Benjamin W. Bowthorpe


Preferred Name: Ben

Nickname/Call Sign:

Date of Birth: October 1, 1934

Highest Military Grade Held: Lieutenant Colonel

Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT

  • Bowthorpe Benjamin Service Era Photo
  • Bowthorpe Benjamin Recent Photo

Biography

“In 1953, when I was 18, been out of high school about six, eight months and I had finished one quarter up at the University and they were just about ready to draft me into the Army, which I didn’t care a whole lot for. So I said “Well, I think
I’ll just join something.” And the Navy was about nine or ten months and the Air Force was about two or three months so I just joined the Air Force.

I was able to get into pilot training because with the beginning of the Cold War they were going to need a bunch of pilots. You used to have to have four years of college or at least two years of college to apply. But then when the Cold War started they lowered the requirements. If you had a high enough grade on your entrance exam in the Air Force and could pass the physicals, you could go to aviation cadet training.”

For the rest of this interview with Ben Bowthorpe by KUED.org, go to https://www.kued.org/sites/default/files/benjamin-bowthorpe.pdf

Units Assigned

  • 1/1954-7/1955 Pilot Training, Cannon AFB, NM
  • Okinawa, Japan
  • F-105 Training, Nellis AFB, NV (F-105)
  • Korat AB, Thailand

Awards & Decorations

  Silver Star

Flight Info

F-100
F-105

Military Education

Civilian Education

Biography

Biography

“In 1953, when I was 18, been out of high school about six, eight months and I had finished one quarter up at the University and they were just about ready to draft me into the Army, which I didn’t care a whole lot for. So I said “Well, I think
I’ll just join something.” And the Navy was about nine or ten months and the Air Force was about two or three months so I just joined the Air Force.

I was able to get into pilot training because with the beginning of the Cold War they were going to need a bunch of pilots. You used to have to have four years of college or at least two years of college to apply. But then when the Cold War started they lowered the requirements. If you had a high enough grade on your entrance exam in the Air Force and could pass the physicals, you could go to aviation cadet training.”

For the rest of this interview with Ben Bowthorpe by KUED.org, go to https://www.kued.org/sites/default/files/benjamin-bowthorpe.pdf

Units - Education - Awards - Flight Info

Units Assigned

  • 1/1954-7/1955 Pilot Training, Cannon AFB, NM
  • Okinawa, Japan
  • F-105 Training, Nellis AFB, NV (F-105)
  • Korat AB, Thailand

Awards & Decorations

  Silver Star

Flight Info

F-100
F-105

Military Education

Civilian Education

Photos