Black Cats over Kavieng: Honoring Medal of Honor Recipient Nathan Gordon (continued)
The Procedure rescue operations called for the Cats to fly near target areas during air strikes and land in the water to pick up downed crew men. Gordon responded to a crash report and flew into Kavieng Harbor defying close range fire from enemy shore guns to make three separate landings in full view of the Japanese and rescue nine men and several of them injured with his plane dangerously overloaded, he made a brilliant take-off despite poor weather conditions and set a course for base, only to receive the report of yet another group of stranded in a life raft 600 yards from the enemy shore. He promptly turned back and set the plane down under direct fire from the nearest defenses of Kavieng to take aboard six more survivors. For risking his own life four times in a single day to rescue 15 fellow Americans from looming death Gordon received the Medal of Honor.
To learn more about Nathan Gordon and twenty-five other Arkansan Medal of Honor Recipients, view By the President In the Name of Congress: Arkansas' Medal of Honor Recipients.
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