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This Day in History – June 10, 1969 – The X-15 gets a place in history

10 June 1969: The U.S. Air Force donated the first North American Aviation X-15, serial number 56-6670, to the Smithsonian Institution for display at the National Air and Space Museum. The first of three X-15A hypersonic research rocketplanes built by North American for the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee (NACA, the predecessor of NASA), 56-6670 made the first glide flight and

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Buttelmann, Henry

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  • Buttelmann, Henry

Henry Buttelman

Preferred Name: Hank
Date of Birth: June 26, 1929
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Corona, NY
Headed West Date: September 16, 2019
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West
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“The key to a fighter pilot’s success is that there has to be “no second thought when you see an enemy plane, and you’ve got to immediately engage.”

Korean War ace Lieutenant Henry Buttelman was born in Corona, New York on June 26, 1929. After serving two years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and two years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he entered the Air Force pilot training program of class 52-E and graduated as a second lieutenant on Aug. 2, 1952.

After completing three months of advanced gunnery training at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, he was shipped out to Korea in December 1952 to serve with the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, equipped with the F-86 Sabrejet. The Korean War was winding down and on June 19th on his 55th combat mission and his first mission as an element leader he scored his first aerial victory — a MIG -15.

Eleven days later, however, he became the youngest Korean ace at age 24 when he downed his fifth MIG on June 30th. He shot down two more in July to bring his total to seven, just before the cessation of hostilities on July 27, 1953. He logged 65 combat missions during this tour.

Following the outbreak of the Vietnam War, Major Buttelmann left McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas in April 1965 for four months of temporary duty at Takhli Air Base Thailand where he flew 46 combat missions in the F-105 with the 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. He returned for a second tour of duty in May 1969 to fly the F-100s as commander of the Misty Forward Air Controllers and the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He logged 232 combat missions in his 12-month tour.

Lt. Col. Buttelmann retired from active duty in Oct. 1979 with 27 years of active duty. (1)

For more on Hank Buttelmann see: http://wingsmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Lt.Col_.-Henry-Buttelmann.pdf
Source: https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/henry-buttelmann

Units Assigned

  • 1946-1948 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
  • 1948-1950 USAF Reserve
  • 1950-8/2/1952 Pilot Training, Class 52-E, commissioned second lieutenant, Greenwich AFB, CT
  • 8/1952-11/1952 Advanced gunnery training, Nellis AFB, NV
  • 12/1952 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron/51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Suwon AB, Korea (F-86)
  • 6/1953 19th 55th combat mission, 1st mission as an element leader, first aerial victory – a MIG -15
  • 6/30/1953 Eleven days later, became the youngest Korean ace at age 24, downed the fifth MIG
  • 7/1953 He shot down two more MiGs, bringing the total to seven (65 combat missions in Korea)
  • 1953-1965 McConnell AB, KS
  • 4/1965 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Takhli AB, Thailand (F-105 – 46 combat missions)
  • 5/1969 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Commander Misty Forward Air Controllers “Misty 144” (F-100 – 232 combat missions)
  • 10/1979 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Congressional Gold Medal For Fighter Aces
Congressional Gold Medal
Silver Star
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal
Air Medal with 4 Silver Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal
Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM)
Korean Service Medal with Bronze Campaign Star
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Campaign Stars
Air Force Longevity Service Award (AFLSA)
Air Force Longevity Service Award with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Republic Of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
United Nations Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal for Korea
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Republic Of Korea Korean War Service Medal
Korean War Service Medal
150px COMMAND PILOT WINGS
US Air Force Command Pilot Badge

Flight Info

F-86
F-105
F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Civilian Education:

  • The University of Bridgeport, CT

LtCol Henry “Hank” Buttelmann, the youngest Korean War Ace, “Headed West”, September 16, 2019.

Hank Buttelmann was the 2nd to last living American Ace of the Korean War. He is credited with 7 MiG shoot downs during June and July of 1953.

Hank’s wife says he “died peacefully” after battling dementia for several years”. Hank and his wife Audrey had been living in Frankfort, IL for the past several years.

Hank flew F-100’s on 232 combat missions with the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron as “Misty 144” and a Commander of the squadron. He had previously flown F-86’s with the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Korea for 64 combat missions and F-105’s with the 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron in 46 combat missions in Vietnam.

He was known as a humble person and a great person and will be missed.

Buttelmann Henry 1958 F86
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Wall of Honor Location

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