John Kyler Rhoads

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to John Kyler Rhoads (A0-756701), Captain, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Pilot of an RF-80 type aircraft, 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, FIFTH Air Force, in action against enemy forces in the over the Sinuij, Uiju, Sinanju Triangle of North Korea on 27 July 1953. On that date Captain Rhoads volunteered to fly over an extremely dangerous target to obtain photo intelligence of great importance to the United Nations. He was to photograph six airfield in the Sinuiju, Uiju, Sinanju triangle, one of the most heavily defended areas. After he had successfully photographed five of the assigned targets, his aircraft was struck by automatic weapons fire at an altitude of twelve thousand feet. Captain Rhoads’ escort immediately warned him to bail out, since flames were trailing out two hundred feet behind his aircraft. Captain Rhoads ignored this imminent threat to his life, and after cutting off the fuel, attempted an air start. Again his escort warned him to bail out, but Captain Rhoads refused to abandon his aircraft, electing, at great risk to his life to attempt to return to base with the photographs he had taken. Captain Rhoads continued his efforts to start the engine until an explosion in the tail of the aircraft caused it to plummet to earth before he could bail out.