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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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Wiggins, Harry G.

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  • Wiggins, Harry G.

Harry Glenn Wiggins

Preferred Name: Glenn
Nickname/Call Sign: Harry
Date of Birth: November 7, 1931
Highest Military Grade: 0-4 – Major
Hometown: McCalla, AL
Headed West Date: October 31, 2009
Harry Glenn Wiggins - before
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Headed West
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Everyone in the Service called him “Harry”. His family, wife, friends, & preacher called him “Glenn”.

Harry had a job as a school bus driver at age 16. A lot of responsibility for a 16 yr old.

The latter half of Harry’s assignment to VN is a little murky. His personal log (as interpreted by Joyce ) shows him at Bien Hua from 6/69 to 3/70 with time at Tuy Hua from 9/69-10/69. He obviously got credit toward one year from the 613th deployment to Danang and Tahkli from 11/64-3/65. The 613th was heavily involved in combat in both N. & S. Vietnam with the loss of 3 a/c. (Sq. Co & Stan Eval KIA and one POW during that time) Harry’s personal log shows assignment to the 510th TFS, however, according to Wikipedia, the 510th disbanded in 11/69.

He could have been transferred to the 531st or 90th still at Bien Hoa or the 308th, 309th, 355th or 416th at Tuy Hua. He could have been assigned to combat support and not flying though I suspect not. Harry was NOT a HQ type but a highly experienced tactical pilot with over 6000 hrs of F-100 time, IP, etc. I suspect that pilots with much F-100 time were scarce by the latter half of 1969.

After military retirement, Harry went to work for FAA at the Atlanta Air Traffic Control Center where he worked until just a few years ago when he retired retired.

Units Assigned

  • 1951 Keesler AFB, Electronic Technician
  • 1953* Aviation Cadets, Marana AFB, AZ.
  • 1953/1954* Gunnery School, Luke AFB, AZ (F-84)
  • 7/1954-6/1956-466th Strategic Fighter Sq., Turner AFB, GA (F-84F)
  • 6/1956-6/1957 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Turner AFB, GA (F-84F)
  • 6/1957-10/1957 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Turner AFB, GA (F-100D)
  • 10/1957-8/1958 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Turner AFB, GA (F-100D)
  • 8/1958-9/1961 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan (F-100D)
  • 9/1961-4/1966 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron, England AFB, LA (F-100D)
  • 4/1966-6/1969 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Torrejon AB, Spain (F-100D)
  • 6/1969-08/1969 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam (F-100D)
  • 9/1969-10/1969 ? Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tuy Hoa AB, RVN, (F-100D)
  • 11/1969-3/1970 ? Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bien Hoa, RVN (F-100D)
  • 3/1970-2/1971 Assigned to Myrtle Beach AFB, SC – Support A/C type unknown

*Approximate Dates

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-84
F-100D

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Electronic Tech School,
  • Aviation Cadets,
  • F-84 Check Out,
  • F-100 Check Out

Civilian Education:

  • McAdory High School

Harry Glenn Wiggins (Major USAF, Ret) “Headed West” on October 31, 2009.

Harry Glenn Wiggins - beforeHarry “Glenn” Wiggins was born November 7, 1931, to the late Willie Dean and Beuna Mae (Waters) Wiggins of McCalla. He Wiggins was a loving and respected husband, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and friend.

Glenn was a true American patriot. He had a long and distinguished career in the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot, rising to the rank of Major. He was featured in Life magazine as one of the first pilots sent to Vietnam, where he served two tours.

After his retirement from the Air Force, Major Wiggins had another notable career with the Federal Aviation Administration, both in Birmingham and Anniston.

Mr. Wiggins is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joyce Roy Wiggins; sister, Dottie Norred of McCalla; children, Wayne Wiggins of McCalla, Elaine and Dennis Shedd of Columbia, SC, and Don and Minnette Wiggins of Hoover; grandchildren Keri and Christopher and his wife Charity Wiggins, Sarah and Michael Shedd, and Lauren and Harrison Wiggins, and Jennifer, Julie, and Kimberly Toole; great-granddaughter Odessa, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Harry Glenn Wiggins was predeceased by a brother, Willie Dean Wiggins, Jr.

Services were held on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, and interment followed at Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo.

Memorials may be made to either Cahaba Heights United Methodist Church or Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Published by The Birmingham News on Nov. 3, 2009.

Wiggins, Harry
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