Francis Gary Powers Awarded Silver Star

[rrrr]

Interesting. How are the rudder pedals operated? I'm trying to imagine the cockpit layout.

The rudder pedals are conventionally placed...the ejection seat has attachments for small cables connected to the pilot's feet.

Leg restraints of the spur type are standard. To use them, the crewman dons a set of spur units on each foot, and when seated in the seat connects them to the seat by means of a ball nipple visible in the foot areas of the seat under the seat pan ledge. These restraints are connected to a set of reels at the rear of the seat (on either side) where light tension is maintained by a spring. On ejection, these reels are gas spun to retract the lines, pulling the crewman's feet back against the seat. The cables for these restraints is routed through a set of cutters which are gas actuated at seat separation.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/sr1seat.htm

[Sea Fury]

All credit to Mr. Powers. He was a brave Cold Warrior.

However, he should not have gotten the Silver Star, nor the POW medal, nor any other military medal for one simple reason. He was not in the military and was never a prisioner of war. He joined the Air Force in 1950 and was discharged in 1956. He was a civilian employee of the CIA when he was shot down.

One difference between the USA and the people we defeated in the Cold War is that we don't give military medals to civilians (remember the Soviet dictators, none of whom ever saw combat, with 15 medals on their suit coats? ). The CIA does have its own medal system, which Powers should have received, most probably the Director's Medal.

Powers was already posthumously awarded the Director's Medal during George Tenet's time with the agency (he authorized it.)

Powers' mission was a joint USAF/CIA operation.

[rrrr]

One difference between the USA and the people we defeated in the Cold War is that we don't give military medals to civilians (remember the Soviet dictators, none of whom ever saw combat, with 15 medals on their suit coats? ).

While Soviet leaders did receive medals as civilians, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Andropov all served in combat. Stalin served in the Red Army during the civil war and the 1920 invasion of Poland, the rest served in WWII.

[JMFVET]

While Soviet leaders did receive medals as civilians, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Andropov all served in combat. Stalin served in the Red Army during the civil war and the 1920 invasion of Poland, the rest served in WWII.

I'm pretty sure Gorbichov was the first and only nonveteran leader of the USSR.

[Gomer Simpson]

It took some attachments to fly those U-2 overflights back then. Kinda still does.

Are these planes still in operation? What is the purpose in the age of satellites?

[stnkypete]

Are these planes still in operation? What is the purpose in the age of satellites?

I think NOAA still flies them for atmospheric research, but I do not believe they are used for spying any longer.

[Sea Fury]

I think NOAA still flies them for atmospheric research, but I do not believe they are used for spying any longer.

NASA still flies a couple of U-2R variants known as ER-2s. The Air Force was planning to replace them with Global Hawks, but have reportedly decided to end the Global Hawk procurement program early and keep the already-paid-for U-2 force in service for about another 10 years or so.

[SamC]

While Soviet leaders did receive medals as civilians, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Andropov all served in combat. Stalin served in the Red Army during the civil war and the 1920 invasion of Poland, the rest served in WWII.

Stalin (who was already in his 40s and who had dodged the draft for the Russo-Japanese war) was a "political officer" in the 1920s and his only war role was in executing prisioners and "deserters".

Khruschev was a "political commisar" in charge of executing civilians when the communists invaded Poland. After the Germans double-crossed them, he was a "political officer" in charge of food rationing (systematic starvation of those who disagreed).

Brezhnev was also a "political commisar", in charge of food rationing and investigating loyality.

Andropov was alledgedly a sniper when the communists invaded democratic and neutral Finland for a few months, and spent the rest of the way in central Asia, in charge of death camps.

[StatMan]

It has been said Air Force pilots were discharged for the purpose of absolving the military of involvement in overflights in the event of a shootdown.

Just goes to show what a crock so much of the Cold War was. Sad we were getting people killed for this stuff.

[Sea Fury]

Are these planes still in operation? What is the purpose in the age of satellites?

On-demand intel availability, versatility, and low cost.

Satellites can't be repositioned very easily and are relatively easy to avoid, because once you know the satellite's orbit, you know when it will be able to see you. If you want immediate intel, you get an aircraft of some sort into the area unannounced. The real threat to the U-2, therefore, is drones, but only the Global Hawk is known to have similar range and loiter capabilities. There are only a fixed number of Global Hawks and they might not be able to afford to buy more. The U-2s, meanwhile, are versatile enough to be cheaply and continually updated, and were bought and paid for decades ago. It's sort of like the B-52 in that respect: it's cheaper to keep updating B-52s (the newest of which was bought decades ago and built during the Cuban Missile Crisis) and use them as cruise missile carriers and big conventional bomb dump trucks than it is to design, test, and buy new heavy bombers.