More detail on this person: Oliver O'Mara was
born on August 17, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York.
He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the
Army Air Forces on July 24, 1942, and was made a
Flight Officer and awarded his pilot wings on
November 3, 1943. O'Mara served in the Pacific
Theater flying P-51 Mustangs, P-40 Warhawks, and
P-47 Thunderbolts on Saipan and Iwo Jima, from
December 1943 to September 1945. He flew 32
combat missions in the Pacific and went into the
Air Force Reserve after the war. Lt O'Mara was
recalled to active duty on March 14, 1953, and
then went through helicopter training. He flew as
a rescue pilot in Korea from May 1954 to May 1955.
O'Mara next served at Foster AFB, Texas, and then
at Stead AFB, Nevada, from August 1958 to May
1960. From May 1960 to June 1963, O'Mara served
at Yokota AB, Japan. He was then transferred to
Hamilton AFB, California, where he served until
January 1965, when he was stationed at Orlando
AFB, Florida. Maj O'Mara began flying combat
missions in Southeast Asia in July 1966, when he
was stationed with the 38th Aerospace Rescue and
Recovery Squadron at DaNang AB in the Republic
of Vietnam. He transferred with the squadron to
Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, in November 1966,
and left Southeast Asia in June 1967, after having
flown 128 combat missions and rescuing 8 downed
pilots. He was next assigned to the Directorate of
Aircraft and Missile Test at Holloman AFB, New
Mexico, where he served from June 1967 until his
retirement from the Air Force on September 1,
1970. Oliver O'Mara married Ruth Slater on October
3, 1945, and they had two daughters, Peggy and
Susan. LtCol Oliver O'Mara died on July 1, 2008.
His Air Force Cross Citation reads:
The President of the United States takes pleasure
in presenting the Air Force Cross to Oliver E.
O'Mara, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for
extraordinary heroism in connection with military
operations against an opposing armed force while
serving with the 38th Aerospace Rescue and
Recovery Squadron, DaNang Air Base, Vietnam,
SEVENTH Air Force, in action in Southeast Asia on
5 October 1966. On that date, Captain O'Mara,
flying an HH-3E rescue helicopter as Rescue
Commander, voluntarily flew into a known area of
intense hostile activity in an effort to rescue a
downed American pilot. While under intense small
arms and heavy automatic weapons fire, during
which his rescue aircraft received numerous hits,
he made repeated attempts to reach the downed
airman. Only after his aircraft received extensive
damage which rendered it incapable of rescue
operations, did he withdraw from the area;
however, he then directed another helicopter to
the site for a successful pickup, Through his
extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and
aggressiveness in the face of the opposing force,
Captain O'Mara reflected the highest credit upon
himself and the United States Air Force.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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