The Cheney Award is an aviation award presented by the United States Air Force in memory of 1st Lt. William Cheney, who was killed in an air collision over Italy in 1918. It was established in 1927, and is awarded to an airman for an act of valor, extreme fortitude or self-sacrifice in a humanitarian interest, performed in connection with aircraft, but not necessarily of a military nature. The award consists of a certificate, a bronze statue and a $500 honorarium.

Listed below are USAF helicopter personnel

that have been awarded the coveted trophy

IF YOU KNOW OF OTHERS RECEIVING THIS AWARD ALONG WITH MISSION SPECIFICS, LET US KNOW

2004

”During the rescue, Major Groves and his crew continued to fend off enemy attacks.  “It shows that we’ll do whatever it takes to bring our folks home,” Major Groves said.  Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and acting Secretary of the Air Force Pete Geren presented Major Groves with the Cheney medallion. The major was accompanied by several family members.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to give this to you for this act of heroism,” General Moseley told Major Groves. “You represent the finest traditions of this service.”

2003

For the second straight year, Airmen from the 21st Special Operations Squadron at Royal AirForce Mildenhall, England, have earned the Cheney Award for aerial achievement.  Capts. (then 1sLts.) Randell Voas and Craig Prather earned the award for their role in the March 26, 2003, air drop mission of the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade over Bashur in northern Iraq. The mission was the largest combat air drop since the Vietnam War.  “These two took their (MH-53M Pave Low) helicopter from Greece,  flew almost 700 miles to the drop area,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. As part of a 1,000-Soldier airdrop mission, the crew provided on-call fire support, immediate casualty evacuation, triage and recovery for 37 paratroopers. The flight was conducted at maximum wartime weight in deteriorating weather and included three aerial refuelings. “Guys like this think these things are routine, but to those of us who don’t live that life, it is very special indeed,” General Jumper said. “It is a mark of our Air Force that we have officers of this caliber who are.”

2002

“The yacht was somewhere between 450 and 500 nautical miles off the southwest tip of England and had been rolled over by a wave,”Churchhill said.  “On deck, a civilian sailor had been washed overboard and nearly drowned. Beneath the deck, the ship’s cook was buried under various equipment and suffered a broken collarbone, among other injuries. Both sailors appeared to have undetermined head injuries.

”The rescue unit out of Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland, had been notified but was more than 900 nautical miles away. Since the RAF does not maintain aerial refueling helicopters or tankers, the yacht would not be in its range for at least two more days.

“Since the true extent of the injuries was not known, it was imperative that we launch to recover the sailors immediately, knowing that even with our capabilities, we were nearly six hours away,” said the major.

Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force vice chief of staff, gave Churchill and Leroy the award at the Pentagon in August. Secretary of the Air Force James Roche attended.

“Overall, just an awe-inspiring event,” Churchill said. “To be in front of a group of people I have long respected and admired for their own actions in various operations throughout the world and to be recognized in this manner was truly something very special for me. Especially since my mother, wife and children were able to be there.  It was very humbling to realize that, though I was one of 22 men on for that mission on that night, it was the sacrifices of my family during all those long TDYs and all those late training nights that prepared me to be there.”

1961

1st Lt.Wllliam Luther was notified by a county sheriff that a46-year-o1d wornan mountaln climber had fallen 40 feet from a ledge on Mt. Baher and broken her right leg near the hip. She had been lying on the mountain neaxly six hours. Ground rescue teams were standlng by but, because of the rugged terain, rescue would have been an extremely lengthy operation.

Lieutenant Luther, 1st Lt. Robert Michelsen and M/Sgt. Lawrence Seckley, Rescue Technician; took off in an H-43B and flew to an area approximately 75 milesfron the base. After plcking up the woman's son as a guide, they continued onward to the accident site and made several passes to deterrnine if a landing could be accomplished. Since no suitable area was available, it was decided to drop off Sergeant Seckley to render any first aid possible. The woman was on the side of a 60-degree slope in a shallow crevasse under an overhanging rock ledge, a two-inch cable from an old mine was approximately 75-feet over her position.

Lieutenant Luther brought the H-43B to a hover over the snow field near the woman's positlon and Sergeant Seckley junped into the snow from one of the helicopter's bear paws. He immediately began slidlng on the hardcrust, unable to get a foot hold. He slid 70 feet down the mountain whose sides continued downward for another 4,000 feet to the valley floor. Finally he rnanaged to gain a hold, but could maintain his perilous position only by not moving. Lieutenant Michelsen then cllmbed over the left seat to the hoist operator's positon. After several attempts and many tense minutes due to the gusty wind condition and the steep incline, Sergeant Seckley mannaged to catch the swinging hoist lowered to him and was lifted into the helicopter.

After making this hoist pickup, it now seemed there might be a possibility to hover up to the woman and hoist her out. The aircraft was slowly inched higher up the slope into the glacial crevasse with Lieutenant Michelsen clearing Lieutenant Luther on the left as to the nearness to the rock wall and Sergeant Seckley keeplng him clear of the cable overhead. The helicopter was now in a position where it could not be rnaneuvered any higher because of the cable, or brought further forward because of the overhanging cliff. In this position the hoist was approxmately seven feet from the woman's husband, who was with her, and he couldn't reach it.

Sergeant Seckley took a coil of the hoist cable, and climbed onto the bear paw and swung the horse collar forward to the husband. The helicopter was now hovering with the blades approximately 18 to 20 inches above the overhanging cliff and 10 feet from the rock face on the left. Maintaining this hover was very difficult due to the turbulent winds blowing up and across the face of the cliff.  Lieutenant Luther continually went from full left to full right rudder to hold his position at this 5,000-foot elevation.

After some difficulty, the woman was placed in the sling and Lieutenant Michelsen began slowly hoisting her up and out of the crevasse until it was notlced she still had three climbing ropes tied around her waist and secured to the rocks above her.  Unsuccessful attempts were made to attract her husband's attention, but he had begun to climb back up the mountain.   Sergeant Seckley then crouched down on the bear paw and managed to cut the ropes.  After getting her in the door, the chopper was slowly backed out from the cliff and slid under the cable to a clear area where a 180-degree turn could be made.  She was then flown to Paine AFB and a waiting ambulance.

FROM KAMAN ROTOR TIPS AUGUST 1961 COURTESY OF JOHAN RAGAY

FROM KAMAN ROTOR TIPS APRIL 1962 COURTESY OF JOHAN RAGAY

"FREEDOM ISN'T FREE"

~SOMEONE PAYS FOR YOU AND ME~

"HELICOPTERS" - THE ONLY WAY TO FLY

~NEVER FORGOTTEN~