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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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Skoro, John P. – KIA

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  • Skoro, John P. – KIA

John Peter Skoro - KIA

Preferred Name: Junior
Nickname/Call Sign: Animal
Date of Birth: February 3, 1942
Highest Military Grade: 0-2 – First Lieutenant
Hometown: Gary, IN
Headed West Date: September 13, 1966
Biography
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John captained the 1962-63 USAF Academy Falcons fencing team to a 10-0 regular season record bringing the team to 39 victories in a row over 4 seasons. He was nicknamed Animal due to his cat-like reflexes and killer instinct with a blade. He earned All American honors in 1963 in Saber and was named Fencer of the Year at the NCAA Nationals. (1)

While flying F-100 #56-3071 on a strike mission to an automatic weapon position near Phu Xuan, 20 miles north of Phu Cat, 1Lt Skoro’s aircraft was hit by ground fire as it pulled up to 4,000 feet.

Lt. Skoro was married at the time of his death.

John is buried at the USAFA Cemetery in Colorado Springs, CO, and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 10e, Line 93.

Sources: Photo/Bio info- HonorStates.org; Findagrave.com; (1) vvmf.org; TogetherWeServed.com;

Units Assigned

  • 1963 USAFA
  • 1963–1964  3500th Pilot Training Wing (Staff), Reese AFB, TX
  • 1964 Gunnery Training, Luke AFB, AZ
  • 1965 Aviano Air Base, Italy
  • 1966 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phan Rang AB, Vietnam (F-100)

 

 

Awards & Decorations

Purple Heart
Purple Heart
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

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F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Skoro, John Young
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