They flew for their country,
In the light of freedom's flame;
They flew in a distant land,
In flight, in freedom's name...

They flew up through the air,
Up where our flag doth wave;
They flew to defend from there,
And others from there to save...

But sadly so,
Their Apache aloft was hit,
And badly by foe,
Yet on they flew with it...

In a world torn to mend,
They fought unto the end...
And thus, these ones so brave,
Their valiant lives they gave...

Even if, in days that wait ahead,
Thine eye doth moisten to a tear...
Look up to our nation's honored thread:
Look up, and listen with thine ear...

When the wind doth the flag bestir,
Till it ruffles the stars and stripes we've known,
Remember Keith and Jason who were,
Flying yet, in our banner outblown...      ―John Riedell

      This poetic tribute was written in honor of Apache pilot Chief Warrant Officer Keith Yoakum of Coffee Springs, Alabama, and his pilot gunner, Chief Warrant Officer Jason Defrenn of Barnwell, S.C., who courageously gave their lives for their country in Iraq, on February 2nd, 2007.
      They were ambushed north of Baghdad, fired upon from multiple positions on the ground.  The heavy machine gun attack resulted in the loss of their utility hydraulics, creating an emergency situation where they needed to get their aircraft down and hope for rescue, or try to make it back to base in their crippled craft. 
      The Apache is so tight on space that those who fly them, go up without parachutes.
      Yoakum, the pilot-in-command, did not discuss leaving his wingman whose helicopter was also hit, but wasn't damaged as badly.  He once told a friend he would never leave a man behind.  Instead of seeking safety, Yoakum stayed up to fight, to protect his wingman and to keep coalition forces from being attacked.  He thought there was only a small window left to deal with the ambush group before they departed the scene.   Their presence could place others in harm's way. 
      Yoakum intended to climb to enable them to use their only workable armaments, some 2.75 mm rockets.  I understand to gain altitude Yoakum could manually maneuver the aircraft to overcome the loss of hydraulics, by angling the rotors, dipping the nose and using sheer muscle power.  One time he told a friend if he could keep it aloft, he could fly it.
      Yoakum and Defrenn flew and fought, engaging the foe to the end, when reportedly, a rocket acquired from Iran, brought down their wounded Apache.
      Yoakum, a maintenance man, was in another war zone once, where he worked on an Apache on the ground with a hydraulics problem, while other helicopters circled above, covering him.  That Apache he was able to nurse home, but it wasn't to be this time.
     For their heroic actions beyond the call of duty, it's hoped the army and their nation would bestow upon them the Medal of Honor      ―JR

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