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
MSgt Jerry Wheeler (Ret) remembers that “I was a crew chief in Phan Rang. Lt Ben did not have his name on a ACFT so I painted his name on the back seat of the “F model I was crewed at the time, He came to the flight line for photo, I still see his smile.”
Ben Lang was the last F-100 loss in Southeast Asia. On April 28, 1971, 1Lt Lang was flying F-100 #55-3550 on a mission out of Phan Rang Airbase. His aircraft was over Binh Thuan province when it crashed due to reported “hostile action”, and he was killed.
Benjamin is buried at Fain Cemetery in Calhoun, GA, and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 03w, Line 16.
Source: Bio and Awards info – HonorStates.org; Photos – FindAGrave.com; WallofFaces.org
