The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer honors George Milton Neal (1930 –2016), a Korean War veteran and prisoner of war who received the Navy Cross. George M. Neal (DDG 131) will be the seventh ship of the Flight III series.

 

A native of Springfield, Ohio, Neal was a U.S. Navy aviation machinist’s mate, serving with the 1st Helicopter Utility Squadron, a rescue unit embarked aboard Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney to North Korea in 1951 during the Korean War. On July 3, 1951, Petty Officer 3rd Class Neal volunteered as a crewman to fly in a helicopter deep into North Korean mountains to attempt the rescue of Marine Corps Capt. James Wilkins, who had been shot down and was trapped behind enemy lines. The rescue helicopter was piloted by U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. John Kelvin Koelsch.

 

Overcast weather and approaching darkness prevented protection of the helicopter by friendly fighter aircraft, making the mission extremely hazardous. Neal fearlessly exposed himself to intense enemy gunfire and guided the rescue sling to the downed aviator. As Neal was hoisting him to the helicopter, the enemy fire became so effective that the helicopter was disabled and crashed. Neal then assisted his pilot and the Marine aviator, who was seriously burned, in attempting to escape from the enemy troops. The small party effectively evaded the enemy forces for nine days under the most adverse conditions before being captured and held as a prisoner of war. 

 

Neal earned the U.S. Navy Cross for his actions. His citation stated: “Neal contributed immeasurably to the success of the maneuver by his unflagging physical endurance, courageous persistence and fighting spirit which did much to maintain the morale of his companions. Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class Neal's devotion to duty, to his country, and to his fellow men as well as his outstanding conduct before and after capture and the indomitable courage he displayed at all times were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

 

Neal was eventually released and returned to the U.S. with more than 320 fellow POWs in 1952, including Capt. Wilkins, the downed pilot he set out to rescue. His own pilot, Lt. j.g. Koelsch, did not survive the POW camp and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the first helicopter pilot to be so honored. Neal died on December 1, 2016, and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

 

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy. Guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century