Page 3 - Desert Lightning News So. AZ Edition, June 2 2017

Desert Lightning News June 2, 2017 3 www.aerotechnews.com/davis-monthanafb
A plaque was dedicated May 4 to retired Air Force Lt. Col. Leo Thorsness in the 355th Fighter Wing headquarters building, named Leo K. Thorsness Hall, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Thorsness, 85, one of 14 Vietnam-era Air Force members to receive the Medal of Honor, died May 2 in Jacksonville, Florida.
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Medal of Honor recipient Leo Thorsness, dies
by Senior Airman ChRiS DRzAzgowSki
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness, Medal of Honor recipient, and previous member of the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, died May 2 in a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.
According to Thorsness’ Medal of Honor citation, on April 19, 1967, he was on a surface-to-air missile sup- pression mission in North Vietnam that resulted in one of his wingmen being shot down. After engaging and destroying one MiG-17, Thorsness thwarted an additional attack by four more MiG-17s.
As he and his team returned to base, Thorsness prepared to accept fuel from a tanker in-air. Instead, he directed his fellow wingman, who was running dangerously low on fuel, to fly ahead and refuel first. Upon landing, Thorsness learned that his own fuel tanks were completely empty.
Less than two weeks later, the F-105 pilot was shot down. Thorsness was captured and spent six years at the Hanoi Hilton POW camp.
He was released in 1973 and pre- sented the Medal of Honor from Presi- dent Richard Nixon. His actions of thwarting the attacks of the MiG-17s provided protection to the helicopters tasked to pick up his wingman who was shot down.
The 355th Fighter Wing headquar- ters building at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, home of the 357th Fighter Squadron, was dedicated to Thorsness as Leo K. Thorsness Hall in 1997.
Chapel Services
Catholic
Desert Dove Chapel
Daily Mass: 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday
Saturday Mass: 5 p.m. Sunday Mass: 10 a.m.
Protestant
Sunday services, Hope Chapel
Contemporary Service: 9 a.m.
Gospel Service: 11:30 a.m.
Children’s Church is available
Sunday School: 10 to 11 a.m.
Sunday, “The Loft” Bldg. 3610 (Second Floor
Day Room)
Dorm meal 5 p.m.
For more information, call 520-228-5411
Staff
Publisher ..............................................................Paul Kinison Business manager ...............................................Lisa Kinison Editor .......................................................... Deborah Leuthold Advertising representative ................................Sandi Bueltel Designer ............................................................... Emma Uribe
Printed by Aerotech News and Review, Inc. 877- 247-9288 • www.aerotechnews.com
Aerotech News and Review prepares all editorial content for Desert Lightning News. The editor will edit or rewrite submitted material for clarity, brevity or to conform to the Associated Press Style Guide, local policy and Air Force style as required by Air Force Instruction 35-101. Contributions for Desert Lightning News can be emailed to the editor at Deborah.Leuthold@us.af.mil. Submission deadlines are the 15th day prior to the month of publication. Submissions will be based on space available and priority. Desert Lightning News uses information from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Website, the Armed Forces Information Service, Air Force News Service, Air Combat Command, staff writers and other sources. All advertising is handled by Aerotech News and Review, 456 East Ave. K-4, Suite 8, Lancaster, CA 93535. For business advertising, call 877-247-9288 or email Sandi Bueltel at sbueltel@aerotechnews.com. For classified advertising, email airmanclass@aerotechnews.com. Military members must call the 355th Fight- er Wing Public Affairs Office at 520-228-3406 for all submission requests.
Desert Lightning News is published by Aerotech News and Review, a pri- vate firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under written agree- ment with the 355th Fighter Wing. Contents of Desert Lightning News are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the DLN, DOD, Air Force or Aerotech News and Review. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physi- cal handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the pur- chase, user or patron.
Military has $1.5B impact
on local community
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base mem- bers and military retirees contributed approximately $1.54 billion to and helped create more than 4,100 jobs in the local area, according to D-M’s fiscal 2016 Eco- nomic Impact Analysis released in May.
The EIA informs the community of personnel assigned to or employed at the base; annual payroll of all person- nel; construction expenditures; and an estimated number and dollar value of indirect jobs created by D-M’s presence in the community.
In fiscal 2016, there were 10,235 per- sonnel assigned and employed at D-M, in- cluding 5,743 active-duty military service members, 1,804 Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard and Individual Mobiliza- tion Augmentees, and 2,688 civilians. The combined payroll totaled $579 million.
Of the 5,743 active-duty service mem- bers assigned to D-M, 50 percent live off base. There are 19,523 military retirees residing in the Tucson metropolitan area.
For more information, see the fis- cal 2016 EIA posted on D-M’s website, http://www.dm.af.mil, under “Public Information,” or call Public Affairs at 520-228-3407.
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