This is Jockel Podcast number 360 with Dave Burke and me, Jockel Willink. Good evening, Dave. Good evening.

The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Commodation Medal to Lieutenant Thomas Copell for services set forth in the following citation.

For heroic achievement as a pilot of jet aircraft while attached to Fighter Squadron 142 embarked in USS Constellation.

On 14 January 1970, Lieutenant Copell flew the wing aircraft of a two-plane attack mission in Southeast Asia.

Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire in the area, he placed all of his bombs on target resulting in five enemy trucks destroyed, and many secondary explosions and many enemy casualties.

His professional determination in spite of heavy anti-aircraft fire and adverse weather conditions resulted in a substantial damage to the enemy's logistics efforts.

Lieutenant Copell's superb airmanship, courage and devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

The combat distinguishing device is authorized for the Secretary, M.F. Weissner, Vice Admiral, United States Navy.

That is a citation that represents the types of missions that were flown by Navy fighters day after day, night after night, week after week, month after month, year after year.

Those were the type of missions that resulted in solid battle damage to the enemy, but also resulted in 532 aircraft lost in combat, 401 aviators killed, 64 missing, 179 captured, who became prisoners of war.

75 of those aircraft that were shot down were F-4 phantoms.

These missions were flown by pilots who took incredible risks to get the job done, and eventually pilots that rewrote the book on air to air combat and laid the foundation for how fighter pilots are trained to this very day.

It is an honor to have one of these pilots here with us tonight.

In fact, it is from the opening award citation, Tom Copell.

Thanks for coming down.

Appreciate you coming out here.

Anyone know we got Dave.

He's to keep me honest.

He's always excited that a few times I've had some pilots on without having Dave on, he's not happy about it.

We got him here.

Let's just start from the beginning and how you grew up and where you came from.

You were born in Queens.

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