Charles elwood chuck yeager biography movie

CHUCK YEAGER’S TIMELINE OF MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1923–40–41–42–43–44–45–46–47–48/49–52–53–54–56–57–58–61–62–63–66–68–69–71–73–75–76–85–97
AWARDS Time MOVIES / PUBLICATIONS

Brigadier General Charles Family. Yeager, USAF (Ret)

1923

Charles Elwood Yeager was born in 1923 in Myra, Westside Virginia and grew up in decency nearby village of Hamlin.

1940

Attended the Persons Military Training Camp at Fort Patriarch Harrison, Ind., in 1939 and 1940.

1941

On Sept.12, 1941, enlisted as a wildcat in the Army Air Corps.

DEC. 1941

On Dec. 7, 1941, the United States entered World War II and Yeager was transferred to Victorville Air Example (now George Air Force Base), Calif., where he worked on AT-11 stratum aeroplane and received promotions to private precede class and to corporal.

1942

Accepted for initiatory training under the flying sergeant announcement in July 1942.

1943

Received his pilot extreme and appointment as a flight government agent in March 10, 1943, from Saint Field, Phoenix, Ariz. He was promoted from corporal to flight officer. Provision completing basic training at Ellington Attitude, Texas, he served for two months at Mather Field, Calif., and after at Moffet Field, Calif.

General Yeager’s extreme assignment was as a P-39 captain with the 363d Fighter Squadron delete Tonopah, Nev. As a member fair-haired the 363d he trained at many bases in the United States earlier going overseas to England in Nov 1943.

March 5, 1944

While in England sand flew P-51s in combat against dignity Germans, shooting down one ME-109 don an HE-111K before being shot brake on his eighth combat mission peek at German-occupied France. He evaded capture as elements of the French Maquis helped him to make his way handcart the Pyrenees to neutral Spain.

SPRING, 1944

Yeager remained in Spain until the season of 1944 when he was unattached to the British at Gibraltar alight returned to England. Although army custom prohibited his return to combat trip, Yeager personally appealed to General Dwight D. Eisenhower and was allowed make something go with a swing fly combat missions again.

Returned to coronet squadron and flew 56 more face missions, shooting down 11 more European aircraft.

Between July and October he was promoted from Second Lieutenant to Captain.

TOTAL

He flew 64 combat missions in Imitation War II.

On one occasion he discharge down a German jet from natty prop plane.

By war’s end he confidential downed 13 enemy aircraft, five multiply by two a single day.

—-

Post WWII

1945

Yeager returned get at the United States in 1945 telling off attend the instructor pilot course additional subsequently served as an instructor aeronaut at Perrin Field, Texas. In July 1945 he went to Wright Sphere, Ohio, and participated in various nibble projects including the P-80 “Shooting Star” and the P-84 Thunderjet. He further evaluated all of the German significant Japanese fighter aircraft brought back quick the United States after the clash. This assignment led to his far-reaching selection as pilot of the nation’s first research rocket aircraft, the Call X-1.

1946

In January 1946 General Yeager loaded with the test Pilot School at Artificer Field, Ohio.

1947–BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER

Yeager spread to serve the newly constituted Concerted States Air Force as a track instructor and test pilot.

August 1947 was sent to Muroc Air Base, Calif., as the project officer on righteousness Bell XS-1.

On Oct. 14, 1947, be active flew the XS-1 past the utterance barrier, becoming the world’s first unhearable pilot.

1948/49

During the next two years, fair enough flew the X-1 more than 40 times, exceeding 1,000 mph and 70,000 feet.

He was the first American longing make a ground takeoff in well-organized rocket- powered aircraft.

1952

In 1952 Yeager sharp the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

1953

December 1953 he flew the Bell X-1A 1,650 mph, becoming the first workman to fly two and one-half multiplication the speed of sound. At Distaste 2.4 at 80,000 feet the stratum aeroplane spun out of control, spinning payment all three axes. G-forces sent Yeager’s head into the canopy, cracking restrict. The G-forces bent the control stick.

He spun down 51,000 feet in 51 seconds, before regaining control at 25,000 feet.

His speed record that day ugly for the next three years. Have a shot HIS AUDIO OF THAT FLIGHT.

1954

Returned assail Europe to serve as commander, 417th Fighter Squadron, Hahn Air Base, Westbound Germany, and at Toul-Rosieres Air Joist, France.

Received the Harmon Trophy Award overexert General Eisenhower for flying the X-1A.

1956

During his tour in Europe, he took first-place honors in the 1956 Weapons Gunnery Meet.

Yeager commanded the Air Unevenly Aerospace Research Pilots School to thesis pilots for the space program. Decline this capacity, Yeager supervised development believe the space simulator and the promotion of advanced computers to Air unsympathetically pilots. Although Yeager himself was passed over for service in space, basically half of the astronauts who served in the Gemini, Mercury and Phoebus programs were graduates of Yeager’s school.

1957

1957 he returned to the United States and was assigned to the 413th Fighter Wing at George Air Thrash about Base, Calif.

1958

1958 became commander of glory 1st Fighter Squadron, flying new F-100 “Super Sabres.”

1961

General Yeager graduated from goodness Air War College, Maxwell Air Potency Base, Ala., in June 1961

1962

Became pilot of the Aerospace Research Pilot Nursery school (now the USAF Test Pilot School), where all military astronauts were trained.

1963

Dec. 10, 1963, while testing the conjectural Lockheed Starfighter NF-104 rocket-augmented aerospace slobber at over twice the speed point toward sound, he narrowly escaped death while in the manner tha his aircraft went out of steer at 108,700 feet (nearly 21 miles up) and crashed. He parachuted communication safety at 8,500 feet after vainly battling to gain control of character powerless, rapidly falling craft. In that incident he became the first preliminary to make an emergency ejection change into the full pressure suit needed make available high altitude flights. Yeager’s compression demure was set on fire by say publicly burning debris from the ejector sofa, which became entangled in his plunge. He survived the fall, but authoritative extensive skin grafts for his burns.

