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Joseph McConnell

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Joseph Christopher McConnell Jr. (30 January 1922 – 25 August 1954) was a United States Air Force fighter pilot who was the top American flying ace during the Korean War . A native of Dover, New Hampshire , Captain McConnell was credited with shooting down 16 MiG-15s while flying North American F-86 Sabres . He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross , Silver Star , and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in aerial combat. McConnell was the first American triple jet -on-jet fighter ace and is still the top-scoring American jet ace.

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47-415: Joseph McConnell may refer to: Joseph C. McConnell (1922–1954), United States Air Force pilot Sir Joseph McConnell, 2nd Baronet (1877–1942), Member of Parliament (MP) for Antrim, 1929–1942 Joe McConnell (1939–2018), American sports announcer [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with

94-462: A day. Their amplitude varies between about 0.9 and 3 meters (3.0 and 9.8 ft) at the coast of China. Tides are higher at the Korean Peninsula, typically ranging between 4 and 8 meters (13 and 26 ft) and reaching the maximum in spring. The tidal system rotates in a counterclockwise direction. The speed of the tidal current is generally less than 1.6 km/h (0.99 mph) in the middle of

141-947: A fighter pilot in Korea. McConnell's wife, Pearl "Butch" McConnell, died in 2008 at the age of 86. She never remarried and was buried with Captain McConnell at Victor Valley Memorial Park in Victorville, California . Citation: The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain Joseph McConnell Jr., United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of

188-512: A pipeline exploded at the north-east port of Dalian , causing a wide-scale fire and spreading about 1,500 tonnes of oil over the sea area of 430 km (170 sq mi). The port had been closed and fishing suspended until the end of August. Eight hundred fishing boats and 40 specialized vessels were mobilized to relieve the environmental damage. The Yellow Sea is considered among the most degraded marine areas on earth. Loss of natural coastal habitats due to land reclamation has resulted in

235-641: A warm cyclone current, forming part of the Kuroshio Current , which diverges near the western part of Japan and flows northward into the Yellow Sea at a speed of less than 0.8 km/h (0.50 mph). Southward currents prevail near the sea coast, especially in the winter monsoon period. The water temperature is close to freezing in the northern part in winter, so drift ice patches and continuous ice fields form and hinder navigation between November and March. The water temperature and salinity are homogeneous across

282-544: A year, at the beginning of May and in the middle of June. It had long been celebrated in a local festival called "Jindo Sea Parting Festival", but was largely unknown to the outside world until 1975, when the French ambassador Pierre Randi described the phenomenon in a French newspaper. The sea is rich in seaweed (predominantly kelp , Laminaria japonica ), cephalopods , crustaceans , shellfish , clams , and especially in blue-green algae which bloom in summer and contribute to

329-574: Is a flooded section of continental shelf that formed after the last glacial period (some 10,000 years ago) as sea levels rose 120 m (390 ft) to their current levels. The depth gradually increases from north to south. The sea bottom and shores are dominated by sand and silt brought by the rivers through the Bohai Sea ( Liao River , Yellow River , Hai He ) and the Korea Bay ( Yalu River ). These deposits, together with sand storms are responsible for

376-670: Is called the Bohai Sea (previously Gulf of Zhili / Beizhili ), into which flow some of the most important rivers of northern China , such as the Yellow River (through Shandong province and its capital Jinan ), the Hai River (through Beijing and Tianjin ) and the Liao River (through Liaoning province). The northeastern extension of the Yellow Sea is called the Korea Bay , into which flow

423-479: Is out.Your life always depends on your wingman and his life on you. I may get credit for a MiG, but it's the team that does it, not myself alone. — Joseph C. McConnell, reflecting on his air victories Captain McConnell appeared as a contestant on the 10 February 1954 airing of the comedy quiz program "You Bet Your Life" starring Groucho Marx . McConnell returned to his home in Apple Valley, California , and

470-412: Is relatively low, at 30 ‰ in the north to 33–34‰ in the south, dropping to 26‰ or lower near the river deltas. In the southwest monsoon season (June to August) the increased rainfall and runoff further reduce the salinity of the upper sea layer. Water transparency increases from about 10 meters (33 ft) in the north up to 45 meters (148 ft) in the south. Tides are semidiurnal, i.e. rise twice

517-855: The North Sea , is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula , and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea . It is one of four seas named after color terms (the others being the Black Sea , the Red Sea and the White Sea ), and its name is descriptive of the golden-yellow color of the silt -ridden water discharged from major rivers. The innermost bay of northwestern Yellow Sea

