Skip to content

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

Read More »
Main Menu
  • Home
  • History
    • About The SSS
    • Headed West
    • Biographies
    • Today in F-100 History
    • SSS Caterpillar
    • Wall of Honor
    • F-100 Information
    • Friends of the Super Sabre
    • N. American F-100 Super Sabre
  • Galleries
  • The Intake
    • About The Intake: Journal
    • The Intake: Journal of the Super Sabre Society – Archives
  • What’s New
  • Contact

Smith, James E., Jr.

  • Home
  • Biography
  • Biographies
  • Smith, James E., Jr.

James E. Smith, Jr.

Preferred Name: Jim
Date of Birth: November 30, 1932
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Wood Lake, NE
James E. Smith, Jr. - before
James E. Smith, Jr. - now
Biography
Pilot Information

“I ended my “Hun” flying when we converted to F-4s in 1966. I flew the F-4 until I retired on 1january 1973, except for my year in SEA where I flew an old C-47 and investigated all non combat accidents in Thailand .

Established Base safety programs for up country Bases, Flew SEATO teams around Thailand looking for new airfield sites.

Ran more or less, you call, we haul through out the SEA theater of operation. When I looked up my records at Luke, I found it interesting that the Operations Officer who signed my Form 5 was 1/LT. Times sure have changed over the years. Some places had L/Cs as flight commanders when I retired.”

Units Assigned

  • 12/1953 Commissioned 2/Lt
  • 1954 508th ARSQ, Navigator, Turner AFB, KB-29s, Albany, GA
  • 1954 3535th AOTW, Upgrade training for triple rating, Navigator, Radar Operator, and Bombardier, Mather AFB, CA
  • 1955-1956 66th Bomb Squadronn, 44th Bomb Wing, Navigator, Radar Operator and Bombardier, Lake Charles AFB, LA
  • 1956 Primary Pilot Training, Class 57S, Moore Air Base, TX (T-34, T-28)
  • 1956-1957 3560th Pilot Training Wing, Basic Pilot Training, Webb AFB, TX (T-33)
  • 1957-1958 3608th Combat Crew Training Squadron ,Advanced Pilot Training,  Luke AFB, AZ (F-84F)
  • 1958 3595th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV (F-100A)
  • 1958-1961 70th Tactical Fighter Squadron/20th Tactical Fighter Wing, Woodbridge, UK (F-100D)
  • 1961 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron/31st Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, CA (F-100D)
  • 1961-1965 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron/31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Wing Flying Safety Officer, Homestead AFB, FL (F-100D)
  • 1965-1966 6236th CSG/13th AF, Director of Safety, Don Muang AB, Thailand (C-47)
  • 1966 -1967 50th TFW, 417th TFS Ramstein AB, Germany (F-100, F-4D)
  • 1967-1969 50th TFW, Director of Safety, Hahn AFB, Germany (F-4D)
  • 1969-1971 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Wing Ops & Training, Mountain Home AFB, ID (F-4D/RF-4C)
  • 1971-1973 31st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Director of Safety, Homestead AFB, FL

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-100D
F-4
RF4C
C-47

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1952-1953 Radio Operator A/2C, Keesler AFB, MS
  • 1953-1954 Cadet Training Navigator Training, Harlingen AFB, TX and Wichita Falls AFB, TX

Civilian Education:

  • High School, Wood Lake, Nebraska

Wall of Honor Location

Our Mission

The mission of the Super Sabre Society is to preserve the history of the F-100 Super Sabre and the men who flew the aircraft.

Follow Us

Copyright © 2025 Super Sabre Society
Website by: Heart and Soul Web Design
Scroll to Top