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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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Snell, Willard H.

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  • Snell, Willard H.

Willard Henry Snell

Preferred Name: Willard
Date of Birth: September 12, 1934
Highest Military Grade: 0-6 – Colonel
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Headed West Date: June 19, 2019
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West

After serving in the USAF, Willard Snell founded InterAv Resources Inc., Paoli, Pa. He was general manager of the flight department of US Healthcare.

 

Veteran’s History Project interview https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.93115/

Units Assigned

  • 1956 18th Tactical Fighter Wing
  • 1957-1958 461st Fighter-Day Squadron/36th Tactical Fighter Wing (F-100)
  • 1958-1961 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron/36th Fighter-Day Wing/Tactical Fighter Squadron, Hahn AB, Germany (F-100)
  • 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, KS
  • 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, George AFB, CA (F-105)
  • 7/1966-9/1966 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron/355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli RTAFB, Thailand
  • 1977 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-100
F-105

Military & Civilian Education

Willard H. Snell, Jr. Col, USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on June 19, 2019.

Willard Henry Snell, Jr. was commissioned in the USAF in 1956 and served until 1977. He was a Charter member of the Super Sabre Society.

As an F-105 pilot, he was one of the first to run missions on fuel storage areas in Hanoi and Haiphong. It was reported in the publication “Airman” in 1967 that after his 100th combat mission, he returned to flares, sirens, flashing lights and streamers to commemorate the achievement.

He is fondly remembered by his friends who served with him in the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing; 36th Tactical Fighter Wing; 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, and 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. He flew the F-100C in Vietnam and the F-105 in the Rolling Thunder campaign.

Wall of Honor Location

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The mission of the Super Sabre Society is to preserve the history of the F-100 Super Sabre and the men who flew the aircraft.

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