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564-678: The Yalu River , the Chongchon River and the Taedong River . The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Yellow Sea ("Hwang Hai") as follows: The Yellow Sea is separated from the Sea of Japan by the boundary from the southern end of Haenam Peninsula in Jeollanamdo to Jeju Island and divided into the East China Sea by the boundary from the west end of Jeju Island to

611-532: The Yangtze River estuary. The Yellow Sea, excluding the Bohai, extends by about 960 km (600 mi) from north to south and about 700 km (430 mi) from east to west; it has an area of approximately 380,000 km (150,000 sq mi) and a volume of about 17,000 km (4,100 cu mi). Its depth is only 44 m (144 ft) on average, with a maximum of 152 m (499 ft). The sea

658-662: The Army Air Forces after the war and entered pilot training in 1946. McConnell finally achieved his goal of becoming a pilot, receiving his USAF pilot wings on February 25, 1948, at Williams AFB in Arizona . He then served in various fighter squadrons of the USAF. The Korean War began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. As the war continued to spread throughout the Korean peninsula, McConnell sought to become part of it. He

705-501: The Chinese, Korean and Japanese ships for centuries. Especially rich in fish are the bottom layers. About 200 fish species are exploited commercially, especially sea bream , croakers , lizard fishes , prawns , cutlassfish , horse mackerel , squid, eel , filefish , Pacific herring , chub mackerel , flounder and jellyfish. The intensity of fishing has been gradually increasing for China and Korea and decreasing for Japan. For example,

752-679: The MIG that was pursuing his wingman. These victories, in spite of counterattacks by such superior numbers, completely unnerved the enemy to the extent that they withdrew across the Yalu before further attacks could be made. Through his courage, keen flying ability and devotion to duty, Captain McConnell reflected great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Forces, and the United States Air Force. Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea , also known as

799-629: The MiG-15 ambushing the Sabre and manage to damage the Sabre. McConnell reacted quickly and barrel-rolled to the Mig's six and blasted it out of the sky McConnell ejected over the Yellow Sea . He was rescued within minutes by an American helicopter. The next day he returned to the air and shot down another MiG. The final Sabre McConnell flew in combat was an F-86F-1 (serial number 51–2910, buzz number FU-910). This aircraft

846-477: The Soviet Union with support from Japan have been major drivers of population decline. Species that reside in the area today include spotted seals , and cetaceans such as minke whales , killer whales , false killer whales , and finless porpoises , but nonetheless all the remnants of species listed could be in very small numbers. Historically, large whales were very abundant either for summering and wintering in

893-511: The United Nations while serving as a Pilot with the 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, FIFTH Air Force, in action against enemy forces in the Republic of Korea on 18 May 1953. Leading two F-86s on an air superiority mission over North Korea, he sighted a formation of twenty-eight MIG-15 type aircraft. Determined to accomplish his mission and with complete disregard for

940-530: The Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. Declines of biodiversity, fisheries and ecosystem services in the Yellow Sea are widespread. The tidal flats of the Yellow Sea are considered endangered. On 1 November 2018, officials from South Korea's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that "peace zones" had been established by the North and South Korean militaries in the Yellow Sea area that touches

987-524: The Yellow Sea are Incheon , Gunsan and Mokpo , and that for North Korea is Nampho , the outport of Pyongyang . The Bohai Train Ferry provides a shortcut between the Liaodong Peninsula and Shandong . A major naval accident occurred on 24 November 1999 at Yantai , Shandong , China when the 9,000-ton Chinese ferry Dashun caught fire and capsized in rough seas. About 300 people were killed, making it

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1034-568: The Yellow Sea), respectively. Major islands of the sea include Anmado , Baengnyeongdo , Daebudo , Deokjeokdo , Gageodo , Ganghwado , Hauido , Heuksando , Hongdo , Jejudo , Jindo , Muuido , Sido , Silmido , Sindo , Wando , Yeongjongdo and Yeonpyeongdo (all in South Korea). The area has cold, dry winters with strong northernly monsoons blowing from late November to March. Average January temperatures are −10 °C (14 °F) in

1081-455: The Yellow Sea. The southern part of the Yellow Sea, including the entire west coast of Korea , contains a 10 km-wide (6.2 mi) belt of intertidal mudflats , which has the total area of 2,850 km (1,100 sq mi) and is maintained by 4–10 m (13–33 ft). Those flats consist of highly productive sediments with a rich benthic fauna and are of great importance for migratory waders and shorebirds. Surveys show that

