American Valor Quarterly Issue 10 - Summer 2013 | Page 12

Joe Ronnie Hooper Award
For distinguished service in the United States military during the Vietnam War
The most decorated soldier in international combat in American history, Joe Ronnie Hooper, a native South Carolinian, joined the
military when he was 19 years old. He was deployed with the 501st Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, popularly known as
the Delta Raiders in 1966. During his two tours of duty in Vietnam, Hooper killed at least 115 enemy fighters. Hooper earned
37 medals, surpassing both Sergeant Alvin York and Second Lieutenant Audie Murphy, with his citations including two Silver
Stars, six Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage on February 21, 1968 in the
battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive. Among his many acts of valor that day, he is credited with single-handedly destroying three
enemy bunkers, eliminating the enemy in four more with grenades and killing additional enemy soldiers with his rifle and bayonet.
He accomplished these feats while he was wounded, refusing medical help until his line was restored. Hooper retired as a captain in
1972 at the age of 34, one of America’s great heroes of Vietnam.
Previous Recipients: 2011 - Brian Thacker 2010 - Colonel Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum 2009 - Colonel Roger H.C. Donlon;
2008 - Colonel Walter J. Marm 2007 - Lt. General Harold G. Moore, Jr. 2006 - Colonel George “Bud” Day

Brigadier General R. Steve Ritchie
United States Air Force (Ret)
From his earliest days, Richard Stephen Ritchie demonstrated that he had the right stuff to become a successful
fighter pilot.
At Reidsville High School in his home state of North Carolina, Ritchie became a star both in the classroom and on
the football field as a quarterback. After breaking his leg twice and being told he may not walk again, a determined
young Ritchie not only walked, but rejoined his teammates on the football field.
He continued playing football at the Air Force Academy as a “walk on” before becoming starting halfback for the
Falcons in 1962 and 1963, finishing his football career at the 1963 Gator Bowl.
Ritchie graduated from the Academy in 1964 and finished first in his class in pilot training at Laredo Air Force Base.
He quickly gained a reputation as a brilliant pilot, earning the admiration of the legendary Robin Olds. He displayed
a brash confidence in the air – and in the locker room – making him the original “Maverick.”
Steve Ritchie’s work ethic was unparalleled, as he dedicated himself to flying every 2 or 3 days, making sure he had complete understanding of
all weapons systems, earning him consistently high performance evaluations.
During his first tour in Vietnam, in 1968, Ritchie flew the “Fast FAC” mission in the F-4 forward air controller program, proving instrumental
in the success of the program, and flying a total of 195 combat missions. He returned to the States the following year, earning a spot in the
Fighter Weapons Course at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and, at age 26, becoming the school’s youngest-ever instructor.
In 1972, Ritchie volunteered for a second tour in Southeast Asia, flying the F-4D with the famous 555th “Triple Nickel” Tactical Fighter
Squadron. It was during this tour that he would make Air Force history. In May, 1972, during Operation Linebacker, Ritchie shot down his first
two enemy MiG fighters. Two months later, he would knock out two more, giving him a total of four kills.
On August 28, 1972, Ritchie was leading a strike north of Hanoi when he received radar reports of MiGs closing fast. Choosing to engage, and
with continuous range updates from his Weapons Systems Officer Captain Charles DeBellevue, Ritchie trailed two of the enemy fighters. His
Phantom barely able to close on his targets, Ritchie launched his missiles from more than four miles out, knocking out one of the fighters – his
fifth kill, making him an “Ace.” Low on fuel, he was forced to give up pursuit on the second MiG 21.
Steve Ritchie would become the Air Force’s only “Ace” pilot of the Vietnam War, ending his service with 339 combat missions. He was decorated
with the Air Force Cross, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Silver Stars, and 25 Air Medals. He would retire a Brigadier General from the Air
Force Reserve in 1999, and participates in air shows to this day. He is among the American Veterans Center’s earliest and most loyal friends and
supporters.
For his dedication to the United States Air Force, for his valor in the skies over Vietnam, and for his dedication to training tomorrow’s military
leaders, the American Veterans Center is proud to name Brigadier General R. Steve Ritchie the 2012 recipient of the Joe Ronnie Hooper Award.