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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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Oaks, Robert C.

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  • Oaks, Robert C.

Robert C. Oaks

Preferred Name: Bob
Date of Birth: February 14, 1936
Highest Military Grade: 0-10 – General
Hometown: Provo, UT
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General Robert C. Oaks last assignment was as Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

General Oaks was born in 1936. He grew up in Provo, Utah, where he graduated from Brigham Young High School in 1954. He entered the first class of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1955 after attending Brigham Young University for a year. Prior to entering the Air Force, he served 18 months in the Utah National Guard. The general earned a bachelor of science degree from the academy in 1959 and a master’s degree in business administration from Ohio State University in 1967. He completed the Naval War College in 1974.

Upon graduation from the academy he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. He completed flight training at Bartow Air Base, Fla., and Vance Air Force Base, Okla., and received pilot wings in September 1960. The general then attended combat crew training at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. In September 1961 he transferred to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., as an F-100 pilot with the 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron. From April 1963 to June 1966 General Oaks was assigned to the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, first at Misawa Air Base, Japan; next, in August 1964, at England Air Force Base, La.; and then, in November 1965, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. He flew 188 combat missions in F-100s in Southeast Asia.

After completing his master’s degree in August 1967, General Oaks was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy as air officer commanding, 23rd Cadet Squadron, and later as the commandant of cadets’ executive for honor and ethics. In August 1970 the general became an F-111A flight commander with the 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis Air Force Base. There he served as executive officer to the wing commander and as operations officer, 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron. In November 1971 he was assigned as commander of the 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

He completed Naval War College in June 1974 and was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as chief, Joint Plans and Policy Branch. During the next three years the general served as deputy chief, Global Plans and Policy Division; chief, Joint Policy Division; chief, International Relations Division; chief, Pacific-East Asia Division; chief, Europe-NATO Division; and deputy assistant for National Security Council matters, all within the Directorate of Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Plans. He became chief, Regular and Reserve General Officer Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, in January 1977. In June 1977 he was assigned as assistant for general officer matters.

From August 1979 to July 1981 General Oaks was assistant for readiness, U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters. In January 1981 he moved within the headquarters staff to be the assistant deputy chief of staff, operations. In July 1981 he became commander of the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, also at Ramstein, and commander of the Kaiserslautern Military Community. He became director of personnel plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Personnel, Air Force headquarters, in May 1983.

In February 1985 he was assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel. The general became commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and deputy commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern Area, headquartered in Naples, Italy, in October 1986. In June 1988 General Oaks became commander of Air Training Command with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

General Oaks retired from the USAF in 1994, and went on to work for the LDS Church Organization.

Units Assigned

  • 1960 Flight training at Bartow Air Base, FL/Vance Air Force Base, OK
  • 1960-1961 Combat crew training at Luke Air Force Base, AZ/Nellis Air Force Base, NV
  • 9/1961 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM (F-100)
  • 4/1963 to 6/1966 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan (F-100)
  • 8/ 1964  416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, England Air Force Base, LA (F-100)
  • 11/1965, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam (F-100)
  • 8/1967 USAF Academy, air officer commanding, 23rd Cadet Squadron/commandant of cadets’ executive for honor and ethics
  • 8/1970 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron/474th Tactical Fighter Wing, 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV (F-111A)
  • 11/1971 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, ID
  • 6/1974 Headquarters USAF, Washington, DC, chief, Joint Plans and Policy Branch; deputy chief, Global Plans and Policy Division; chief, Joint Policy Division; chief, International Relations Division; chief, Pacific-East Asia Division; chief, Europe-NATO Division; and deputy assistant for National Security Council matters, (within the Directorate of Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Plans)
  • 1/1977 Chief, Regular and Reserve General Officer Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel; assistant for general officer matters.
  • 8/ 1979 -7 /1981 USAF/ Europe headquarters, assistant for readiness/ assistant deputy chief of staff, operations
  • 7/1981 86th Tactical Fighter Wing (Commander), Ramstein AB, Germany
  • 5/1983 Commander of the Kaiserslautern Military Community; director of personnel plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Personnel, Air Force headquarters2/1985 he was assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel.
  • 10/1986 Commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and deputy commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern Area, headquartered in Naples, Italy
  • 6/1988 Commander, Air Training Command with headquarters at Randolph AFB, TX
  • 6/1990 Commander in chief, USAF Europe; commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
  • 1994 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Defense Distinguised Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion Of Merit
Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Award
Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal
Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
AF Commendation Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
AF Outstanding Unit Award
AF Outstanding Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
AF Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Service Star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Service Star
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with 3 Service Stars
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short Tour
AF Overseas Ribbon-Short Tour
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long Tour
AF Overseas Ribbon-Long Tour with Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award (AFLSA)
AF Longevity Service Award Ribbon with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters
Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon (SAEMR)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon (AFTR)
AF Training Ribbon
Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Service Star
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Flight Info

T-34
T-37
T-33A Shooting Star
F-100
F-100 188 combat missions in Southeast Asia

Rank: Command pilot
Flight Hours: 4,000+ (300+ combat hours)

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1974 Naval War College

Civilian Education:

  • 1954 Brigham Young High School
  • 1959 BS, Air Force Academy
  • 1967 MBA/Business Administration, Ohio State University

Robert C. Oaks, Caterpillar Story

A Provo [UT] fighter pilot, Capt. Robert Charles Oaks was shot down Tuesday over Viet Cong territory and was rescued by an Army helicopter within 10 minutes. Captain Oaks telephoned his wife..to assure her he was safe.

The Provo pilot said he was on a strafing pass over the Viet Cong lines, flying 300 feet off the ground when his plane was hit in the belly section by ground fire. The plane caught fire and Capt. Oaks said he could hear explosions inside the plane.
He ejected from the plane and landed in Viet Cong territory, bruising his hip and wrenching his back  in the fall. He said he looked around for enemy soldiers but did not see any. Within 10 minutes of the time he ejected, he was picked up by an Army helicopter and returned to his base.

Capt. Oaks, a career Air Force man, has been in Vietnam since November 1965, attached to the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Saigon. The area where he was shot down is approximately 90 miles southwest of Saigon.”

(source Provo, UT newspaper article)

Oaks, Robert F 100 Gunnery School 1960 1961
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