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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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Gioco, Frank C.

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  • Gioco, Frank C.

Frank C. Gioco

Preferred Name: Frank
Date of Birth: June 4, 1936
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Methuen, MA
Headed West Date: July 20, 2016
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West

Frank served in the United States Air Force for 21 years as a fighter pilot and was the recipient of two Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine air medals. He  then graduated from the University of Arizona with majors in real estate and finance before He subsequently owned and operated Auto Electric Rebuilders in Tucson for 20 years.

Units Assigned

Awards & Decorations

Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (2)
Air Medal
Air Medal (9)

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Civilian Education:

  • Real Estate/Finance, University of Arizona

Frank C. Gioco, LtCol USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on July 20, 2016.

GIOCO, Frank C. Lt. Col. (Ret.) age 80, of Tucson, AZ passed away July 20, 2016. He was born in Methuen, MA in 1936.

Frank served in the United States Air Force for 21 years as a fighter pilot and was the recipient of two Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine air medals. He then graduated from the University of Arizona with majors in real estate and finance before he subsequently owned and operated Auto Electric Rebuilders in Tucson for 20 years.

Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Mary Gioco of Tucson, AZ; one son, Anthony (Heather) of Houston, TX; one daughter, Gina Joly (Jason) of St. Louis, MO, and five grandchildren, Ethan, Isaac, and Reagan Joly and Nicolas and Lauren Gioco. Preceding him in death were his parents, Bennie and Emily Gioco, and one sister, Anne Kinney.

Burial with full military honors was at Our Lady of The Desert Cemetery, Tucson. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or to Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church.

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