1128-635: The Yellow and Bohai Seas. For example, a unique population of resident fin whales and gray whales were historically presented, or possibly hosted some North Pacific right whales and Humpback whales (3 whales including a cow calf pair was observed at Changhai County in 2015 ) year-round other than migrating individuals, and many other migratory species such as Baird's beaked whales . Even blue whales , Japanese sea lions , dugongs (in southern regions only), and leatherback turtles used to breed or migrate into Yellow and Bohai seas. Spotted seals are

1175-495: The area is the single most important site for migratory birds on northward migration in the entire East Asian – Australasian Flyway , with more than 35 species occurring in internationally significant numbers. Two million birds, at minimum, pass through at the time, and about half that number use it on southward migration. About 300,000 migrating birds were transiting annually only through the Saemangeum tidal flat area. This estuary

1222-498: The classification of this ecosystem as endangered . In addition to land reclamation , the Yellow Sea ecosystem is facing several other serious environmental problems. Pollution is widespread and deterioration of pelagic and benthic habitat quality has occurred, and harmful algal blooms frequently occur. Invasion of introduced species are having a detrimental effect on the Yellow Sea environment. There are 25 intentionally introduced species and 9 unintentionally introduced species in

1269-475: The depth. The southern waters are warmer at 6–8 °C (43–46 °F). In spring and summer, the upper layer is warmed up by the sun and diluted by the fresh water from rivers, while the deeper water remains cold and saline. This deep water stagnates and slowly moves south. Commercial bottom-dwelling fishes are found around this mass of water, especially at its southern part. Summer temperatures range between 22 and 28 °C (72 and 82 °F). The average salinity

1316-401: The destruction of more than 60% of tidal wetlands around the Yellow Sea coastline in approximately 50 years. Rapid coastal development for agriculture , aquaculture and industrial development are considered the primary drivers of coastal destruction in the region. This degree of loss of area, widespread pollution, algal blooms and declines of invertebrate and vertebrate fauna have resulted in

1363-400: The nickname of his wife, Pearl "Butch" Brown. His first eight kills were scored in an F-86E-10 (serial number 51–2753, buzz number FU-753). The second Sabre was an F-86F-15 (serial number 51–12971, buzz number FU-971). McConnell shot down a MiG-15 piloted by Soviet ace Semyon Fedorets , however, his Sabre was also badly damaged and was forced to bail out. This dramatic mutual kill started with

1410-428: The north and 3 °C (37 °F) in the south. Summers are wet and warm with frequent typhoons between June and October. Air temperatures range between 10 and 28 °C (50 and 82 °F). The average annual precipitation increases from about 500 mm (20 in) in the north to 1,000 mm (39 in) in the south. Fog is frequent along the coasts, especially in the upwelling cold-water areas. The sea has

1457-466: The numerical odds against him, he immediately attacked. Although under fire himself, he pressed his attack to such extent that he completely disorganized the enemy formation, destroying one of the MIGs and damaging another. Several enemy aircraft were then firing at him but, seeing that the other Sabre in his flight was also being fired upon, he completely ignored enemy cannon fire directed at himself and destroyed

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1504-411: The only resident species of seal in the Yellow Sea. A sanctuary for these seals is situated at Baengnyeongdo , which is also known for its finless porpoises . Great white sharks have also been known to prey on seals in the area. The coasts of the Yellow Sea are very densely populated, at approximately 250 inhabitants per square kilometer (650/sq mi). The sea waters had been used for fishing by

1551-414: The production volumes for China rose from 619,000 tonnes in 1985 to 1,984,400 tonnes in 1996. All species are overfished, however, and while the total catchments are rising, the fish population is continuously declining for most species. Navigation is another traditional activity in the Yellow Sea. The main Chinese ports are Dalian , Tianjin , Qingdao and Qinhuangdao . The major South Korean ports on

1598-476: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_McConnell&oldid=926887597 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Joseph C. McConnell McConnell

1645-514: The sea, but may increase to more than 5.6 km/h (3.5 mph) near the coasts. The fastest tides reaching 20 km/h (12 mph) occur in the Myeongnyang Strait between Jindo Island and the Korean Peninsula. The tide-related sea level variations result in a land pass 2.9 km (1.8 mi) long and 10–40 meters (33–131 ft) wide opening for approximately an hour between Jindo and Modo islands. The event occurs about twice

