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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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Hettlinger, Frank L.

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  • Hettlinger, Frank L.

Frank L. Hettlinger

Preferred Name: Frank
Nickname/Call Sign: Hett
Date of Birth: March 15, 1930
Highest Military Grade: 0-8 – Major General
Hometown: Terre Haute, IN
Biography
Pilot Information

Frank Hettlinger flew the F-100 D&F models with the 113th Tactical Fighter Squadron/181st Tactical Fighter Group of the INANG.

During his AF career which spanned 1951 to 1989, he held positions of:

Flt Cmdr and Flying safety Officer – 113th TFS
Operations Officer – 113th/ 181 TFG
Group Commander –  181st TFG
Wing commander –  122nd TFW
Commander Indiana ANG

In December 1952, after enlisting in the USAF, Frank married Lorraine Bartholomew, who passed away in 2016. They have 2 daughters and 2 sons.

Units Assigned

  • 1951 Enlisted USAF
  • 1/1953-6/1953 Nellis AFB, NV (F-80, F-86)
  • 7/1953-3/1954 47th FIS, Niagara Falls, NY (F-86F, T-33)
  • 4/195-12/1955 40th FIS, Yokota AB, Japan (F-86 D/E)
  • 3/1956-1/1957 148th FIS, PAANG, Reading, PA (F-51D, C-46)
  • 2/1957-9/1978 181st TFG/113th TFS IND ANG (F-86A, T-33, F-84 F/C-47, RF-84F, C-54, F-100D/F, T-29, F-4C)
  • 9/1978-2/1984 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing, INANG, Ft Wayne, IN (F-4E, C-131)
  • 3/1984-6/1989 HQ Indiana ANG, Indianapolis, IN (F-4E)
  • 1989 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-80
F-86 A/D/E/F
T-33
F-51D
C-46
F-84 F
C-47
RF-84F
C-54
F-100D/F
T-29
F-4 C/E
C-131F

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Class 52-H, Hondo, TX and Williams AFB, AZ
  • Squadron Officer School and Air War College by correspondence
  • Flying Safety Officers Course, USC, CA

Civilian Education:

  • BS/Physics, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA
  • Also attended Texas Tech and Indiana State

Wall of Honor Location

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