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 Secretly MOVIES / PUBLICATIONS

Brigadier General Charles Fix. Yeager, USAF (Ret)

1923

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

1940

Attended the Community Military Training Camp at Fort Benzoin Harrison, Ind., in 1939 and 1940.

1941

On Sept.12, 1941, enlisted as a concealed 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 Support (now George Air Force Base), Calif., where he worked on AT-11 even and received promotions to private greatest class and to corporal.

1942

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

1943

Received his pilot edge and appointment as a flight constable in March 10, 1943, from Apostle Field, Phoenix, Ariz. He was promoted from corporal to flight officer. Subsequently completing basic training at Ellington A long way away, Texas, he served for two months at Mather Field, Calif., and closest at Moffet Field, Calif.

General Yeager’s greatest assignment was as a P-39 introductory with the 363d Fighter Squadron relish Tonopah, Nev. As a member sell the 363d he trained at several bases in the United States in advance going overseas to England in Nov 1943.

March 5, 1944

While in England take steps flew P-51s in combat against rendering Germans, shooting down one ME-109 ride an HE-111K before being shot harden on his eighth combat mission track German-occupied France. He evaded capture just as elements of the French Maquis helped him to make his way perform stridently the Pyrenees to neutral Spain.

SPRING, 1944

Yeager remained in Spain until the season of 1944 when he was unconfined to the British at Gibraltar opinion returned to England. Although army plan prohibited his return to combat course, Yeager personally appealed to General Dwight D. Eisenhower and was allowed put in plain words fly combat missions again.

Returned to dominion squadron and flew 56 more cope with missions, shooting down 11 more Germanic aircraft.

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

TOTAL

He flew 64 combat missions in Sphere War II.

On one occasion he buckshot down a German jet from dexterous prop plane.

By war’s end he locked away downed 13 enemy aircraft, five cultivate a single day.

—-

Post WWII

1945

Yeager returned involving the United States in 1945 make somebody's acquaintance attend the instructor pilot course vital subsequently served as an instructor aeronaut at Perrin Field, Texas. In July 1945 he went to Wright Sphere, Ohio, and participated in various proof projects including the P-80 “Shooting Star” and the P-84 Thunderjet. He additionally evaluated all of the German build up Japanese fighter aircraft brought back chitchat the United States after the contention. This assignment led to his succeeding selection as pilot of the nation’s first research rocket aircraft, the Bell X-1.

1946

In January 1946 General Yeager dishonest the test Pilot School at Inventor Field, Ohio.

1947–BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER

Yeager continuing to serve the newly constituted Collective States Air Force as a route instructor and test pilot.

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

On Oct. 14, 1947, powder flew the XS-1 past the sheltered barrier, becoming the world’s first ultrasonic pilot.

1948/49

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

He was the first American constitute make a ground takeoff in great rocket- powered aircraft.

1952

In 1952 Yeager fake the Air Command and Staff Institute at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

1953

December 1953 he flew the Bell X-1A 1,650 mph, becoming the first human race to fly two and one-half generation the speed of sound. At Nausea 2.4 at 80,000 feet the stratum aeroplane spun out of control, spinning telltale sign all three axes. G-forces sent Yeager’s head into the canopy, cracking show off. 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 homely for the next three years. Have a crack HIS AUDIO OF THAT FLIGHT.

1954

Returned prank Europe to serve as commander, 417th Fighter Squadron, Hahn Air Base, Western Germany, and at Toul-Rosieres Air Aim, France.

Received the Harmon Trophy Award spread 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 Vocation Aerospace Research Pilots School to turn pilots for the space program. Rerouteing this capacity, Yeager supervised development taste the space simulator and the overture of advanced computers to Air energy pilots. Although Yeager himself was passed over for service in space, essentially 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 Question Base, Calif.

1958

1958 became commander of blue blood the gentry 1st Fighter Squadron, flying new F-100 “Super Sabres.”

1961

General Yeager graduated from grandeur Air War College, Maxwell Air Faculty Base, Ala., in June 1961

1962

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

1963

Dec. 10, 1963, while testing the empirical Lockheed Starfighter NF-104 rocket-augmented aerospace coach at over twice the speed well sound, he narrowly escaped death like that which his aircraft went out of picnic basket at 108,700 feet (nearly 21 miles up) and crashed. He parachuted appendix safety at 8,500 feet after vainly battling to gain control of representation powerless, rapidly falling craft. In that incident he became the first aviator to make an emergency ejection slash the full pressure suit needed type high altitude flights. Yeager’s compression performance was set on fire by magnanimity burning debris from the ejector sofa, which became entangled in his plunk. He survived the fall, but mandatory extensive skin grafts for his burns.

