Fred ‘Skip’ Mitchell Is This Week’s Hometown Hero!

It’s time once again for our Hometown Hero, brought to you by Batavia Downs Gaming with help from our friends at Jim’s Steakout and WNY Heroes who help us with our nominations every week.  This week, our Hometown Hero from our United States Air National Guard is Fred Skip Mitchell!

Fred joined the New York Air National Guard at Niagara Falls N.Y. in 1965. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX, he was assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX as an Aircraft Maintenance Specialist. His unit was activated in January 1968 the day after North Korea seized the USS Pueblo. His unit trained locally for deployment in about three and half months, then in May of 1968 the aircraft and support personnel were deployed to Viet Nam.
TUY HOA AIR BASE was located along the shores of the South China Sea. The remaining members of his unit were sent to South Korea.
There were 5 squadrons of F-100 Super Sabres (approximately 100 to 110 aircraft in total). Each aircraft flew at least one mission a day and many flew two missions. When he had targets up North either the DMZ or into North Viet Nam it was typically a 3 to 3 1/2 hour mission and in order for his aircraft to return to base they would have to In Flight Refuel.

This week, we say thanks to Viet Nam Veteran Fred (Skip) Mitchell - our Hometown Hero of the week! .

If you would like to nominate your own Hometown Hero, click the button below. We like to honor both active duty and veteran heroes from right here in Western New York.

Thanks once again to Fred (Skip) Mitchell from the Air National Guard, our Hometown Hero of the week!