Photo By Master Sgt. E. Taylor Worley | A memorial plaque was unveiled during the tower dedication ceremony in honor of Lt....... read more read more
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Three generations of family, friends and members of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam community gathered to honor and remember U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Gordon A. Blake during a tower dedication ceremony Dec. 5, 2016.
Blake, then a Major in the Army Air Corps, was stationed at Hickam Field as the base operations officer during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and Oahu.
Blake was on the Hickam flight line when Japanese aircraft began their surprise attack on the field and without consideration for his own personal safety he proceeded to the control tower where he personally directed the landing of 12 unarmed returning B-17 Stratofortresses to five separate air strips across Oahu. His courage and knowledge were instrumental is the safe landing of the aircraft amid the attack.
For his courage and dedication to the safety of the aircraft and fellow Airmen, Blake received the Silver Star.
Now, 75 years later, he is being honored again for his bravery that fateful day as Airmen unveiled a plaque detailing Blake's actions.
With a speech and memories shared by retired Col. Robert Blake, Blake’s youngest son, and a Hawaiian prayer and blessing, the aircraft control tower at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam was dedicated in honor of Lt. Gen. Blake.
“[This is] an enormous tribute to an unbelievable man” said retired Colonel Blake, “what a sterling career he had and brought up his family in those [same] kind of values.”
The ceremony concluded with a performance by the USO Show Troupe and tours of the tower for attendees.
The event was part of an island-wide joint commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Oahu. For more information on upcoming 75th Commemoration of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and Oahu events visit: https://pearlharbor75thanniversary.com/full-schedule-of-events/island-wide.
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2016 20:29 |
| Story ID: | 216630 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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