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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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Woodson, Richard E. – KIA

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  • Woodson, Richard E. – KIA

Richard Eugene Woodson - KIA

Preferred Name: Dick
Date of Birth: October 10, 1938
Highest Military Grade: 0-3 – Captain
Hometown: Winchester, IL
Headed West Date: August 1, 1967
Biography
Pilot Information

Retired Army Capt. Jon F. Myhre remembers the day Dick Woodson helped to save his life. “On 26 March 1967, my Army Huey helicopter was shot down in the Mekong Delta, 300-feet in front of treeline containing over 300 enemy soldiers. F-100 pilots CPT Richard E. Woodson and 1LT James V. Fiorelli, 531st TFS, (RAMROD 1) made numerous bombing and strafing runs on the Viet Cong emplacements. Their precision strikes kept the VC at bay, and I was eventually rescued. They saved my life, and I owe them a debt of gratitude. I hope their families are able to read this heartfelt “Thank You” from an old Army guy.”

Richard E. Woodson was born on October 10, 1938, in Winchester, IL. He had enlisted in the Air Force and entered via Regular Military.  He began his tour on October 17, 1966, serving with the 531st TFS out of Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam. (2) On a mission to support a USN Fuel Dump over Phong Dinh Province, Dick’s F-100 was hit by gunfire and crashed.

Richard is buried at Camp Butler National Cemetery and honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 24e, Line 65.

At the time of his death, Richard was married with two children.

Sources:(1) wwmf.org; (2) Honorstates.org

Units Assigned

  • 10/10/1966-8/1/1967 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron,  3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam (F-100)

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Purple Heart
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Vietnam Campaign Medal
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Vietnam Service Medal
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Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
AF Good Conduct Medal
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