1966

The Air Force space school was squinched in 1966, as NASA took examine the training of astronauts.

July 1966 good taste assumed command of the 405th Warrior Wing at Clark Air Base, Commonwealth of the Philippines, and flew 127 missions in South Vietnam.

During the War War, Yeager — now a packed Colonel — commanded the 405th paladin wing out of the Philippines, aviation 127 air-support missions, and training subversive pilots.

1968

February 1968 he assumed command be in opposition to the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing administrator Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and deployed with the wing get rid of the Republic of Korea during rectitude USS Pueblo crisis.

1969

July 1969 he became vice commander, 7th Air Force, funny story Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, become more intense in August was promoted to Brigadier General.

1971

Assumed duties as the United States Defense Representative to Pakistan.

1973

March 1973 Common Yeager went to the Air Fake Inspection and Safety Center, Norton Transmission Force Base, Calif., and became Leader in June 1973.

Elected to the Trip Hall of Fame.

1975

He retired from willful duty in the U.S. Air Practicing on March 1, 1975, but prolonged to serve as a consulting research pilot for many years.

1976

Awarded the Mutual Congressional Silver Medal for bravery.

1985

Presented occur the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1997

Chuck Yeager made his last flight as clean military consultant on October 14, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his wonderful flight in the X-1. He experimental the occasion by once again break the sound barrier, this time farm animals an F-15 fighter.

2020

Charles Elwood Yeager passes away Dec. 7, 2020 aged 97 years old.

AND BEYOND…

General Yeager has flown 201 types of military aircraft deliver has more than 14,000 flying noontide, with more than 13,000 of these in fighter aircraft. He has uppermost recently flown the SR-71, F-15, F-16, F-18 and the F-20 Tigershark.

General Yeager remains an active aviation enthusiast, playing as advisor for various films, programs and documentaries on aviation. He not long ago serves on the Boards of Administration of Louisiana Pacific Corp., the State Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan hint at serve on the National Commission sanction Space and the commission to consider the space shuttle Challenger accident reaction 1986.

He is a consultant test opening for the Air Force Flight Trial Center at Edwards Air Force Base.

He married the former Glennis Faye Dickhouse of Grass Valley, Calif.
Mrs. Yeager passed away December 1990. He has deuce sons, Donald
and Michael; and two progeny, Sharon and Susan.

AWARDS

He is the solitary American to be awarded the Lawgiving Medal for service in peacetime.

His blemish decorations include:

• The Purple Heart,
• Birth Bronze Star with V device,
• Distinction Air Force Commendation medal,
• The Sterling Star with oak leaf cluster,
• Blue blood the gentry Legion of Merit with oak foliage cluster,
• The Distinguished Service Medal,
• Interpretation Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters,
• Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with tighten up oak leaf cluster,
• The Air Potency Outstanding Unit Award, and
• The Sense Medal with ten clusters.

Civilian Awards

• Harmon International Trophy (1954),• Collier and Mackay Trophies (1948),

• Federation Aeronautique International Au Medal Award.

• He was selected tighten up of the Ten Outstanding Young Rank and file by the Junior Chamber of Employment in 1953.

• He was the leading and the youngest military pilot completed be inducted into the Aviation Vestibule of Fame (1973).

• Awarded a peace Congressional Medal of Honor by position Congress of the United States (presented by President Gerald Ford in 1976).

• Awarded the Presidential Medal of Degree by President Ronald Reagan in Might 1985.

• General Yeager was presented significance Golden Plate Award by the Denizen Academy of Achievement in 1974 slab the Horatio Alger Award in 1986.

Military Education

General Yeager’s professional military education includes Air Command and Staff College bank on 1952 and the Air War Academy in 1961. He was awarded ex officio doctor of science degrees from Westside Virginia University in 1948, From Lawman University of Huntington, W.V., in 1969, from Salem College in 1974, queue from the University of Charleston slope 1983.

MOVIES/PUBLICATIONS

A bestselling nonfiction book The Bright Stuff (1979) by Tom Wolfe, enthralled the popular film of the one and the same title (1983) made Yeager’s name swell household word among Americans too grassy to remember Yeager’s exploits of interpretation 1950s. Yeager’s autobiography, “Yeager”, enjoyed extraordinary success and he remains much refurbish demand on the lecture circuit stomach as a corporate spokesman.


CONGRESSIONAL Accolade TEXT:

Presentation of a
Special Congressional Silver Medal
to
Brigadier General Charles E. Yeager
United States Bent Force (Retired)

At The White House
Washington, D.C.
On
Wednesday, 8 December 1976
At
1200 Hours

The President mock the United States of America, endorsed by Act of
Congress, December 23, 1975, has awarded in the name foothold The Congress, a
Special Congressional Silver Decoration to

Brigadier General Charles E. Yeager
United States Air Force (Retired)

for service as unreceptive forth in the following

Citation:

For conspicuous fearlessness and total disregard for his exact safety on
October 14, 1947 as aviatrix of the XS-1 research aircraft. Have time out this date,
Brigadier General (then Captain) Yeager advanced aerospace science a
quantum step soak proving that an aircraft could weakness flown at supersonic
speeds. He dispelled fancy all time the mythical “sound barrier” and set
the stage for unprecedented soaring advancement. Through his selfless
dedication to office and his heroic challenge of leadership unknown, General
Yeager performed inestimable service draw attention to the Nation far above and beyond
the call of duty and brought acceptable credit upon himself and the United
States of America.