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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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Elam, Roland B., Jr.

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  • Elam, Roland B., Jr.

Roland Beecher Elam, Jr.

Preferred Name: Roland
Nickname/Call Sign: Rollo
Date of Birth: February 3, 1924
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: SC
Headed West Date: May 16, 2010
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West

“Rollo” Elam served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. LTC Elam flew the F-100 in 1963 as commander of the 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, out of Hahn AB, Germany.

Units Assigned

  • 1953 118th Fighter Squadron, Suffolk AFB, NY
  • 1961 Cannon AFB, NM
  • 1963 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Commander, Hahn AB, Germany (F-100)

Awards & Decorations

Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Roland B. Elam, Jr., LtCol USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on May 16, 2010.

Roland Beecher Elam, Jr., who was LT COL in the US AIR FORCE during World War II, Korea and Viet Nam, was born 3 February 1924, died 16 May 2010, and was buried in Section 2, Site 281, in FT. JACKSON NATIONAL CEMETERY, 4170 PERCIVAL RD, COLUMBIA, SC

Wall of Honor Location

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