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Today in History – July 15, 1967 – T.H. Herndon ejects from F-100D #563275

15 July 1967 – T.H. Herndon was flying F-100D #563275. Enroute to a target of 150 Vietcong in a treeline, he was hit by 57mm AAA during a climb. He ejected and was recovered by USAF Helo. Herndon was serving with the 531st TFS out of Bien Hoa AB.

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Walter, Alonzo J., Jr.

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  • Walter, Alonzo J., Jr.

Alonzo J. Walter, Jr.

Preferred Name: Lon
Date of Birth: November 25, 1928
Highest Military Grade: 0-7 – Brigadier General
Hometown: Morgan City, LA
Headed West Date: August 13, 2022
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West
Album

“Alonzo Walter graduated from Castle Heights Military Academy, and attended Virginia Military Institute, graduating in the class of 1949B, as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. He won his pilot wings at Randolph AFB, TX.

Gen. Walter was an F-86 fighter pilot in the Korean War, flying 48 combat missions, and from there was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, obtaining his masters degree in electrical engineering.

Among his proudest career accomplishments were testing the precursor to the SR-71, and commanding the 31st TFW at Homestead AFB FL flying the F-4 Phantom II. Upon his selection to promotion to Brigadier General on 1 July 1974, he became the first graduate of the VMI Air Force ROTC program to be so honored. He served two overseas staff tours at PACAF headquarters and Headquarters US European Command, and served a tour in Viet Nam as a Forward Air Controller.

General Walter’s USAF career spanned 30 years.” (1)

“Walter was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on 1 July 1974, with date of rank 26 June 1974, and is the first AFROTC graduate of the Virginia Military Institute to be so honored. On 10 September of that same year, his daughter, Terry Lee Walter, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. When she retired on 1 January 2010, Lieutenant General Terry Lee Walter Gabreski was the U.S. Air Force’s highest-ranking active-duty woman. [Honoree Record ID 229635]

Second, when Walter was flying combat missions in the Korean War, he flew as a wingman for the famous WWII and Korean War ace, Gabby Gabreski [Honoree Record ID 229364]. In 1989, his daughter Terry Lee Walter, then a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, married USAF Lt. Col. Donald Francis Gabreski, son of Gabby Gabreski. It truly is a small world.”(1)

Source (1); (2) https://militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=229636

Units Assigned

  • Pilot Training, Randolph AFB, TX (F-86)
  • 1950 Fourth Fighter Group, Korean War – 48 combat missions (F-86)
  • 1952-1956 Fire Control Branch project officer and test pilot, Air Force Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, FL
  • 7/1956 Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, CA
  • 1957 Air Proving Ground Command, Test Pilot and Ops Officer, Eglin Air Force Base, FL
  • 7/1961 Headquarters Space Systems Division,  Project officer in the Advanced Plans Group, Los Angeles, CA
  • HQ USAF, Officer for the Directorate of Operations, Headquarters Washington, DC
  • 3/1964 USAFA, CO
  •  11/1966 Plans Officer, Aerospace Studies Institute, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
  • 7/1969 XXIV Corps air liaison officer and director of a direct air support center, Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam
  • 8/1970 HQ USAF, Plans officer in the Directorate of Doctrine, Concepts and Objectives
  • 6/1971  31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Vice commander,  Homestead Air Force Base, FL (F-4 Phantom II)
  • 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Commander, Homestead AFB FL (F-4 Phantom II)
  • 4/1974 PACAF, Assistant deputy chief of staff, plans and operations for Operations, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
  • 7/1975 to 5/1978 U.S. European Command, Deputy director of operations, J-3, Stuttgart, Germany.
  • 5/1978 Deputy director of operations, J-3, National Military Command Center, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC
  • 1979 Retired USAF

 

 

Awards & Decorations

Legion Of Merit
Legion of Merit with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Meritorious Service Award
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Air Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Presidential Unit Citation with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
AF Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Gold Star
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
150px COMMAND PILOT WINGS
Air Force Command Pilot Badge

Flight Info

F-86
SR-71
F-100
F-4

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1949 Virginia Military Institute, ROTC, Class of 1949B
  • 1956 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
  • 7/1956 Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, CA
  • 1961 Air Command and Staff College
  • 1966 Air War College

Civilian Education:

  • Castle Heights Military Academy
  • MS/Electrical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology

 Alonzo J. Walter, Jr, Brigadier General, USAF (ret), “Headed West” on August 13, 2022.

General Walter was born 25 November 1928, in Morgan City, LA to Alonzo Walter and Gertrude (Norman) Walter. He was raised in Erath and New Iberia, LA. Following graduation from Castle Heights Military Academy, he attended Virginia Military Institute, graduating in the class of 1949B, as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. General Walter won his pilot wings at Randolph AFB, TX. He was an F-86 fighter pilot in the Korean War, flying 48 combat missions, and from there was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, obtaining his masters degree in electrical engineering. It was at this assignment that he met and married his wife, Second Lieutenant Doris Snyder.

General Walter’s career spanned 30 years and included flying fighter aircraft, graduating from USAF Test Pilot School. Among his proudest career accomplishments were testing the precursor to the SR-71, and commanding the 31st TFW at Homestead AFB FL flying the F-4 Phantom II. Upon his selection to promotion to Brigadier General on 1 July 1974, he became the first graduate of the VMI Air Force ROTC program to be so honored. He served two overseas staff tours at PACAF headquarters and Headquarters US European Command, and served a tour in Viet Nam as a Forward Air Controller.

General Walter is survived by his wife of 70 years Doris; his daughters, Terry Gabreski (Don) and Beverly Myers (Gary); grandchildren, Kimberly Yandell, Larry Myers, Matthew Gabreski and Mark Gabreski; and great grandchildren, Everett and Violet Yandell, Olivia Myers; as well as sisters Gwenn Bent and Myrna Stone. Interment will be at Ft. Sam Houston cemetery in San Antonio.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.colonialuniversal.com for the Walter family.

Video of Memorial Service

Source: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/universal-city-tx/alonzo-walter-10898681

Walter Alonzo In Aircraft
Album Slideshow
Slideshow
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Wall of Honor Location

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