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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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Rock, Edward T.

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  • Rock, Edward T.

Edward Thomas Rock

Preferred Name: Ed
Date of Birth: March 2, 1932
Highest Military Grade: 0-6 – Colonel
Hometown: Dixon, IL
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West
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In 2016, Col Edward T. Rock received the Outstanding Aviator Award by IAWA during The Wings Club Foundation’s Annual Meeting, on  Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at The Yale Club in New York City.

Colonel Edward T. Rock began his life-long love affair with aviation, particularly flying, upon his enlisting in the United States Air Force in July, 1950. In March, 1952, Rock was accepted for pilot training in an “experimental” program established by the Air Force.

In September, 1953 he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and awarded his Air Force Pilot Wings. He was assigned to Korea, Okinawa, Formosa (Taiwan), Arizona, Alabama, California, Japan, Nevada, Thailand, Virginia, Kansas and Florida and also served
temporary duty in several other countries and states. During these assignments he flew eleven different military aircraft, mostly fighters, including the North American F-80, F86 and F-100, the Lockheed F-104, The Republic F-105 and the McDonnell Douglas F-4. He logged more than 4,500 total military flying hours almost all in fighter type aircraft, including 489 hours combat time.

In March 1965, Rock received a new assignment to the Wild Weasel program to begin in June 1966. After completing training missions in Wild Weasel (WW) configured F-105F aircraft at a North American Aviation facility located at Long Beach International Airport on June 19, 1966, he departed for Thailand. He arrived at Korat RTAFB (Royal Thailand Air Force Base) in late June and was reassigned to the 355th TFW at Takhli RTAFB. Rock was the very first Wild Weasel pilot assigned to Takhli.

The Weasels’ mission was to seek out and engage North Vietnamese surface-to-air (SAM) sites and destroy them. Often times, the only way the Weasel pilots could locate a SAM site was to get the North Vietnamese to fire a SAM at them, revealing their position. The Wild Weasel missions were among the most dangerous sorties of the Vietnam War.

Rock completed his first Weasel combat tour in February 1967, and returned to the States and an assignment to Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, where he was initially the chief of The Avionics Branch, Fighter Requirements.

On Dec. 15, 1970, Rock was installed as the Commander of the 561st. On April 1, 1972, Tactical Air Command (TAC) initiated operation Constant Guard and the 561st was the first unit to deploy aircraft to Korat RTAFB in support of the renewed bombing of North Vietnam.

Rock later volunteered to take over the 17th Wild Weasel Squadron, PACAFs only F-105 Wild Weasel unit. While at Korat, he was selected for promotion to full Colonel and became the Wing Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations.

In June 1973, he completed his second Wild Weasel combat tour and was assigned to Eglin AFB in Florida, as the Deputy Chief of Staff For Electronic Warfare, Reconnaissance, and Remotely Piloted Vehicles.

Rock retired from the USAF in 1977, and returned to his home town of Dixon, Ill., where he was employed as Chief Pilot and Engineering Test Supervisor, Woods Division of Heston Corporation. In 1983, he began working for McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis and remained there as first a Principal Technical Specialist, then went on to become the Manager of Engineering until his retirement in 1997.

Rock has earned more than 50 military awards and decorations, including two Silver Stars, The Legion of Merit, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 16 Air Medals.

He published “First In, Last Out, Stories by The Wild Weasels,” is co-holder of two US patents, and holds a commercial single and multi-engine pilots license.