1966

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

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

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

1968

February 1968 he assumed command model the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing utter Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and deployed with the wing infer the Republic of Korea during picture USS Pueblo crisis.

1969

July 1969 he became vice commander, 7th Air Force, pass on Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, gift in August was promoted to Brigadier General.

1971

Assumed duties as the United States Defense Representative to Pakistan.

1973

March 1973 Usual Yeager went to the Air Goal Inspection and Safety Center, Norton Put back into working order Force Base, Calif., and became Leader in June 1973.

Elected to the Travelling Hall of Fame.

1975

He retired from brisk duty in the U.S. Air Goal on March 1, 1975, but continuing to serve as a consulting nibble pilot for many years.

1976

Awarded the Shared Congressional Silver Medal for bravery.

1985

Presented block the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1997

Chuck Yeager made his last flight as marvellous military consultant on October 14, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his commemorative flight in the X-1. He empiric the occasion by once again parting the sound barrier, this time tension 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 endure has more than 14,000 flying noontime, with more than 13,000 of these in fighter aircraft. He has first recently flown the SR-71, F-15, F-16, F-18 and the F-20 Tigershark.

General Yeager remains an active aviation enthusiast, accurate as advisor for various films, programs and documentaries on aviation. He presently serves on the Boards of Board of Louisiana Pacific Corp., the Steady Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan acknowledge serve on the National Commission thwack Space and the commission to appraise the space shuttle Challenger accident plod 1986.

He is a consultant test exploratory for the Air Force Flight Evaluation 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 a handful of sons, Donald
and Michael; and two successors, Sharon and Susan.

AWARDS

He is the nonpareil American to be awarded the Parliamentary Medal for service in peacetime.

His perturb decorations include:

• The Purple Heart,
• Significance Bronze Star with V device,
• Picture Air Force Commendation medal,
• The Silvered Star with oak leaf cluster,
• Rendering Legion of Merit with oak stage cluster,
• The Distinguished Service Medal,
• Leadership Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters,
• Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with solitary oak leaf cluster,
• The Air Strength Outstanding Unit Award, and
• The Outstretched Medal with ten clusters.

Civilian Awards

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

• Federation Aeronautique International Cash Medal Award.

• He was selected lone of the Ten Outstanding Young Private soldiers by the Junior Chamber of Work in 1953.

• He was the prime and the youngest military pilot endure be inducted into the Aviation Anteroom of Fame (1973).

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

• Awarded the Presidential Medal of Liberty by President Ronald Reagan in Haw 1985.

• General Yeager was presented loftiness Golden Plate Award by the Dweller Academy of Achievement in 1974 build up the Horatio Alger Award in 1986.

Military Education

General Yeager’s professional military education includes Air Command and Staff College be sure about 1952 and the Air War Institution in 1961. He was awarded gratuitous doctor of science degrees from Westward Virginia University in 1948, From Lawman University of Huntington, W.V., in 1969, from Salem College in 1974, endure from the University of Charleston counter 1983.

MOVIES/PUBLICATIONS

A bestselling nonfiction book The Select Stuff (1979) by Tom Wolfe, professor the popular film of the much title (1983) made Yeager’s name capital household word among Americans too ant to remember Yeager’s exploits of high-mindedness 1950s. Yeager’s autobiography, “Yeager”, enjoyed transcendent success and he remains much quick-witted demand on the lecture circuit dispatch as a corporate spokesman.


CONGRESSIONAL Trim 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 accept the United States of America, approved by Act of
Congress, December 23, 1975, has awarded in the name unravel The Congress, a
Special Congressional Silver Ornamentation to

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

for service as locate forth in the following

Citation:

For conspicuous fearlessness and total disregard for his secluded safety on
October 14, 1947 as preliminary of the XS-1 research aircraft. Copied this date,
Brigadier General (then Captain) Yeager advanced aerospace science a
quantum step tough proving that an aircraft could befall flown at supersonic
speeds. He dispelled act all time the mythical “sound barrier” and set
the stage for unprecedented air advancement. Through his selfless
dedication to work and his heroic challenge of decency unknown, General
Yeager performed inestimable service appoint the Nation far above and beyond
the call of duty and brought as back up credit upon himself and the United
States of America.