Valor Gear

We exist to honor and inspire courageous acts of valor, integrity, and freedom. We are a family business of patriots who love our country, God, active military.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#France #aviation #survivors #Mirage3 Marcel Ferdinand Bloch: A Giant of Aviation
Dassault: The Birth of the Mirage
Marcel Bloch, born to Jewish parents in France in 1892, rose to become a world leader in aviation, especially in France. He attended the same school as Mikhail Gurevich and began his career in World War I by founding a French airplane company. In World War II he was imprisoned for refusing to collaborate with the Nazis, then severely beaten and tortured. He barely survived the war; upon liberation doctors urged him to make final preparations for death. Contrary to their pessimism he recovered, later converted to Catholicism, changed his surname to Dassault, and founded the company known today as Dassault Aviation. From that firm have come some of the most iconic fighter aircraft, including the Dassault Mirage delta-wing series still flying today. Having endured the horrors of Buchenwald, he lived on to shape the world. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#usaf #topgun #redflag #dogfight #pilots
The Red Eagles: 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron
America’s Russian MiG Squadron
The Vietnam War revealed serious gaps in U.S. pilots’ dogfighting skills, leading to hundreds of aircraft lost to Soviet jets. To close that gap, a program was created to acquire Soviet MiGs for realistic training. The pilots who flew them became known as the Red Eagles.
They obtained dozens of MiGs through purchases and loans, yet had no flight manuals, spare parts, or English-language controls—and almost no formal training. Still, they flew mock combat missions to teach American pilots how to defeat Soviet fighters. The effort proved highly successful and contributed to many air-to-air victories in Vietnam. The program ended with the Cold War.
Two 4477th pilots died in MiG accidents while training the next generation of USAF aircrews—not in combat. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

Capt. Munir Redfa and Have Donut
The Mig-21 falls into US hands
In 1966 at the height of the Cold War, Capt. Redfa an Assyrian Christian flying in the Iraqi Air Force defected to the West bringing one of most sought after aircraft into US hands: the Mig-21. State of the art and brand new at the time, the Mig 21 was highly sought after and due to the mistreatment of Capt. Redfa because of his Christian faith, he was convinced by Mossad agents to fly the plane into Israel. Israel soon cut a deal the the US to study the aircraft and Project Have Donut was born: dogfighting of American vs Soviet aircraft to achieve air superiority. Capt. Redfa had one request before defecting and that was that his wife and children would be granted amnesty as well. When they were safe, Redfa flew the Mig-21 to the border of Israel and landed it with fumes in the gas tank. His efforts are memorialized in the 1988 film Steal the Sky. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

The Return of the Quiet Ones: Stealth Helicopters
Operation Neptune Spear
On May 1, 2011 the compound where Bin Ladin was living was silently invaded by two highly modified stealth Blackhawk helicopters. One crashed and was destroyed but the mission was accomplished. A stealth helicopter was also used in Vietnam in 1972 by the CIA when a highly modified Hughes 500P was sent to wire tap North Vietnamese communications. This helo was nearly undetectable (soundwise) and also accomplished its task of stealth operations. The stealth helicopter advances within the US arsenal remain one of the closest guarded secrets, much like the men who are in them. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#MIA #HEROES #PILOTS #HOME 1st Lt. Franklin McKinney: Recently Found After 80 Years
F-5 Lightning Reconnaissance Plane Missing Found in Thailand
When 21 year old McKinney (a member of the Flying Tigers) got into his F-5 (P-38) reconnaissance plane for a spy mission on Japanese forces in Burma, he took off and was never seen again. An Air Force cadet in 2010 picked up the story of McKinney’s disappearance and through years of sweat managed to locate a 96 year old in Thailand who had seen his plane go down in a rice paddy. This led to the discovery of his F-5 in 2026 and his remains which were returned to the United States 82 years later. Valor does not die in obscurity, it is never forgotten. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#IndependenceDay #American
Owen J. Baggett: An American’s American Hero
Shot down a Japanese fighter with his 1911
Happy Independence Day!! And what is more American than celebrating an American hero who used an all American gun: John Browning's 1911. In 1943 while flying a mission in his B-24 Liberator, Owen’s plane was attacked by the impressive Ki-43 Japanese fighter. Damaging his aircraft, Owen and the crew bailed out only to have the Japanese fighters begin shooting his fellow parachuters and killing them. As a Ki-43 grew close to Owen hanging in his parachute, he pulled out his 1911 and shot the pilot dead. The Japanese plane crashed into the jungle below. Captured upon landing, the Japanese were impressed by his feat of arms and threw mini celebration for him as a warrior. He spent the next 2 years in a POW camp and survived the war. This 250th celebration, remind yourself: We are not the descendants of fearful men, but men of honor. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

@BlastingThrough Love it!

