Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks
21st Tactical Air Support Squadron
Photographed by Mark Hilton, November 17, 2016
1. Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks Marker
Inscription.
Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks. 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron. On the evening of 24 February 1967, Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks was flying his 488th combat mission as a Forward Air Controller. While covering South Vietnamese Army Rangers and their American advisors in the O-1E Bird Dog, he discovered a well-concealed enemy force about to ambush lead elements. He radioed a warning and called for tactical air support. With their trap compromised, the enemy launched an assault and trained heavy machine gun fire on Captain Wilbanks. Disregarding the threat, he continued marking targets for helicopter gunships until they were forced to withdraw. Then, with no other option available, and determined to distract the attackers, he flew low over the battlefield while firing a rifle from the window of his aircraft. This courageous action finally disrupted the attack allowing the Rangers to escape. On his final pass, Captain Wilbanks was mortally wounded, and his bullet-riddled aircraft crashed between opposing forces. Captain Wilbanks was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 24 January 1968.
On the evening of 24 February 1967, Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks was flying his 488th combat mission as a Forward Air Controller. While covering South Vietnamese Army Rangers and their American advisors in the O-1E Bird Dog, he discovered a well-concealed enemy force about to ambush lead elements. He radioed a warning and called for tactical air support. With their trap compromised, the enemy launched an assault and trained heavy machine gun fire on Captain Wilbanks. Disregarding the threat, he continued marking targets for helicopter gunships until they were forced to withdraw. Then, with no other option available, and determined to distract the attackers, he flew low over the battlefield while firing a rifle from the window of his aircraft. This courageous action finally disrupted the attack allowing the Rangers to escape. On his final pass, Captain Wilbanks was mortally wounded, and his bullet-riddled aircraft crashed between opposing forces.
Click or scan to see this page online
Captain Wilbanks was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 24 January 1968.
Erected by the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park Council.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • War, Vietnam. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 24, 1968.
Location. 30° 24.931′ N, 86° 42.038′ W. Memorial is in Hurlburt Field, Florida, in Okaloosa County. It can be reached from Independence Road. Located at the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park and access to the base is restricted. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 315 Independence Road, Hurlburt Field FL 32544, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
3. Captain Hilliard A. Willbanks Marker and the O-1E Bird Dog aircraft.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 19, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 19, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 689 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 19, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
