Louis J. Sebille
He rose to the rank of major and posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on August 5, 1950, in South Korea during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.Born in Michigan, Sebille worked as a master of ceremonies in Chicago, Illinois, before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.The 322nd Bombardment Group, the first unit to fly the B-26 Marauder, was sent on its first mission on May 14, a low-altitude attack on an electrical power plant in the Netherlands under the control of Nazi Germany.He held several positions, first as a staff officer with the Ninth United States Air Force headquarters at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss, Texas.[13] However, as soon as UN forces retreated to Pusan Perimeter following the Battle of Taejon, the Naval aircraft were immediately re purposed for close-air support and airstrikes against North Korean ground troops on the front.[15][16] On August 1, Sebille and his squadron moved to Ashiya Air Field and began conducting missions in support of the ground forces in Korea.[9] He and his wingmen, Captain Martin Johnson and Lieutenant Charles Morehouse,[8] approached the village at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,500 m) and spotted a North Korean armored column crossing the river in a shallow area.[7] North Korean flak struck Sebille's F-51 as he turned to make a second run, heavily damaging the aircraft and it began trailing smoke and glycol coolant.In spite of reluctance, Lieutenant Donald Bolt, the squadron's assistant awards officer, forwarded a citation of the event to Washington, D.C., where Sebille would be evaluated for the Medal of Honor.Air Force Chief of Staff General Hoyt Vandenberg presented the medal for him to his widowed wife and their son, who was 19 months old at the time.The ceremony was also attended by his former wingman in Korea, Martin Johnson, who made a speech calling Sebille "a remarkable friend, a fine commander and a very brave man.During an attack on a camouflaged area containing a concentration of enemy troops, artillery, and armored vehicles, Maj. Sebille's F-51 aircraft was severely damaged by antiaircraft fire.Although fully cognizant of the short period he could remain airborne, he deliberately ignored the possibility of survival by abandoning the aircraft or by crash landing, and continued his attack against the enemy forces threatening the security of friendly ground troops.
Harbor Beach, MichiganHamchang-eupUnited States Army Air ForcesUnited States Air ForceService number450th Bombardment Squadron67th Fighter-Bomber SquadronWorld War IIEuropean air campaignKorean WarBattle of Pusan PerimeterBattle of TaeguMedal of HonorDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medalfighter pilotposthumouslySouth KoreaMichiganmaster of ceremoniesChicagoIllinoisU.S. Army Air Corpsattack on Pearl HarborB-26 MarauderEuropecommercial airline pilotcommissionfirst lieutenantP-51 Mustangsclose air supportair strikeNorth KoreanUnited NationsWayne State UniversityDetroit, MichigannightclubsMy Blue HeavenUnited States Army Air CorpsEmpire of Japanflight trainingcommissionedsecond lieutenant322nd Bombardment Group3rd Bombardment WingMacDill FieldFloridaEnglandEuropean theatrepower plantNetherlandsNazi Germanysortieflight leaderoperations officertemporary rankDistinguished Flying CrossesAir Medalsairline pilotstaff officerNinth United States Air ForceBiggs Army AirfieldFort Bliss, TexasP-51 MustangP-80 Shooting Starfighter aircraftjet engineAir Tactical SchoolTyndall FieldClark Air BasePhilippinescommanding officer18th Fighter-Bomber WingFifth United States Air Forceoccupation dutiesQuonset hutsuicide attackNorth Korean ArmyFar East Air ForcesBattle of Taejonclose-air supportairstrikesAshiya Air FieldbridgeheadNaktong RiverEighth United States ArmyT-6 Mosquitoforward air controllerM2 Browning .50 caliber machine gunswingmendive bombarmored carsArmored Personnel CarrierglycolcoolantkamikazeWashington, D.C.Time MagazineUnited States Air Force AcademyHarmon HallUSAF Senior Pilot Badgeoak leaf clusterAir Force Presidential Unit CitationAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medalcampaign starWorld War II Victory MedalArmy of Occupation MedalNational Defense Service MedalKorean Service MedalAir Force Longevity Service AwardRepublic of Korea Presidential Unit CitationUnited Nations Korea MedalRepublic of Korea War Service MedalMarch Air Force BaseRiverside County, CaliforniaAir Force Chief of StaffGeneralHoyt VandenbergVietnam WarList of Medal of Honor recipientsList of Korean War Medal of Honor recipientsGeorge A. Davis, Jr.Charles J. Loring, Jr.John S. Walmsley, Jr.