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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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Clark, Thomas E. – KIA

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  • Clark, Thomas E. – KIA

Thomas Edward Clark

Preferred Name: Tom
Date of Birth: April 15, 1939
Highest Military Grade: 0-4 – Major
Hometown: Emporium, PA
Headed West Date: February 8, 1969
Biography
Pilot Information
Album

Tom Clark graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963, after having already spent two years at Penn State University. He was sometimes referred to as an “old man” at the Academy. He was interested in politics and flying and looked forward to a military career.

Nearly 6 years after his graduation, Tom Clark was flying a mission in Laos over the Ho Chi Minh Trail just northwest of the DMZ when his F-100D aircraft was shot down. Circumstances surrounding his crash indicate that the enemy probably knows his fate, but in 1973, Tom was not released with other POWs.

Major Clark’s remains were recovered and identified on June 29, 201, and he was repatriated on October 20, 2011. Major Clark is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 33w, Line 84. He is also listed on the F-100 Super Sabre Plaque at the USAFA.

Sources: HonorStates.org; pownetwork.org; findagrave.com

Units Assigned

  • 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron/31st Tactical Fighter Wing/7th Air Force, Phu Cat AB, Vietnam (F-100)

Awards & Decorations

Purple Heart
Purple Heart
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry
Vietnam Gallantry Cross
AF Good Conduct Medal
Air Force Good Conduct Medal
US Air Force Pilot Badge
United States Aviator Badge Air Force

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1963 USAFA

Civilian Education:

  • Penn State University

Clark, Thomas E Grave Marker
Album Slideshow
Slideshow
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Wall of Honor Location

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