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
1Lt James Lee Cumiskey entered the USAF through the AF Reserves. His tour in Vietnam began on September 16, 1966. He was assigned to the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.
On June 13, 1967, James was flying F-100 #55-3510 when his aircraft was hit by ground fire during a napalm delivery 20 miles SE of Pleiku. He died as a result of this incident.
James is buried at Windsor Cemetery, Windsor, Shelby County, IL. He is also honored at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed on Panel 21e, Line 97.
