This is the story of the ordeal iceal hambleton, a lt. Iceal gene hambleton bat 21 bravo, who was shot down on april 2, 1972 and evaded capture for 11 12 days behind enemy lines during the vietnam war. The object of their rescue attempt was lieutenant colonel iceal hambleton, whose call sign was bat21. Iceal hambleton, 97867345009, please note that the content of this book primarily. Meanwhile, nva artillery continued to shell south vietnamese positions all along the river. War, vietnam, iceal hambleton bat21 is a 1988 war film directed by peter markle, and adapted from the book by william c anderson, novelist and retired united states air force colonel. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. On his 63rd mission, on april 2, 1972, hambleton was a navigator aboard an eb66c gathering signals intelligence, including identifying enemy antiaircraft radar installations, to enable jamming. He is known for his work on bat21 1988 and dangerous missions 1999. Dressed as fishermen, norris and a south vietnamese commando, nguyen van kiet, took a small wooden boat up the river and recovered hambleton. South vietnamese seal nguyen van kiets courage and cunning got a downed airman past 30,000 nva troops and earned him the u.
Clean hardcover with square binding and sharp corners. After the war, hambleton retired from the air force and concentrated on his main love in life, golf. The rescue of hambleton spawned a book and then a hit movie. He was flying aboard an eb66 leading a b52 bomber strike when his aircraft was struck by a surfacetoair missile. Hambleton name meaning, family history, family crest. Great saves the mosaic reconnaissance photograph was used by the 3rd aerospace rescue recovery group to plan lt. Gene hambleton november 16, 1918 september 19, 2004, ranked lieutenant colonel, was a united states air force navigator and electronic warfare officer who was shot down over south vietnam during the 1972 easter offensive. Bat21 based on the true story of lieutenant colonel iceal e. This incident prompted the largest rescue effort of the vietnam war, a dangerous and costly operation involving u. He was aboard an eb66 aircraft whose call sign was bat 21 30 as the ranking navigatorewo on the aircraft, he was seated immediately behind the pilot. The incident inspired the making of the 1988 film bat 21, which starred actor gene hackman as hambleton. Air force navigator who became the focus of the largest rescue operation for one man in air force history after his plane was shot down behind enemy lines during the vietnam war. Iceal hambleton was born on november 16, 1918 in rossville, illinois, usa as iceal eugene hambleton jr. Bat 21, the 1988 movie of his experience, starred danville native hackman as hambleton.
Iceal hambleton has been in military service for most of his adult life, but he has never seen the face of the enemy. Volume 3 these are the people you will wish you had known. Colonel in the usaf, who was navigator of an eb66 electronic warfare aircraft shot down during the 1972 north vietnam offensive. Air force navigator who became the focus of the largest rescue operation for one man in air force history after. Gene was born on november 16, 1918 in rossville, il, the son of iceal and stella wilbur hambleton. Anderson, and the second, published after considerable classified information was released, the rescue of bat 21 1999 by darrel d. At last, an air force forward air controller was able to pinpoint his location. When his electronic warfare planecall sign bat 21was shot down on 2 april 1972, fiftythreeyearold air force navigator iceal gene hambleton parachuted into the middle of a north vietnamese invasion force and set off the biggest and most. Previous owners blindstamp seal and inked name to front and rear endpapers, no other markings found and otherwise almost like new. Buy the rescue of bat 21 thorndike press large print american history series book online at best prices in india on. The village name comes from the old english elements hamel, which means blunt, flattopped, or crooked, and dun, which means hill. While serving as a navigator during the vietnam war, his plane was shot down. The only survivor, lieutenant colonel iceal hambleton, was a ballistic missile expert with top secret clearance. In fact, the movie bat21 was adapted from william andersons 1983 book.
The story was also told in the books, bat 21 1980, and the rescue of bat 21 1998. Based on recently declassified records, the rescue of bat 21 tells the story of the highly unorthodox operation to rescue gene hambleton, an air force navigator. The only one to eject safely, hambleton landed near a highway junction on a communist supply route. The story was also written in the books, bat 21 1980, and the rescue of bat 21 1998. Gene hambleton november 16, 1918 september 19, 2004, ranked lieutenant. This story details his 2 week long struggle to avoid capture by the vietcong. This third volume of astonishing people has more amazing inventors. At 85, gene hambleton was called to the lords service on september 19, 2004. He married gwendolyn flessner on august 18, 1942 in st. Rescue of bat 21 national museum of the united states. They directed hambleton to play famous holes from air force base courses and a par 3 from augusta national golf club.
