The Cheney Award is one of the U.S. Air Force’s oldest and rarest honors. Established in 1927, it is presented annually to an Airman who performs an act of valor, extreme fortitude, or self-sacrifice connected with an aircraft. Unlike many military decorations, the Cheney Award is not limited to combat—it recognizes those who risk their own lives to save others, often under the most dangerous circumstances.
One of those recipients was Lt. Col. Kendrick Upton Reeves, a remarkable U.S. Air Force officer whose extraordinary heroism earned him this prestigious award.
On June 1, 1952, while flying near the island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean, Reeves witnessed a British Dakota transport aircraft crash into the sea with 36 people aboard, including women and children.
Despite dangerous conditions and the risk of wrecking his own aircraft, Reeves landed his amphibious SA-16 Albatross in rough seas and spent nearly three hours rescuing survivors from the water. He ultimately saved 35 of the 36 people aboard before a British destroyer arrived on the scene.
For his extraordinary courage and selfless actions, Reeves received the Cheney Award, as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Lt. Col. Reeves served his country for 21 years before his death in 1962 at the age of 46. He is buried in Section 2 at Arlington, just a short walk from grave of the man who presented him his award, General Hoyt Vandenberg.
While decorations like the Medal of Honor are widely known today, awards such as the Cheney Award remind us that extraordinary acts of courage take many forms.
Have you ever heard of the Cheney Award before today?
