, Hamch'ang, S. Korea • Capt. John S. Walmsley, Jr. - Sept. 14, 1951, Yangdok, N. Korea

Vietnam Capt. Steven L. Bennett - June 29, 1972, Quang Tri, S. Vietnam • Col. George E. Day - Conspicuous Gallantry While POW • Maj. Merlyn H. Dethlefesn - Mar. 10, 1967, Thai Nguyen, N. Vietnam • Maj. Bernard F. Fisher - Mar. 10, 1966, A Shau Valley, S. Vietnam • 1st Lt. James P. Fleming - Nov. 26, 1968, Duc Co, S. Vietnam • Lt. Col. Joe M. Jackson - May 12, 1968, Kham Duc, S. Vietnam • Col. William A. Jones, III - Sept. 1, 1968, Dong Hoi, N. Vietnam • A1C John L. Levitow - Feb. 24, 1969, Long Binh, S. Vietnam • Capt. Lance P. Sijan - Conspicuous Gallantry While POW • Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness - Apr. 19, 1967, N. Vietnam • Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks - Feb. 24, 1967, Dalat, S. Vietnam

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, Korean • War, Vietnam • War, World I • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1796.

Location.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

3. Guardian Missile

34° 44.599′ N, 120° 31.925′ W. Marker is in Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in Santa Barbara County. Marker is at the intersection of California Avenue and Oregon Avenue, on the right when traveling south on California Avenue. Located inside Vandenberg Space Force Base, only open to those with base access. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lompoc CA 93437, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Vandenberg Air Force Base (within shouting distance of this marker); The Curtis P-40 (approx. 0.4 miles away); Camp Cooke Memorial (approx. half a mile away); 40th Infantry Division Korean War Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Space Launch Complex 10 (approx. 5.4 miles away); Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site (approx. 5.6 miles away); La Purisima Mission (approx. 5.9 miles away); First Successful Cement Job (approx. 7.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Guardian Missle Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

4. Guardian Missle Marker

As we observe this Guardian Missile standing tall and proud, ever watchful, in the midst of our "colors" flying freely, let us be mindful of and remember our valiant and vigilante missileers. They too stand tall and proud, ever watchful in the midst of those noble guardians who protect our precious freedoms, and who preserve for all of us, our democracy and our heritage.

Guardian Missile Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Kindig, October 20, 2010

5. Guardian Missile Marker

Dedicated 14 June 1984 by Major General Jack L. Watkins, Commander 1st Strategic Aerospace Division.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. This page has been viewed 908 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 15, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.