Samuel Digirolamo

Preferred Name: Sam
Nickname/Call Sign: Digger
Date of Birth: August 31, 1946
Highest Military Grade Held: 0-6 – Colonel
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Biography

Upon completion of UPT, I was assigned to the 37th Air Division (ADC), Goose Bay, Labrador flying the T-33A.  The mission included radar evaluation flights against various radar sites and both high and low-level target profiles for various ADC/NORAD interceptors including the Canadian Forces.

Following this, I was assigned to F-100’s and attended RTU at Luke AFB, Az. I completed RTU and was assigned to Phan Rang AB, RVN for a 6-month SEA tour with the 615th TFS.  Due to the withdrawal of all F-100 aircraft from SEA in Aug 71, I completed the remainder of my SEA tour as an Operations Staff Officer at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand as a ground FAC coordinating and clearing airstrikes on the Viet Cong highway network based upon sensors embedded in the road structure.

After returning from Southeast Asia, I was assigned to ATC as a T-38 instructor pilot. In 1976, I transferred to the Missouri Air National Guard, 110th FTS, and finished my career with the Missouri Air National Guard flying the F-100, F-4, T-33, C-12, C-26, and a special project certifying AT-33 aircraft for foreign forces.

I retired in 1997 as Director of Operations for the Missouri Air National Guard, State Headquarters. On transferring to the Missouri Air National Guard, I attended law school starting in 1976 and I retired in December 2018 after 40 years of practicing as an intellectual property attorney in St. Louis, Missouri.
If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.

Pilot Information

Units Assigned

  • 8/19689/1969 UPT Vance AFB, OK (T-41, T-37, T-38)
  • 1969 478th Air Defense Wing, Perrin AFB, TX (ADC) Pre-Interceptor Training (T-33)
  • 1969 37th Air Division/ 4630 Support Squadron – Goose Bay Labrador T-33 Pilot – Target Pilot for ADC/NORAD interceptors including Canadian Forces (T-33)
  • 1969-1970 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron/58th Tactical Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, AZ (TAC) (F-100)
  • 3/1971-8/1971 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron/35th Tactical Fighter Wing,  Phan Rang AB, Vietnam (PACAF) (F-100)
  • 8/1971-2/1972 56th Special Operations Wing-Nakhon Phanum RTAFB (PACAF) Thailand-Ground FAC
  • 1972-1976 71st Flying Training Wing /25th Flying Training Squadron, T-38 Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, Asst Section Commander, SOF (T-38)
  • 1976-1997 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron/ 131st Tactical Fighter Wing Missouri ANG, St. Louis, MO
  • 1997 Retired USAF

Command Responsibilities:

  • 1991-1997 Director of Operations, MO ANG State Headquarters
  • 1988-1991 Chief, Command & Control, 131st Fighter Wing

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

T-41
T-37
T-38
T-33
F-100
F-4
C-12
C-26

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Squadron Officer School (correspondence)
  • Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
  • National Defense University – National Security Management Course (correspondence)

Civilian Education:

  • 1967 BSAE Parks College of Aeronautical Technology
  • 1968 MSAE, California Institute of Technology
  • 1976 MBA, Oklahoma City University
  • 1979 JD, Saint Louis University School of Law