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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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Shain, Elwin R. – KIA

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  • Shain, Elwin R. – KIA

Elwin Rox Shain - KIA

Preferred Name: Rox
Date of Birth: August 27, 1931
Highest Military Grade: 0-4 – Major
Hometown: Iowa City, IA
Headed West Date: July 28, 1968
Biography
Pilot Information
Album

“Elwin Roy Shain grew up in Iowa City where he graduated from City High in the class of 1949. While in high school Shain participated in several sports including basketball, football, and baseball. He went on to attend West Point. He won five varsity letters in football and baseball and later served on the coaching staff of the Air Force Academy. He briefly worked as a physical education instructor at the Air Force Academy.

He specialized as a pilot of F-100 fighter jets. Shain was sent to Vietnam in August 1967 and was stationed at the Bien Hoa Air Base northeast of Saigon. Air Force MAJ Elwin Shain was stationed in the same location as his brother and fellow West Point graduate, Army MAJ Robert Shain. He had logged more than 3,000 flight hours when he was killed in July 1968.” (1)

Flying F-100D # 553608 as Buzzard 6 he was on a strafing mission to hit a bunker supply area when his aircraft was hit in the right wing by gunfire over Phuoc Long province.

“MAJ Shain was 36 years old and married [with 3 children] at the time of his death. An annual award was established at City High in Iowa City honoring an athlete each year, who is considered to be a leader in scholarship, athletics, and citizenship.” (1)

Elwin is buried at Memory Gardens, Iowa City, IA, and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 50w, Line 27.

Sources: Bio info/Photo – HonorStates.org; Addition Awards – vvmf.org; (1) Iowa Veterans Remembrance Project; findagrave.com

Units Assigned

  • 1955–1956, Air Training Command, Kingston, NC, Big Springs & Waco, Tx 
  • 1956–1960, US Air Force Academy (Staff), Colorado Springs
  • 8/30/1967-7/28/1968 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam (F-100)

Awards & Decorations

Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star
Bronze Service Medal
Air Medal
Air Medal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters
Purple Heart
Purple Heart
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
AF Good Conduct Medal
Air Force Good Conduct Medal

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1954 U.S. Military Academy at West Point, USAF, USMA

Civilian Education:

1949 City High School

Elwin Shain1
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