EP-3E crew honored at White
House, given medals for heroism, courage
By Sandra Jontz,
Washington bureau
WASHINGTON — President Bush got his wish.
After spending five minutes Friday morning welcoming to the Oval Office each of the
crewmembers of the U.S. Navy plane downed last month in China, Bush said he was glad to
see one of his requests realized.
Throughout the 11-day standoff in which the Chinese government detained the 24 members
as the two power nations haggled over the word “apology,” Bush said he hoped to
one day welcome the crew to the Oval Office.
He did just that, shaking hands with each of the members as they sauntered one by one
from the Roosevelt Room into the small, historic office, which was cramped with White
House staffers and news media representatives posturing for the best vantage point.
The crew of 22 sailors, one Marine and one Air Force airman beamed as they extended
right hands toward Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney.
“Thank you Mr. President,” some said.
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” others remarked.
But the pleasure was all his, the president said, adding what an honor it was to
welcome the heroes to the White House and give “a tour of this fantastic office, a
shrine to the greatness of America.”
He said the administration continues to jockey with Chinese officials for the EP-3E
Aries II surveillance plane, which remains on Hainan island and has yet to be released to
American control.
“We’re working to get the plane home and making progress about getting the
plane home,” Bush said. “But today, we get to celebrate the fact that the crew
is home, and that’s the most important thing.”
Upon leaving the White House, the EP-3E crew returned to Andrews Air Force Base, Md.,
for Armed Forces Day 2001, and to have Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry H.
Shelton pin medals of valor to their uniforms.
Pilot-turned-overnight-hero, Navy Lt. Shane Osborn, received the revered Distinguished
Flying Cross Medal, given for heroism or extraordinary achievement in flight.
Osborn and Aviation Machinist’s Mate Senior Chief Nicholas Mellos, a flight
engineer and the senior enlisted crewman, received the Meritorious Service Medal.
Mellos and each of the other 22 crewmembers were pinned with the Air Medal award, given
for superb airmanship and courage and for extraordinary performance while engaged in
aerial operations.
During an interview on CNN, Osborn said: “It is great to see the entire crew
honored this way.”
Besides meeting Bush and Cheney earlier in the morning, Osborn said receiving the
medals from Shelton and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was his biggest honor.
The crew arrived at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday, flown in by Osborn himself on
an EP-3 plane similar to the aircraft that was forced to make an emergency landing April 1
on Hainan island after a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter.
It was the first time the entire crew has flown together since arriving in the United
States on Easter weekend.
Osborn, lauded as a hero for successfully landing the heavily damaged plane, will soon
return to his regular duties, which could include flying surveillance and reconnaissance
missions off the coast of China, he said.
“We’ll see [how it goes] when I get out there, but I’m sure it will feel
a little different at first,” he said. “But that’s what we do; that’s
what we get paid to do.
“Anytime you have a fighter off your wingtip, it’s uncomfortable. When you
get intercepted … you deal with it.”
Also during the meeting, Bush briefly strayed from fuzzy sentiments, denouncing the
suicide bombing Friday at an Israeli shopping center that killed seven and injured about
100 others.
“It is essential that the leaders in the Middle East speak up against
violence,” Bush said, his stern voice and demeanor a sharp contrast from the jubilant
statesman of a few moments earlier.
“We must break the cycle of violence in order to begin any meaningful discussions
about any kind of political settlement,” Bush said. “This administration will
continue to work for all the parties involved, reminding folks that violence will not lead
to peace, obviously. I’m concerned anytime anybody is a threat.”
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