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

What an inspired statement!

[SGM Mike Vining @ Blasting Through Official @BlastingThrough]

Mentoring means sharing what you know without bragging about it.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#brave #war #WW2 #heroes Arthur Wermuth: The Ghost of Bataan
One man American Army, killed over 100 Japanese
When a football star from South Dakoda was drafted into WW2 and sent to the Philippines, the Japanese had no idea that their worst nightmare had just arrived. In charge of a Filipino sniper group, he snuck behind enemy lines and started killing Japanese wholesale. He destroyed bridges, wiped out entire platoons of soldiers, was wounded 4 times by being shot, stabbed twice, had his thumb nearly cut off, and finally shot in the lung and hitting his head on a boulder. He survived the war by surviving two prison shipwrecks, prison camps, beatings, and the Bataan Death March. After the war he became a sheriff and arrested L. Ron Hubbard for practicing medicine without a license. This is an extraordinary tale about a man who would not quit even when his body did. Valor is in you. Set it free. (If Hollywood is looking for movie script material, this is it).

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#Americans #Hero #Deltaforce Life Lessons from American Heroes: SGM Mike Vining
SGM Mike Vining, the Delta Force Operator with his own Pokemon card:
“Whether you’re looking to join Delta or seeking success in any life choice, refusing to quit will take you very far. “ The picture is of him completing his Assessment trial after a 40 mile 15.25 hour trek carrying a 58 lbs pack. Check our article on Mike Vining for more information on an extraordinary American. His book “Blasting Through” is coming in August.

Valor is in you. Set it free. Dont give up.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

Neerja Bhanot: The Heroine of Pan Am Flight 73
In a story that reads like a Bollywood thriller, 22-year-old flight attendant Neerja Bhanot became a symbol of courage during the 1986 terrorist hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi.
As four Palestinian terrorists stormed the Boeing 747, they quickly executed an American passenger and hurled his body onto the tarmac. Neerja immediately alerted the crew, enabling many to escape. She chose to stay behind, gathering the passports of 43 American passengers and slipping them down the garbage chute to protect them from execution.
After a grueling 17-hour standoff, the hijackers detonated explosives. Neerja sprang into action, flinging open an emergency exit and guiding passengers to safety. Using her own body as a shield for children, she was spotted by a terrorist and shot in the head at close range.
The terrorists were later killed by Pakistani forces. Neerja sacrificed her life so others could live, proving that true valor places the lives of those in your care above your own.
Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

Beryl Markham: Women’s Aviation Pioneer
In 1936, two men walking across a cold bog in Nova Scotia stumbled upon a bloodied woman in a flight jacket, calmly sipping from the whisky flask she always carried on her belt. It was Beryl Markham. She had just crash-landed her Percival Vega Gull after a harrowing 32-hour solo flight across the Atlantic, forced down when ice clogged her fuel tank vents.
Born in England, she moved to Kenya at age four and quickly stood apart from her peers. She dressed like the local tribesmen, hunted with them, and spoke their language fluently. After working as a horse trainer, she fell in love with flying and became one of Africa’s first bush pilots—making daring medical and postal runs to remote airstrips that barely existed.
Her life was a turbulent blend of triumphs and tragedies. She died in Kenya at 86, living modestly on book royalties. Though less celebrated than some of her contemporaries, Beryl Markham’s courage and determination remain a powerful reminder: those who dare, win.
Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

@MancunianQuiet It seems crazy that they would have an opium farm right outside the base! I'm glad you survived the attack. I did this story because another Harrier pilot I met recently told me about it.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#heroes #harrier #Marines Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible: A Ferocious Harrier Pilot to the End
Defended His Base against RPG Attack with a Pistol
When 15 insurgents dressed as American soldiers infiltrated Camp Bastion Afghanistan in 2012, Raible grabbed his pistol and raced out to defend the camp while directing fellow Marines in a counter attack. A total of 9 Harrier jets were destroyed in the ensuing battle with multiple soldiers wounded. Seeing an insurgent wielding an RPG, Raible and fellow Marines disabled the insurgent causing his RPG to misfire. The resulting explosion killed Raible and Sgt. Bradley Atwell while wounding many others. Christopher Raible’s sacrifice that night resulted in many lives being saved and ultimately showed that whether he flew a Harrier or was on the ground, he was a man to be reckoned with. I met a Harrier pilot recently who suggested I do this story and so in honor of a brave American Patriot: Thank you Christopher Raible for the inspiration you were to other Americans. You are gone from us too soon, but your Valor lives forever. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

