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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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Sharpe, Richard R.

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  • Sharpe, Richard R.

Richard R. Sharpe

Preferred Name: Dick
Date of Birth: November 1, 1934
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Grand Island, NE
Headed West Date: February 19, 2019
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West

Dick was born on November 1, 1934, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to Tom Sharpe and Dora Bebout Sharpe. After the death of his mother in 1937, he lived with his grandparents in South Dakota and California. Dick graduated from High School in Lewistown Montana, and later from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. He enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF) in July of 1952 and was trained as an Airborne Radio Operator serving at Stead Air Force Base, Reno NV and Wheelus Air Force Base, Tripoli Libya. He joined the USAF Aviation Cadet Program in 1954 and graduated as a Second Lieutenant Pilot in June of 1955. After completing advanced fighter pilot training, Dick was assigned to Turner AFB, Albany, GA for his first operational fighter pilot assignment where he met and married Doris Chambers.

During the next 19 years, Dick completed fighter pilot assignments, which included operations in Italy, Germany, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Vietnam and headquarters assignments in Hawaii and Virginia. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force after serving 21 years in February 1974.

After retiring he went on to work at Control Data, Minneapolis, MN, LTV/Loral/Lockheed Martin in Program Management and part time computer teaching at TCCC.

Units Assigned

  • 7/1952 Enlisted USAF
  • 1952-1953 Training Airborne Radio Operator, Stead AFB, NV/Wheelus AFB, Libya
  • 1954-6/1955 USAF  Cadet Training, Commissioned 2LT
  • 1955 Advanced Pilot Training
  • 1srt Operational fighter pilot assignment, Turner AFB, GA
  • 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron/31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Turner AFB, GA
  • 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron/354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC
  • 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon, Thailand
  • HQ PACAF
  • HQ TAC

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Pilot Training Aviation Cadet class 55-P
  • Squadron Officer School
  • Computer Programming
  • Defense Systems Management College

Civilian Education:

  • BA, University of Nebraska

Richard R. “Dick” Sharpe, Lt.Colonel (USAF, Ret.) “Headed West” February 19, 2019.

Dick Sharpe, 84, passed away on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, in Arlington Texas. Dick was born on November 1, 1934, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to Tom Sharpe and Dora Bebout Sharpe. After the death of his mother in 1937, he lived with his grandparents in South Dakota and California. Dick graduated from High School in Lewistown Montana, and later from the University of Nebraska, Omaha.

He enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF) in July of 1952 and was trained as an Airborne Radio Operator serving at Stead Air Force Base, Reno NV, and Wheelus Air Force Base, Tripoli Libya. He joined the USAF Aviation Cadet Program in 1954 and graduated as a Second Lieutenant Pilot in June of 1955. After completing advanced fighter pilot training, Dick was assigned to Turner AFB, Albany, GA for his first operational fighter pilot assignment where he met and married Doris Chambers.

During the next 19 years, Dick completed fighter pilot assignments, which included operations in Italy, Germany, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Vietnam and headquarters assignments in Hawaii and Virginia. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force after serving 21 years in February 1974.

After retiring he went on to work at Control Data, Minneapolis, MN, LTV/Loral/Lockheed Martin in Program Management and part-time computer teaching at TCCC.

Dick and Doris were longtime members of Epworth United Methodist Church in Arlington. Dick continued volunteer work at Arlington Memorial Hospital.

Dick was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 58 years, Doris and son Richard, Jr. He is survived by two daughters, Sherry Andrus and Susan Clark; daughter in law Carla Sharpe; his brother Tom Sharpe; 3 grandsons Kevin, Derek and Jared, and his special friend, Wilma Arthurs.

(source: Wade Family Funeral Home)

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