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...
On 6 August 1945 the crew of the “Enola Gay” dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk was the navigator on this historic mission. Van Kirk joined the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program in October 1941. On...
A pioneer pilot in the finest sense of the term, Nancy Hopkins Tier not only witnessed aviation’s coming of age; she helped mold it. Born in 1909 in Washington, D.C., into an illustrious family, her relatives included Dr. Johns Hopkins of university fame and...
William W. “Bill” Spruance, a pioneer in the early use of aircraft in the forward air control role, flew 362 missions in the China-India-Burma Theater and continues to be a major force in aviation. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Spruance received his...
Determined to one day “own the sky,” Robert L. Scott, Jr., dreamed of flying from the day he saw his first aircraft. At the age of 12, he attempted to fly a homemade glider from the roof of a three-story house, but cleared only the first tree when the wing...
Japan’s greatest living Ace, Saburo Sakai fought for his country from the war in China in 1938 to the last day of WW II. Fighting in more than 200 engagements, he is credited with 64 aerial victories, and never lost a wingman! Born in 1916 on a small farming...
In 1973, Americans welcomed home their returning Vietnam prisoners of war (POWs). Among those released heroes walked then-Colonel James Robinson “Robbie” Risner. During 33 years of service, he fought in three wars and twice received the Air Force’s...
Theodore Argyres “T. A.” Petras was the first person to aerially explore one of the final frontiers of Earth–Antarctica–taking off and landing where no one had been before. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1929 and served briefly in Haiti...
A triple Ace in the Korean conflict and Hero of the Soviet Union, Evgeny Georgevich Pepelyaev’s natural talent as an aviator was apparent early in his career. He was born 18 March 1918 into the family of a machinist in Bodaybo, Irkutsk, in Eastern Siberia....
General Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton made many contributions to US aviation history, from flying F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam, to being the first African-American Thunderbird pilot, to commanding the Air Education and Training Command. A native of Ridgeland, South...
As one of the US Army’s most decorated pilots in the Vietnam conflict, Hugh Mills flew over 2,000 combat hours and was instrumental in developing many of the Army’s standard air cavalry aero scout tactics. After enlisting in the Army in 1967 as a...
Walter Krupinski, known as “Graf Punski” or “Count Punski” in the Jagdwaffe (fighter-pursuit force), was a swashbuckling fly-boy with a phenomenal record of 197 aerial victories. Krupinski not only never lost a wingman, but also had the ability...
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...
Francis “Gabby” Gabreski, was a member of “The Inner Seven,” an elite group of pilots who achieved the status of “ace ” in both World War II and Korea. Born in Pennsylvania in 1919, he attended Notre Dame University where he learned...
As a young bombardier, Tom Ferebee had no idea his outstanding skills would one day be required for the world’s first atomic bomb drop. Following high school, he set his sights on a professional baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals. After a season...
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...
Eugene A. Cernan left his mark on history during three historic missions in space. Having flown to the moon not once, but twice, he also holds the distinction of being the second American to walk in space and the last human to leave his footprints on the lunar...
Jack Bolt is the only Marine Corps ace of the Korean War, and one of only seven Americans to become an ace in two wars! Born in Laurens, South Carolina in 1921, he studied at the University of Florida for 2 years. In the summer of 1941, he joined the Marine Corps...
A. W. “Bill” Bedford, one of England’s most celebrated test pilots, pioneered the development of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft. A 20-year-old mechanical engineer in 1940, he volunteered for the RAF serving as a fighter pilot....
Lee A. “Buddy” Archer, Jr., is a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, a group of black pilots who compiled an outstanding record of performance during World War II. He was born on 6 September 1919. As a child, Archer developed the passion to become a pilot...
