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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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Neel, Charles B.

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  • Neel, Charles B.

Charles B. Neel

Preferred Name: Charlie
Nickname/Call Sign: Misty 22
Date of Birth: August 5, 1938
Highest Military Grade: 0-6 – Colonel
Hometown: Big Stone Gap, VA
Charles B. Neel - before
Charles B. Neel - now
Biography
Pilot Information
Caterpillar Club
Video

Charlie Neel was Misty 22. He says he “Loved flying the “Hun.” Lucky enough to get to fly as a MISTY FAC (M-22) at Phu Cat. Shot down only once (37MM); rescued feet wet off Dong Hoi, NVN.

“Bud” Day was the first of us to get downed; I, with Guy Gruters, was second. Guy was shot down, again, on his second mission after his first shoot-down, with Bob Craner; they were captured and did 5.5 yrs in the pokey.”

Units Assigned

  • 1956- 1957 Cadet, AFROTC, Penn State University
  • 1957- 1961 Cadet, USAF Academy; commissioned 7 June 1961
  • 1961 – 63 Pilot Training, Craig AFB, AL  (Graduated #1 in Academics, Flying and Overall in class) (T-37/T-33)
  • 1963 Fighter Interceptor Training, Perrin AFB, TX (F-102A)
  • 1963-1966 319th Fighter-Interceptor SQN, Homestead AFB, FL (F-104A)
  • 1966 TAC Fighter Course, Luke AFB, AZ (Class Top Gun) (F-100C/D)
  • 1967-1968 416th TAC Fighter SQN, Bien Hoa & Phu Cat AB, RVN (143 Missions, North Viet Nam as “Misty” FAC, F-100D/F)
  • 1968-1970 Royal Air Force Exchange Pilot, No. 5 SQN, RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, UK Lightning (F-6)
  • 1970-1971 Student, Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL /Student, Auburn University (Master of Business Admin) (T-33)
  • 1971-1974 Faculty, Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL (T-33/T-39)
  • 1974 TAC Fighter Course, George AFB, CA (F-4C/D/E)
  • 9/1974-1/1975 Commander, 432 Field Maintenance SQN, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand; Pilot, 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-4E)
  • 2/1975-7/1975 Chief, Contingency Plans, HQ 7 AF, Nakhon Phanom AB, Thailand
  • 8/1975-8/1977 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC/Chief of Wing Weapons & Tactics, Wing Chief of Safety, Operations Officer, 334th Tactical Fighter SQN (F-4E)
  • 8/1977-2/1978 Student, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
  • 3/1978-6/1980 Chief, War Plans, HQ 4 ATAF, Ramstein AB, Germany
  • 7/1980-7/1981 Assistant Chief of Staff/ADP and Exercises, HQ 4 ATAF, Ramstein AB, Germany
  • 9/1980 (HQ 4th Allied Tactical Air Force moved to Heidelberg, Germany)

Awards & Decorations

Silver Star
Silver Star
Legion Of Merit
Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal
Air Medal with 14 Oak Leaf Clusters
Purple Heart
Purple Heart

Flight Info

T-33
T-37
T-39
F-102 A
F-104 A
F-100 C/D
F-4 C/D/E
F-6

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1956-1957 AFROTC, Penn State University
  • 1957-1961 USAFA, (Engineering Science)
  • 1965 SOS (Res, DG)
  • 1970-1971 ACSC (Res, DG)
    1977-1978 NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy

Civilian Education:

  • 1956 High School Irwin (PA)
  • 1956-1957 Aeronautical Engineering, Penn State University
  • 1970-1971 MBA, Auburn University

8 November 1967– Capt Charlie Neel, flying as Misty 22 remembers, “Bud Day was the first of us to get downed; I, with Guy Gruters, was second.”  Charlie was stationed with the 416TFS out of  Phu Cat AB, Vietnam, flying F-100F #563764. His aircraft was hit by gunfire while on a mission over SVN to assist troops in combat. Charlie ejected and was rescued uninjured.

Wall of Honor Location

You can see Charlie Neel in the documentary “Behind the Wings” available on IDMB at Behind the Wings (TV Series 2019– ) – IMDb

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