Appleton native receives prestigious military honor

An Appleton native is awarded one of the nation’s highest military honors. Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class John “Jack” Kelly is presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his role in a dangerous rescue mission. On the night of June 28th of last year, a man fell off a 400-foot cliff along the Rouge River near Detroit. Kelly was lowered from a helicopter on a cable to try and rescue the man. While being hoisted back up, the pair became pinned to a tree. Breaking free caused them to fall another 20-feet–during which time, Kelly maintained his grip on the victim–despite suffering injuries of his own. They struck another tree on the next hoist attempt, but finally made it back into the helicopter–where Kelly began providing medical care to the victim. Kelly’s enlistment has since ended and he has returned to civilian life.