The Wings Club Foundation’s Outstanding Aviator Award has been presented annually since 2010. The first recipients honored were the Tuskegee Airmen, followed by the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the Doolittle Raiders, Patty Wagstaff, Robert A. “Bob” Hoover and Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann.(1)

Source (1): General Aviation News

 

Units Assigned

  • 1950, Basic Training, Lackland AFB, TX
  • 1950-1951 Radio Mechanic and Radio Repairman Schools, Scott AFB, IL
  • 1951-1952, 305th Bomb Wing, MacDill AFB, FL (B-29, KC-97)
  • 1952-1953 Pilot Training, Bartow AB. FL/Bryan AFB, TX (T-6, T-28, T-33)
  • 1953-1954 Cadillac Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV (F-80, F-86)
  • 1954 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron/18th Fighter Bomber Wing, K-55, Osan AB, Korea (F-86)
  • 1954-1955 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron/18th Fighter Bomber Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa (F-86)
  • 1955 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron/18th Fighter Bomber Wing, Chai Yi, AB, Formosa (F-86)
  • 1955-1959 Williams AFB, AZ (T-28, T-33, F-86)
  • 1959-1960 436th and 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron/479th Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, CA (F-104)
  • 1960-1964 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron/8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Itazuke AB, Japan (F-100, F-105)
  • 1964-1965, 41st AD Yakota AB, Japan (F-105)
  • 1965-1966 4526th and 4524th Tactical Fighter Wings, Nellis AFB, NV (F-105)
  • 1966-1967, 13th, 354th, and 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadrons/355th and 388th Tactical Fighter Wings Korat and Takhli RTAFB, Thailand (F-105)
  • 1967-1970, HQ TAC, Langley AFB, VA, (TAC/DR) (T-39)
  • 1970-1972, 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Commander, McConnell AFB, KS (F-105)
    1972-1973 17th Wild Weasel Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, F-105G (Commander), ADCOm, Korat RTAFB, Thailand (F-105, EB-66, F-4E)
  • 1973-1977 USAFTAWC, Eglin AFB, FL (Large steel desk)

Awards & Decorations

Silver Star
SIlver Star (2)
Legion Of Merit
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (3)
Air Medal
Air Medal (16)

Flight Info

B-29
KC-97
T-6
T-28
T-33
F-80
F-86
F-104
F-100
F-105
T-39
EB-66
F-4E

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Radio Mechanic, Radio Repairman
  • Pilot Training
  • F-86 & F-105 Gunnery
  • SOS
  • Air War Collage (Seminar Program) AGOS
  • BIS
  • Nuclear Weapons Instructor
  • Sea and Land Survival

Civilian Education:

  • Dixon High School
  • Sauk Valley Collage, Arizona State
  • Fontbone University
  • University of Nevada
  • LSV
  • University of Maryland

Edward T. Rock, Col USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on November 5, 2021.

Colonel Edward T. Rock Sr., of Chesterfield, MO, passed away in his sleep on Nov 5 2021. He was born on Mar 2 1932 in Dixon, Il to Edward C. and Alice C. Rock, being the oldest of 6.

Beloved husband of Joy Louise Rock (nee Garrett) for 63 years; dear father of Edward Jr., Kathleen, Margaret Koebbe (Terry), David and Sarah Gould (Tom); dear Grandfather to Randy Sheridan (Megan), William, Michael Koebbe (Emille) and Nikolai; Dear Great-Grandfather to Tye and Mia Sheridan; dear brother to Susan Weitzel, Kathleen McCright, Joseph (Carol), Michael, and Timothy (Connie) Rock.

Edward served 27 years in the United States Air Force. He started as an enlisted radio mechanic before applying for and being accepted into the pilot training program and retiring as a Colonel. He flew two tours in Vietnam as a member of the Wild Weasels (YGBSM/WW#185)

After retirement he became involved with Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and the Freedom School. He became an author, took up painting, and was a passionate cook who made the most wonderful meals for his family. He was a faithful member of Ascension Parish.

He met the love of his life, Joy, in Phoenix over 63 years ago and fought to stay with her until his strength finally gave out where upon he went to be with the Lord knowing that the Lord and his family will be watching over her.

“Throw a Nickel on the Grass”

Interment is at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers we ask donations be made to Habitat for Humanity or St. Mary’s Church of Phoenix, AZ in honor of Fr. Blaise Cronin.

Source: https://www.azcentral.com/obituaries/par054260

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