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
Arthur William Cofer enlisted in the USAF and in 1969 was serving with the 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron/27th Tactical Fighter Wing/7th Air Force out of Phu Cat AB, Vietnam, with the rank of Captain.
On March 10, 1969, Cofer was on a Close Air Support mission flying F-100 #56-3380 when his aircraft was hit by hostile fire 25 miles West of Nha Trang. He was declared dead while Missing in Action. No further information is available, though he is listed as buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Arthur W. Confer is honored on Panel 30W, Row 100 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.
