Pfluger Introduces Medal Of Honor Bill for Robert Lodge
Rep. August Pfluger on June 2 introduced legislation that would let officials consider Maj. Robert Lodge for the medal of honor even though the normal deadlines have passed. The bill creates a one-time exception for Lodge's case only.
August Pfluger and Robert Lodge
Pfluger said in a statement that Lodge, flying as a fighter wing weapons officer with access to highly classified intelligence sources and methods, could not fall into enemy hands. He said Lodge made “the ultimate sacrifice, deliberately choosing to ride a crippled aircraft to his death to protect that information.”
Lodge was killed over North Vietnam more than 50 years ago, and Pfluger said he looks forward to working with colleagues in Congress, the president, Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to ensure his heroism is recognized. The measure would not change the rules for other service members.
May 10, 1972 Mission
The case centers on May 10, 1972, during Operation Linebacker, when Lodge was flying an F-4 Phantom and the aircraft was struck in an engagement with enemy forces. His weapons systems officer, then-1st Lt. Roger Locher, ejected and survived. Lodge stayed with the aircraft and was killed when it crashed.
Locher later spent 23 days evading capture before being rescued. The mission sits at the center of the new bill because supporters say Lodge chose not to eject after weighing the risk of capture and the classified material he carried.
Lodge's Military Record
By the time of his death, Lodge had received five Silver Stars, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Purple Heart and 37 Air Medals. Military awards historian Doug Sterner said Lodge was one of only two airmen to receive five Silver Stars.
Pfluger's bill would authorize an exception to the statutory deadlines that normally govern Medal of Honor awards, but only for Lodge's case. That leaves Congress with a narrow question: whether the 1972 actions meet the standard for the nation's highest military decoration when the time limit would otherwise block consideration.
Public attention now turns to whether lawmakers advance the measure and, if they do, whether the exception opens the door to a formal review of Lodge's actions on May 10, 1972.
