"Lucky" was just a wide-eyed 21-year-old lieutenant when he manned the B-17 controls and took to the sky for his first bombing mission over Nazi Germany.
Hegseth, who recently oversaw the stripping of a base name honoring a Harlem Hellfighter, presented the award to descendants of the Harlem Hellfighters.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of "Beetle Bailey," featuring a reluctant private who still embodies the frustrations and absurdities of military life.