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Information > Heritage > History Spotlight
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Chief Master Sgt. Duane Hackney
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Chief Master Sgt. Duane Hackney was the first living enlisted recipient of the Air Force Cross during the Vietnam War. The three others before him were awarded the medal posthumously. (U.S. Air Force photo)
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On Sept. 9, 1967, Sgt. Duane D. Hackney, a pararescue man in the Vietnam War, received the Air Force Cross for bravery, thereby becoming the first living enlisted man to receive the award. He placed his own parachute on the rescued pilot after their helicopter was hit by enemy fire. Hackney received the award for his actions, second only to the Medal of Honor. Hackney was the youngest person and the fourth enlisted member to receive the medal.
In June 1965, Duane Hackney graduated from Beecher High School in Flint, Mich. He was president of the senior council. He had lettered in football, baseball and swimming and had received an athletic scholarship offer. He was about to make a momentous decision -- to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. It was the first of several decisions that resulted in him becoming the one of the most decorated Airman in Air Force history.
His second decision was choosing a career field during career counseling sessions at basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He was searching for a career that would not only hold his interest for the next four years, but also fulfill his desire to be of genuine service to the nation and the Air Force. So he chose the shortest line -- the one that led to pararescue and more than 70 individual awards, including the Air Force Cross.
His next important decision was made after graduating from pararescue training. He was an honor graduate in every phase of the tough, year-long course and earned the right to pick his assignment. He turned down Bermuda and England and volunteered for Det. 7, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Da Nang, Vietnam.
His pararescue career began quickly. Three days after reporting for duty, Hackney, now an airman second class, flew his first combat mission. On his 10th mission, in April 1966, he was hit by enemy fire while pulling a wounded Marine pilot aboard his HH-3E Jolly Green Giant. Five times in the months ahead his helicopter was shot down. He earned four distinguished flying crosses and 18 Air Medals for single acts of heroism. Then came Feb. 6, 1967 and the mission that would lead to the second highest award for heroism given by the U.S. Air Force.
That morning he descended from his HH-3E to look for a downed pilot near Mu Gia pass, North Vietnam. He searched for two hours until bad weather forced a return to base. A few hours later, radio contact with the pilot was re-established and another rescue was attempted. This time, the severely wounded pilot was found. The wounded pilot hugged Hackney and said, "You're beautiful."
"Hey man," said Hackney, "I'm not the stewardess."
Hackney carried the pilot back to the helicopter to begin their retreat. They had to hurry because it was rapidly becoming dark. Before they could clear enemy air space, anti-aircraft artillery struck the helicopter, filling the compartment with smoke and fire. Hackney strapped his own parachute on the pilot's back and helped him get out the door. He found a spare, oil-stained parachute just as a second .37-mm antiaircraft shell ripped into the helicopter. Before he could buckle the chute, the Jolly Green Giant's fuel line exploded, blasting Hackney through the door. Holding on to the chute with his arms, he managed to pull the cord before plummeting into the forest 250 feet below. The chute slowed his fall, but he still plunged 80 more feet to a rock ledge.
Severely burned and pierced by shrapnel, Hackney managed to evade capture. When an A-1 Skyraider passed overhead, he fired a flare. A chopper mission was sent in and the rescuer was rescued. When he got back to Da Nang Air Base, he was told that he was the only survivor of the thwarted mission. Four other crew members and the pilot they had gone to save had died.
For giving up his parachute and risking his own life, Hackney received the Air Force Cross. Hackney was presented the medal by Gen. Howell M. Estes Jr., the commander of Military Airlift Command.
Hackney continued his distinguished Air Force career, retiring in 1991 as a chief master sergeant. In 1993, he died of a heart attack in his Pennsylvania home. He was 46 years old.
Sources compiled from "The Shortest Line," by Senior Master Sgt. James A. George, Airman Magazine, and the Enlisted Heritage Research Agency. |
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