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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Robert H. Linn

As a member of Air Group 16 attached to the USS LEXINGTON, he piloted the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber during the Pacific campaign, 1943-1944. Intercepted by two enemy fighters at Truk Island while preparing to make a lone bombing run, he fearlessly attacked one, critically damaged it with accurate machine gun fire, and then successfully evaded runs made by the other hostile craft. By his expert airmanship, indomitable fighting spirit, and cool courage in the face of terrific opposition, Lieutenant Linn received the Air Medal.

As Executive Officer of the Naval Scouting Squadron, VS-651, an antisubmarine unit, training out of Akron, NAS, Lieutenant Linn led 3-plane flights over various types of terrain. On the morning of 8 July 1951, during a routine training flight, his SN-J Texan Trainer's single engine died a mile north of the Akron Airport. By his split second decision to maneuver his crippled plane into a thicket of trees, thus avoiding a congested neighborhood, he jeopardized his own life in order to save countless others. Because of his cool courage in the face of extremely limited options and his unwavering devotion to duty throughout, Lieutenant Linn received the Navy Medal.