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
Captain Courtney Edward Weissmueller, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Florida, served with the 306th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing. On February 12, 1967, Capt Weissmueller departed Tuy Hoa Air Base piloting an F-100 Super Sabre (tail number 563451, call sign “Limit 83”) as the third aircraft in a flight of three on a combat mission over Laos.
As Capt Weissmueller’s F-100 pulled out of its first attack run, the left wing separated from the aircraft and burst into flames. Observers saw the aircraft disintegrate in mid-air, with numerous fragments flying off from it before the fuselage hit a riverbank and burned out in the vicinity of grid coordinates YB 387 206.
The other aircraft in the flight conducted a low altitude search, and two Army UH-1s also searched the area; however since no ejection had been seen by any of the flight members and no emergency beeper signals were received, no search and rescue attempt was initiated. While in Missing-in-Action status, Capt Weissmueller was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col). (1)
Courtney Edward Weissmueller has a grave marker at Arlington National Cemetery and is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. He is also honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 15e, Line 23.
Sources: HonorStates.org; (1) POWnetwork.org
