67th Special Operations Squadron - Freedom of Hunstanton
On Saturday 4 October 2014 the 67th Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall will be formally awarded the Freedom of Hunstanton, Norfolk. This will be the first time ever that this ancient honour has been bestowed on a single United States Air Force Squadron. The award is to recognize the heroic rescue conducted during the 1953 East Coast Floods by the Squadron’s predecessors, the 67th Air Rescue Squadron, whilst based at RAF Sculthorpe. The Squadron will march through the town, accompanied by the City of Norwich Pipe Band, and will pause at “The Spinney” at 1200 for the presentation of the Freedom Scroll. The Squadron will then exercise its right of freedom to march through the town and will follow a route along the High Street, turning left into Greevegate, down The Green to the junction with Cliff Parade turning right into Cliff Parade where they will fall out.
At a private ceremony in the Town Hall an additional Freedom Scroll will be presented to the Leming Family to honour the supreme bravery displayed that dreadful night by 22-year-old Airman 2nd Class Reis Leming, an SB-29 Aerial Gunner with the 67th Air Rescue Squadron. Despite being unable to swim, he donned an anti-exposure suit and ventured out into the freezing water, in complete darkness, towing a rubber liferaft. Following three trips into the torrent he had single-handedly rescued 27 people. During the rescues his anti-exposure suit was ripped and holed by underwater obstacles and the suit was steadily filling with icy water. At the end of his third trip,and within sight of dry land, he collapsed with exhaustion and severe hypothermia and had to be rescued himself. Reis subsequently became the first non-Briton to be awarded the George Medal. I am delighted to report that Reis’ Widow Kathy and his Son Michael will be in Hunstanton to accept the Freedom Scroll.
Please take a few minutes to read Reis’ obituary – balls of steel!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9686370/Reis-Leming.html
Amongst the first group of people rescued by Reis were the only complete family to survive the floods - Neil Quincey, his Wife, their two Daughters and infant Son. Neil, Jane and Bill Quincey are a tangible link to that tragic event and will be honoured guests at the ceremony.
As part of the ceremony it is hoped that an MC-130J “Commando II” will conduct a flypast. It must be stressed that this flypast is subject to operational tasking, SAR callout, aircraft serviceability and/or weather.
Come and join us in "Sunny Hunny" for what should be a unique and historic day.