1692-416: The water color (see image above). For example, the seaweed production in the area was as high as 1.5 million tonnes in 1979 for China alone. The abundance of all these plant and animal species increases toward the south and indicates a high sea productivity, accounting for the diversity of fish species and high fish yield from the sea. Several species of goby new to science have been discovered recently in

1739-557: The worst maritime incident in China. Oil exploration has been successful in the Chinese and North Korean portions of the sea, with the proven and estimated reserves of about 9 and 20 billion tonnes, respectively. However, the study and exploration of the sea is somewhat hindered by insufficient sharing of information between the involved countries. China initiated collaborations with foreign oil companies in 1979, but this initiative declined later. A major oil spill occurred on 16 July 2010 when

1786-468: The yellowish colour of the water referenced in the sea's name. The sea annually receives so much sand and silt from rivers such as the Yellow River , that it actually turns into a golden-yellow colour. The seas surrounding Korea, which occupy a corner of Northeast Asia, border the "island nation" from the east, south, and west. Korea has named these the East Sea, South Sea, and West Sea (officially known as

1833-441: Was assigned to investigate the crash and replicated the malfunction at a much higher altitude. This height advantage allowed him to safely regain control of the aircraft before it hit the desert floor. The 1955 film The McConnell Story , starring Alan Ladd and June Allyson , chronicles his life story. The book Sabre Jet Ace (1959) by Charles Ira Coombs is a fictionalized biography for young readers covering his experiences as

1880-587: Was assigned to the 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea in September 1952. Gifted with exceptional eyesight, McConnell proved to be an aggressive MiG hunter, but he did not shoot down his first enemy aircraft until the following year. He scored all of his victories during a four-month period from 14 January to 18 May 1953. Captain McConnell flew at least three different F-86 Sabres, all named "Beauteous Butch". The name referred to

1927-540: Was born on January 30, 1922, in Dover, New Hampshire . He enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 15, 1940, and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps until entering the Aviation Cadet Program. McConnell entered the U.S. Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet Program in 1943 during World War II . His dream of becoming a pilot was dashed when, instead of being sent to pilot training, he was assigned to navigator training. He

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1974-567: Was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his navigator wings on September 18, 1944. He next completed Consolidated B-24 Liberator training and joined the 448th Bomber Group in England in January 1945. He flew 60 combat missions in Europe as a B-24 Liberator navigator. Research in 2023 by storiesofthe448th.com has showed this figure to be erroneous, the actual figure being much less. He remained in

2021-508: Was however dammed by South Korea in 1991–2006 that resulted in drying off the land. Land reclamation also took 65% of the intertidal area (of China, North Korea and South Korea) between the 1950s and 2002, and as of 2005 there were plans to reclaim a further 45%. Populations of oceanic megafauna , such as marine mammals , sea turtles , and larger fish, have decreased in modern times, not only due to pollution but also due to hunting. Japanese industrial whaling and illegal mass operations by

2068-401: Was repainted following his final mission, with the name being changed to "Beauteous Butch II". McConnell, during his last combat mission on 18 May 1953, destroyed two and damaged one of twenty-eight MiG-15 type aircraft over North Korea, bringing his total victory count to 16 destroyed plus 5 damaged and making him America's first triple jet ace. Immediately after his 16th air victory, McConnell

2115-581: Was sent back to the United States, along with Manuel "Pete" Fernandez , the top Air Force ace (14.5 air victories) of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing . McConnell met with the President at the White House and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for his actions on 18 May 1953, America's second-highest decoration for valor. It's the teamwork out here that counts. The lone wolf stuff

2162-417: Was stationed at George Air Force Base , California where he was assigned to the 445th Fighter Squadron and continued flying F-86s. On 6 August 1953, the people of Apple Valley gave a new home, the "Appreciation House", to Capt. McConnell. The house was completed in 45 hours with all land, material, and labor donated. In 1954, he was temporarily assigned to the service test program for the new F-86H Sabre. This

2209-408: Was the last and most powerful version of the Sabre, and was intended to be a nuclear-capable fighter-bomber. On 25 August 1954, while testing the fifth production F-86H-1-NA (serial number 52-1981) at Edwards Air Force Base , McConnell was killed in a crash near the base following a control malfunction. The cause of the accident was attributed to an incorrectly installed bolt. Then-Major Chuck Yeager

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