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Great Get-Together with Craig Honour and Jack Ensch

ksaliba53

Updated: Jan 19



Captain Craig Honour, J. Keith Saliba, and Captain Jack Ensch
Captain Craig Honour, J. Keith Saliba, and Captain Jack Ensch

Had a great visit with Craig "Tweety" Honour and Jack "Fingers" Ensch the other day. Craig (USS Saratoga/VF-31) and Jack (USS Midway/VF-161) are among many naval aviators featured in my newest book, Crucible 1972: The War for Peace in Vietnam.


Jack "earned" his nickname after severely injuring his thumb during a combat ejection over Hanoi on 25 August 1972. His North Vietnamese captors used his wounded thumb as a torture mechanism until summarily chopping it off with no anesthesia a few days later. Jack would come home during the final Operation Homecoming increment on 29 March 1973. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his service in Vietnam. The Radar Intercept Officer's mutilation at the hands of his captors did not prevent him from going on to become the XO for the Navy's legendary TOPGUN program in January 1974. He retired in 1995.


Craig, a Phantom II driver, flew 154 combat missions over Vietnam before going on to become the Seventh Fleet Chief of Staff and Operations, ultimately retiring a captain in 1998.


Thanks to the Times-Union's Matt Soergel and Cory Perrine for helping get us all together again!


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