Dedication ceremonies honor former Air Commandos Published Oct. 17, 2011 By Raquel Sanchez 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Hurlburt Field celebrated the legacy and contributions of 4 former Air Commandos October 7 during three separate dedication ceremonies. Capt. Carter Harmon, Staff Sergeants Cecil Taylor and Jackie Troglen and Brig. Gen. Benjamin King were honored for their personal sacrifices and contributions to Air Commando history. The first room dedicated, inside the Soundside Club, honored Harman, the first Air Commando to conduct a combat helicopter rescue in American military aviation history. Harmon was a member of the first Air Commando group and one of the first Army helicopter pilots. He flew his YR-4B, the first American military helicopter, from India to a base near Burma where he led four separate trips to rescue one Air Commando and three British soldiers. "The very first helicopters required a lot of work; the fact that he was willing to fly the very first one of those things behind enemy lines was a testament to his courage," said Slife. "He serves as a model to all of us who have grown up flying helicopters." A dual-room dedication at Soundside Club honored Taylor and Troglen for their personal sacrifices as AC-130A Gunship II crewmembers. "Today we honor the core value demonstrated by this crew, a value stated in today's Airman's creed, I will never leave an Airman behind," said Fordyce. "The gunships have always been there, anytime, anyplace." As part of the 16th Special Operations Squadron crew, Taylor and Troglen flew an AC-130A on a mission to engage and interdict truck convoys in Laos when anti-aircraft artillery fire struck their gunship. Having lost all hydraulic pressure, the aircraft commander ordered everyone to evacuate. Because Troglen was injured, he was unable to jump. Vowing to never leave an Airman behind, the crewmembers decided to land the damaged aircraft. Approaching the runway, Taylor moved from Troglen's side to the aircraft's rear where he operated the landing gear manually, said Fordyce. Upon landing, the aircraft skidded off the runway striking a barrier causing it to explode. Taylor and Troglen, paying the ultimate sacrifice, became the first AC-130A Gunship II enlisted crewmembers killed in action during the Vietnam Conflict. Final dedication of the day saw the Hurlburt Commando Auditorium renamed in honor of King, an Air Commando leader whose contributions helped mold the Air Force Special Operations Command into what it is today. King, an experienced fighter pilot, was hand-selected by former Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Curtis LeMay to command the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron from 1961 to 1962, said retired Maj. Gen. Richard Secord. King formed the "Jungle Jim" program, which later became AFSOC, where he trained and organized a volunteer group of men and their obsolete aircraft into a developed flying fighting unit for guerrilla warfare, according to Secord. King was a consummate leader for the initial cadre of Air Commandos upon which the Air Force Special Operations Command was built and has grown to over the past 50 years. Friends, family, community leaders, service members and former Air Commandos gathered at these ceremonies to pay tribute to the contributions made by these four Air Commandos.