AFA Connect
Maj. Bob Lodge and AFA's Medal of Honor campaign
Understand the Vietnam War pilot's service, AFA's campaign for posthumous recognition, and the official place to check its current status.
Who was Maj. Bob Lodge?
Robert Alfred “Bob” Lodge was a U.S. Air Force F-4 pilot and a 1964 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. AFA's campaign biography reports that he flew 186 combat missions over two tours in Southeast Asia and served with the 555th Fighter Squadron. He was killed on May 10, 1972, during the opening of Operation Linebacker.
Why is AFA campaigning for a Medal of Honor?
AFA recounts that enemy fire disabled Lodge's aircraft north of Hanoi. His weapons officer, Capt. Roger Locher, ejected and survived; Lodge remained with the aircraft. Veterans who served with Lodge have worked for decades to secure posthumous recognition, and AFA now supports their Medal of Honor campaign. This guide describes AFA's account and position; a campaign for an award is not an announcement that the Medal of Honor has been awarded.
How can I check the campaign or take action?
Use AFA's live Bob Lodge page for the current campaign, its background sources, and its tool for contacting a member of Congress. AFA controls that action tool. AFA Connect does not collect ZIP codes or send messages to lawmakers through this guide. The official page reviewed here does not give a current bill number or a decision date, so verify any later legislative action there before referring to it as complete.
Explore the wider history
Our Vietnam War 50th-anniversary guide connects AFA's commemorations, veterans' accounts and archives. The AFA history timeline adds Association context, while our advocacy guide explains AFA's separate current policy priorities. These are different from the Bob Lodge recognition campaign.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 13, 2026 against AFA's Bob Lodge for Medal of Honor campaign page. The official page controls the campaign's current status and action instructions; AFA Connect does not determine military awards or congressional outcomes.