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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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Wiechert, Robert C. – KIA

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  • Wiechert, Robert C. – KIA

Robert Charles Wiechert - KIA

Preferred Name: Robert
Nickname/Call Sign: Blade 32
Date of Birth: September 3, 1930
Highest Military Grade: 0-4 – Major
Hometown: West Jordan, UT
Headed West Date: November 16, 1968
Biography
Pilot Information
Album

“Major Robert Charles Wiechert entered the U.S. Air Force from Utah and served in the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing.

On November 16, 1968, he was piloting a single-seat F-100D Super Sabre (tail number 55-3653, call sign “Blade 32”) as the second in a flight of two aircraft out of Phan Rang Air Force Base for a mission over South Vietnam.

As the two aircraft were en route to the target area, their forward air controller radioed to abort the mission due to bad weather. The flight then headed to Cam Ranh Bay and made radio contact with the Cam Ranh Bay control sector.

Seconds after making contact, Maj Wiechert radioed that he was in trouble. His flight leader looked and saw “Blade 32″ in a descending turn. The leader then radioed for Maj Wiechert to fly by instruments in an attempt to regain control of his aircraft, and if he could not, to eject.

Then, while over (GC) 49P CP 430 270, Maj Wiechert radioed to say he had broken out of some clouds and was upside down. He made no further contact and was not seen again. Immediate search and rescue operations by his flight leader and surface ships found no sign of Maj Wiechert or his aircraft, and further attempts to locate him or his remains were unsuccessful.” (1)

Robert Charles Wiechert has a military stone in his honor at Memorial Gardens of the Valley in Sandy, UT. (Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery). He is also memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 39w, Line 76.

 

Sources: Info/Photos – HonorStates.org; (1) POWnetwork.org

Units Assigned

  • 11/16/1968  615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force, Phan Rang AB, Vietnam (F-100)

Awards & Decorations

Air Medal
Air Medal
Korean Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Republic Of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea Presidential Citation
Republic Of Korea Korean War Service Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
United Nations 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

Wiechert, Robert 2
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