Thank you for your input. I had no idea how a small group of Taliban could get into a secure area like that, but I am hesitant to cast blame since I know virtually nothing about the situation. I did read that various people were fired from their positions for the lack of security

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

John Bridge: The Physics Teacher Bomb Disposal Hero
A physics teacher before the war, John Bridge volunteered for bomb disposal and received just one week of training. He was sent to disarm hundreds of unexploded booby-trapped mines across Britain, where he excelled and quickly volunteered for more dangerous work.
In Sicily, he worked days without rest to clear 200 underwater mines from the harbor—one operation requiring 20 hours of nonstop diving. His success led to critical missions on the beaches of Normandy and the bridge at Nijmegen.
Calm, thoughtful, and intelligent, Bridge routinely volunteered for the toughest jobs. His bravery saved countless lives and made him the first person awarded a Bar to the George Cross.
Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

Why was the town of Cincinnati named after this man and what is his connection to America?
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus: A Roman Model of Civic Duty
An Example of Civic Duty Followed By George Washington
In 458 B.C. a Roman legion was trapped by an invading army bent on destruction. Desperate, the Roman Senate called on Lucius Cicinnatus, a former Senator who had resigned due to family problems and age. At 60 years old, Cincinnatus was now a farmer and was plowing his fields when messengers came to him. They asked him to put on his toga and announced that he was now the absolute ruler of Rome. He returned to Rome, gathered an army and defeated the enemy in 16 days, at the end of which he gave up all his absolute power and went back to his farm. This happened again when he was 80 years of age: given absolute power, asked to serve against a rogue conspiracy which he crushed in 21 days. He again gave up his power and died in poverty on his farm, a man once holding the reigns of power over the civilized world.
George Washington, once asked to be America’s king, replied in much the same way as Cincinnatus. The town of Cincinnati is named after this man of civic duty and honor. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#hero Terry P. Richardson: Recent Medal of Honor Recipient
Saved 3 wounded men along with 85 others while wounded
Drafted into the Vietnam War in 1967, Richardson was on patrol when his platoon came under fire from a huge PAVN North Vietnamese force. Richardson dragged 3 wounded men to safety and commanded his men’s defense by directing fire while under heavy fire. He had climbed to a nearby hilltop to call in airstrikes in order to save his men, when he was shot in the leg by a sniper. For seven hours he directed 32 airstrikes and his actions stopped the PAVN advance. He is credited with saving the lives of his men and was recently awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. Pictured is my son-in-law (a local firefighter) with Mr. Richardson who attends his local church. You never know who or what that old guy sitting next to you in church has done, do you? Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

#firemen #firefighters James Davis: The Last Firefighter of WWII
When Quiet Courage and Dependability Save Lives
Born in 1924 and blind in one eye, James Davis expected to be rejected for WWII service. Instead, his wildfire fighting experience got him accepted. He served with the 1024th Army Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany.
On D-Day +1, he fought fires of all kinds—including German incendiary rounds aimed at American artillery—while under constant bombs and bullets. Armed only with water hoses, he and his platoon saved many lives. His limited sight was never an obstacle.
Now 102, he continues to inspire firefighters nationwide with talks on firefighting history, including the ancient Roman Vigiles. Valor is in you. Set it free.

[Valor Gear @Valor_Gear]

The A-10 Warthog—that lovable flying tank from the 1970s—just won’t quit. With Operation Epic Fury underway, dozens of Hogs are overseas again, now pulling double duty: shredding ground targets and blasting Iranian suicide boats and suspicious floating targets like a true maritime menace.
So naturally, the big question is: Will the Navy slap a tailhook on this beast and create the Sea Hog for carrier ops?
It would probably be an engineering nightmare… but yes. Yes, there should absolutely be a Sea Hog. The fleet needs more ugly, gun-slinging chaos