As an ace in both piston-powered aircraft and jets, Wolfgang Späte is a member of a unique group within the fraternity of fighter pilots. He also flew the first combat mission ever in a rocket-powered fighter–which placed him among those who opened the door to...
Brigadier General (ret.) Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier and went on to become one of the most legendary figures in aeronautical history. Born in 1923 in Myra, West Virginia, Yeager joined the US Army Air Corps at...
Lieutenant Colonel Ken Walsh is the top scoring living F4U Corsair ace with 21 air victories and 140 combat missions. “Join the Marines and Learn to Fly” was the poster that prompted Walsh to enlist in the Corps as a private on 15 December 1933. He served...
Reade Tilley is an American ace with seven victories, all of which were scored while flying with the Royal Air Force (RAF). Tilley was born in Clearwater, Florida, where he completed public education. He later attended both the University of St. Petersburg and the...
Leo K. Thorsness flew 92 Republic F-105F “Wild Weasel” missions and was awarded America’s highest military decoration before he was shot down and taken prisoner in North Vietnam. Born in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in 1932, he enlisted in the Air Force in January...
Bernard Adolph Schriever, the father of the Air Force Space and Missile Program, was born in Germany in 1910. At the age of six, Schriever came to the US and settled with his family in New Braunfels, Texas before becoming a naturalized citizen in 1923. He graduated...
US Navy Captain Scott McCuskey is a World War II ace credited with 13 1/2 aerial victories during combat in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and the Philippine Sea. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1915, he attended the Universities of Alabama and Arkansas...
In March 1943, a special Royal Air Force (RAF) unit, 617 Squadron, was created to try a new tactic–low altitude bombing using deep penetration bombs that weighed from 9,500 to 22,000 pounds. Their first targets were three dams in the Ruhr industrial area of...
Colonel Charles H. MacDonald, the USAAF’s third ranking ace in the Pacific Theater during World War II, began his distinguished career as a flying cadet at Randolph Field in 1938. His early assignments included pursuit flying training in the 20th Pursuit Group...
As a Korean War double jet ace, Colonel (ret) James K. Johnson’s career produced many “firsts. ” Graduating from the University of Arizona in 1939, he entered the Army Air Corps and attended pilot training at Randolph and Kelly Fields, receiving his...
The first American to orbit the earth, John Glenn embodies the spirit of a true aerospace pioneer. Graduating from high school in New Concord, Ohio, in 1939, he enrolled in nearby Muskingum College. There he began his aviation career, learning to fly in a Navy program...
Frank K. “Pete” Everest, Jr. is one of an elite group of aerospace pioneers who led the way in establishing the United States Air Force (USAF). Included among his many accolades was the title “Fastest Man Alive,” as Everest was called after...
Captain Joe H. Engle was first selected by Air Command and Staff College’s Gathering of Eagles in 1983 and subsequently honored in 1987, 1989, 1995, 1997, and 2001, respectively. Engle became America’s youngest astronaut on 29 June 1965, at age 32, after...
One of Great Britain’s leading aces, William Dennis David, downed 20 enemy aircraft during the Battles of France and Britain. Commissioned in the Royal Air Force in 1938, the 19-year-old Welshman earned his wings in August. His first post was to Hurricanes with...
Arthur Raymond Brooks is one of the few remaining World War I fighter aces and is credited with six aerial victories. He was born in Framingham, Massachusetts on 1 November 1895. He completed his early public education in Framingham and in 1917 graduated from the...
Charlie Bond overcame many obstacles in his quest to become a military aviator. Born in 1915 and growing up during the 1930s, times were tough for his family and he chose to leave college after 1 year to get a job. His fortunes changed in March 1938 when he entered...
A fighter ace, Australian Andrew William “Nicky” Barr’s exploits during World War II are unique. As a star player on Australia’s 1939 International Rugby Team, he developed the strength and sense of teamwork he would need in combat. While the...
Clarence “Bud” E. Anderson is a true aviator, triple ace, and test pilot. His military career spanned more than thirty years of distinguished service. He accumulated more than 7,000 flying hours, flying in two wars. Born in Oakland, California Bud learned to fly in...
