Biography

I’ve experienced some interesting things along the way:

• On Nov 8, 1952  I was involved in mid-air collision – bailed out after losing a wing.

Other items of note:

• I may have been the only 52-F Class member to get 100 missions in Korea
• June 1953 – I flew 5 missions on 15th, 4 on 16th, and 1 early on 17th – then weather.
• In 1955 – I dead-sticked an F-84F after losing all oil!
• Also in 1955 – I took off in an F-84F with an Mk7 shape, a 450 gal tank, two 230 gal tanks, and JATO – my computed takeoff roll was over 10,000 ft.
• In 1959 -I landed an F-100A “gear up” – short between throttle and stick.
• In the 1960’s – I landed F100C with nose wheel up and locked.

In my civilian life, I was a parachute design engineer, worked on nuclear weapons chutes and on the recovery system of the Space Shuttle Boosters.
“Being a fighter pilot is one of the best things I ever did in my life.”

Units Assigned

• 5/1951-7/1951 Basic Training- Lackland AFB, TX
• 8/1951-9/1951 Line Flunky – Waco AFB, TX
• 9/1951-3/1952 Hondo AFB, TX (T-6)
• 3/1952-9/1952 Webb AFB, TX (T-28, T-33)
• 9/1952-12/1952 Luke AFB, AZ (F-84G Gunnery)
• 1/1953-8/1953 Taegu (K2), Korea (F-84G – 100 missions)
• 9/1953-9/1955 4925 Test Group (Atomic), Kirtland AFB, NM (F-84 C/D/E/F/G, F-86 E/F/H, T-33, F-100A, also logged a little time in B-25, B-45, B-57)
• 3/1956-5/1957 California ANG, Van Nuys, CA (F-86A)
• 5/1957-7/1958 New Mexico ANG, Kirtland AFB, NM (F-80C)
• 8/1958-8/1964 NMANG (F-100 A/F)
• 8/1964-6/1968 NMANG (F-100 C/D/F)
• 6/1968-6/1969 at Tuy Hoa AB, RVN (F-100 C/D/F)
• 6/1969-3/1974 NMANG (F-100 C/D/F)
• 3-1974-10/1980 NMANG (A-7D)
• 1981 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

T-6
T-28
T-33
F-84 C/D/E/F/G
F-84G -1oo missions
F-86 A/E/F/H
F-80C
F-100 A/C/D/F
B-25
B-45
B-57
A-7D

Military Education

• 9/1951-3/1952 Pilot Training class 52F, Hondo AFB, Big Spring, TX

Civilian Education

• 1957 Aeronautical Engineer, Northrop Aero Institute
• 1948-1951 Physics major, San Diego State and UCLA