He died from cancer on september 19 2004 at age 85. One monday evening, i accidentally found a paperback copy of william c. Iceal gene hambleton 19182004 was one of the most experienced officers in the business, a master of signals intelligence whose capture by the north vietnamese would probably have led to a strategic and propaganda victory not just for them, but also for the soviet agents who were tracking him. The story of hambletons evasion and rescue was told in the 1980 book, bat 21, written by air force colonel william charles anderson. A clean life with a hidden deposit sermon by philip. Lieutenant thomas norris stands in the background at center as lieutenant colonel iceal hambleton on the stretcher, a united states air force navigator and electronic warfare officer who was shot down over south vietnam during the 1972 easter offensive, is taken to a waiting m1 armored personnel carrier to be evacuated. Iceal gene hambleton s electronic warfare plane was shot down, forcing him to parachute into the middle of a north vietnamese invasion force. It also generated much debate, with some people arguing that it was wrong to put the lives of so many at risk for the sake of rescuing one man. When lieutenant colonel iceal gene hambleton was shot down just south of the. Buy the rescue of bat 21 thorndike press large print. Immediately, us army helicopters tried to rescue lt col hambleton. Hambleton, the lone survivor of his aircraft, parachuted into the midst of the nva invasion of the south. Bruce walker, were told to find hideouts along the banks of the cam lo river and await rescue. Based on the true story of lieutenant colonel iceal e.
Iceal hambleton, 97867345009, 67345009,97867345009. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. This bestselling novel was later turned into a film by tristar pictures starring gene hackman and danny glover. Only one crewmember, lt col iceal gene hambleton was able to eject from his stricken aircraft. I remember having seen the movie that was based on this book in the 1980s and ran across this book while browsing here on amazon and bought it. Hambleton was a lieutenant colonel in the united states air force. An avid golfer, it describes how he survived and finally got rescued by transmitting his location by way describing his intentions by comparing to holes at golf courses. Norriss base of operations was an undermanned and exposed bunker on a hill overlooking the river. In one of the most difficult rescues of the war, lt. Hambleton s harrowing ordeal was recounted in the book bat 21 1980, which was made into a movie of the same name in 1988. As it turns out, hambleton s parents lived just nine miles from hackmans parents those years ago in illinois. The incident gave hambleton famous status and led to the making of the 1988 film, bat 21, which starred actor gene hackman as hambleton. Iceal hambleton s electronic surveillance aircraft is shot down by an enemy surfacetoair missile into an area with 30,000 enemy troops.
Air force navigator who became the focus of the largest rescue operation for one man in air force history after his. History world war ii antisubmarine operations in the caribbean. When lieutenant colonel iceal gene hambleton was shot down just south of the dmz on april 2, 1972, he ejected at 31,000 feet and left behind an exploding aircraft and his five fellow crew members. It is thought to derive from the village of hamilton or hameldune near barkby in the county of leicestershire.
Iceal hambleton whose plane was shot down in vietnam. Unsung hero in the amazing rescue of bat 21 bravo historynet. The hambleton family name, was a norman name that came to scotland from england. His personal call sign for the rescue operation was bat 21 bravo. Iceal gene hambleton s real life rescue from behind enemy lines in vietnam. Stephan talty the untold story of the most important rescue mission not just of the vietnam war, but the entire cold war. But the north vietnamese guns drove them off and downed one a uh1 huey, call sign blueghost 39. He died on september 19, 2004 in tucson, arizona, usa. At the time, the largest rescue operation in usaf history. The 23ds first predecessor is the 76th bombardment squadron medium which was activated at salt lake city army air base, utah on 15 january 1941.
Hambleton, usaf by anderson, william c bindingmedia. Iceal eugene hambleton usa veteranbegravningsplatser, 1775 20. Two books were written about the search and rescue operation to bring hambleton out alive. Over the course of the next several days, ten men are killed in rescue efforts. For the 53yearold air force strategist, combat has always been a. Mark clark no relation to the world war ii general and lt. This was the largest rescue operation in usaf history. He retired from the us air force a year following his rescue with 22 years of combined military service. Iceal gene hambleton was recovered from enemy territory after 11 12 days on the ground.
Bat21 crew laid to rest in arlington national cemetery. Hambleton, iceal e, escapes, vietnamese conflict, 19611975 publisher new york. Ltc iceal gene hambleton 19182004 find a grave memorial. Iceal hambleton iceal hambleton biographical summaries of notable people born.
Hambleton, however, remained isolated and injured, with more than 30,000 north vietnamese troops in the area. Hambleton the harrowing experience of being shot down in vietnam and trying to avoid capture, and the thing that makes the book even better is the fact that its true. Hambleton was shot down on easter in 1972 and was the focus of the largest rescue operation in air force history. It was redesignated the 23d antisubmarine squadron heavy on 3 march 1943, and assigned to the 26th antisubmarine wing and moved to imeson field, jacksonville, florida with a. Finally, near the end of his strength, bat 21 bravo reached the song mieu giang on the night of april 11.