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Today in History – April 5, 1962 – 1962 Neil Armstrong takes X-15 to 54,600m

Neil Armstrong and the X-15 by Bob van der Linden, Posted on Tue, July 23, 2019, Aeronautics Department, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum “Released from duty in mid-1952, Armstrong returned to Purdue where he earned his degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. His love of flight and engineering drew him to the National Advisory

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Cereghino, Bruce R.

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Bruce R. Cereghino

Preferred Name: Bruce
Date of Birth: August 26, 1933
Highest Military Grade: 0-3 – Captain
Hometown: Forks, WA, but grew up in Redwood City, CA
Headed West Date: January 17, 2000
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West
Album

Bruce R. Cereghino (1933 – 2000) was born in Forks, WA, but grew up in Redwood City, CA, on the San Francisco Peninsula.  As a child, he saw an air show at the old Moffett Field NAS and he was hooked.  He wanted to be a pilot.  Period.

After graduating high school in 1949, he studied engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for two years, then transferred to Stanford for the first quarter of his upper-division courses in Electrical Engineering.  Taking leave of Stanford, he enlisted in USAF Aviation Cadets which, at that time, required two years of college.  He was in Class 55-N and underwent Pre-Flight at Lackland AFB, TX, took Primary at Bartow AB, FL, and Basic at Webb AFB, TX.  He was commissioned and awarded his wings at Webb.  After a year of being copilot on a major general’s C-47 (out of Donaldson AFB, SC) he went to fighter-bomber training at Williams AFB, AZ.

After graduation from that course, he was assigned to the 81st TFS at Toul-Rosieres AB, France where he flew the F-86H for two years, then added a year to his obligation in order to fly the Hun.  He was assigned to an F-100F, the only two-seater in the squadron.   Once he took the mayor of Nancy, France, on a VIP flight.  Given the specific type of weapons his plane carried in those tense times, he was chewed out by no less than Gen. Curtis LeMay for not knowing what his secondary target was.  He never forgot it after that.  He always piloted that lone two-seater in the 81st.

He rotated back to CONUS before France showed its gratitude for our help during WW II and sent USAF packing.  Bruce’s last post was Deputy Base Ops officer at the then-March AFB, CA.  He left the service with the rank of captain and went back to Stanford to complete his BSEE.

Until he retired he worked in Avionics for Honeywell (SR-71 Blackbird) and Hughes Aircraft (Apache helicopter.)

Units Assigned

  • Primary Flight Training Bartow AB, FL
  • Basic Pilot Training, Webb AFB, TX
  • Donaldson AFB, SC (C-47)
  • Fighter-bomber training, Williams AFB, AZ.
  • 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron,  Toul-Rosieres AB, France (F-86H, F-100F)
  • CONUS
  • Deputy Base Ops officer, March AFB, CA

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

C-47
F-86
F-100C

Military & Civilian Education

Civilian Education:

  • Electrical Engineering, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2-years)
  • BSEE, Stanford University

Bruce R. Cereghino, Capt USAF,  “Headed West” on January 17, 2000.

After serving with the 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, he worked (until he retired) in Avionics for Honeywell (SR-71 Blackbird) and Hughes Aircraft (Apache helicopter.)  Bruce had no children and was survived by his second wife Maria Elena Valencia

F-100D Snoopy II was flown by LT Bruce Cereghino when assigned to the 81st TFS/50th TFW. (Photo courtesy of Dave Menard) from an article on noseart at http://ourairports.biz/?p=6189
Album Slideshow
Slideshow
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