Col. Kevin Gilroy 4JUN36-13NOV13
On 13 November 2013, Kevin "Mike" Gilroy completed his final flight from this earth, ascending on Wings of Angels into the welcoming arms of his Lord.
In 1965, the Air Force, now heavily engaged in the Vietnam War, recognized the need to develop a means to seek out and destroy enemy surface to air missile systems (SAMS), which were wreaking havoc among the Fighter and Bomber strike packages destined for targets in North Vietnam. Thus, a new mission for the two seat version of the F-105 Thunderchief, coined "Wild Weasel," was born. Mike volunteered to become a member of the initial F-105 EWO cadre, and was deployed to Vietnam in May 1966. When he arrived in theater, he attacked the problem of poorly maintained electronic combat systems, and lack of effective tactics, with a vengeance. In the unforgiving arena of combat, he devised revolutionary new ways to employ the electronic countermeasures and weapon targeting systems. Between combat missions, he worked with maintenance to increase the reliability of these systems, and perhaps most significantly, shared his knowledge and lessons learned with his fellow crews. The results were astounding, and led to dramatic improvements in the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing's ability to consistently acquire, target, and destroy SAM systems. This, in turn, significantly improved the ability of strike packages to reach and destroy their targets – a strategic tipping point in the Vietnam War. During his 8-month tour of duty in Vietnam, Mike was awarded eleven Air Medals, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Silver Star, and the Air Force Cross. The sheer magnitude of his impact on the success of his unit, the Air Force, and ultimately the Nation in the context of altering the course of the Vietnam War, is difficult to quantify in words.
http://www.crofts-crowfuneralhome.com/o ... --96698911
