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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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Gardner, Gayle B.

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  • Gardner, Gayle B.

Gayle B. Gardner

Preferred Name: Gayle
Date of Birth: March 10, 1929
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Headed West Date: July 3, 2016
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West

Gayle Gardner flew the F-100 with the 1738th Ferry Wing out of Kelly Field, TX; the 72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Yakota AB, Japan; and the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Clark AB in the Philippines.

Gardner served as president of the U.S. War Veterans Foundation.  “At 16, Gardner convinced a former World War II pilot to give him flying lessons after years of asking.  He later joined the Air Force, working his way up as a commissioned officer.  It took him only three years from being in a fighter squadron to being assigned to Headquarters United States Air Force.  Following his career in the military, Gardner enjoyed success in the private sector; co-founding a no-load mutual fund in the U.S. and also co-founding a cargo airline company.”(1)

(1)Press Release — Hawaii Republican Assembly (HIRA) (hawaiideservesbetter.com)

Units Assigned

  • 1738th Ferry Wing, Kelly Field, Yokota, Japan
  • 72nd Tactical Fighter Squadron/510th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Clark AB, Philippines (F-100)
  • 19th Air Force Seymour Johnson AB, NC
  • ANG Bureau
  • 3rd Air Force Lakenheath RAFB/Bentwaters AB, England

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Gayle B. Gardner, LtCol USAF (Ret), “Headed West” on July 3, 2016.

SSS Member Gayle B. Gardner “Headed West” on July 3, 2016.  Gayle flew F-100’s with the 1738 Ferry Wing, Kelly Field, TX, 72TFS -Yakota AB, Japan,  510TFS Clark AB, Philippines. He served with the 19th AF out of Seymour Johnson AFB, SC, the Air National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon, and the 3rd Air Force flying from Lakenheath, and Bentwaters AB’s, UK.

Gardner served as president of the U.S. War Veterans Foundation.  “At 16, Gardner convinced a former World War II pilot to give him flying lessons after years of asking.  He later joined the Air Force, working his way up as a commissioned officer.  It took him only three years from being in a fighter squadron to being assigned to Headquarters United States Air Force.  Following his career in the military, Gardner enjoyed success in the private sector; co-founding a no-load mutual fund in the U.S. and also co-founding a cargo airline company.”(1)

(1)Press Release — Hawaii Republican Assembly (HIRA) (hawaiideservesbetter.com)

Wall of Honor Location

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