Honorees

Honorees are individuals, military or civilian, who have supported the American Fighter Aces Association (AFAA) in both word and deed, and/or have shown special interest and support of airpower in general and fighter aviation in particular; secondarily, individuals of national prominence or with aerial combat experience who can reasonably be expected to support the AFAA. Honorees may be proposed by any member and selected by the Board of Directors.

1963 – Gen. Laurence Kuter, USAF

1966 – Col. Michael Yunck, USMC (AFAA Medal of Valor), Walter Benning and Bob Hoover

1967 – LT(JG) Dieter Dengler, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor) and Lt. Col. Eugene P. Deatrich, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF * (AFAA Medal of Valor), Col. Robert F. Titus, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor), Capt. Billy Phillips, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor), CDR Harold Marr, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor), Maj. Ronald Heald, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor), Capt. Richard Tickner, USAF (AFA Medal of Valor), CDR James A. Hill, USN, Anthony “Tony” Levier, Richard L. Johnson and John Konrad

1969 – Lt. Col. Philip P. Combies, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor), Maj. Darrell D. Simmonds, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor), CDR Marion H. Isaacks, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor) and CDR Louis C. Page Jr., USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1971 – VADM Thomas J. Walker, USN, Capt. William S. Gordon III, USAF and Lt. Col. Jacob W. Moore, USAF

1972 – Senator Barry S. Goldwater, Maj. Gen. Daniel James Jr., USAF, Col. Roberto Salido Beltram, Mexican Air Force (Ret),  Lt. Col. Donald Rodewald, USAF (Ret), Capt. R. Steven Ritchie, USAF * (AFAA Medal of Valor), Capt. Charles D. DeBellevue, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor), LT Randall “Duke” Cunningham, USN * (AFAA Medal of Valor) and  CMDR Willie Driscoll, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1973 – Gen. George Simler, USAF, Maj. Gen. William K. Carr, Canadian Armed Forces, AVM Raymond Collishaw, RAF (Ret), Col. James Kasler, USAF * (AFAA Medal of Valor), Capt. Jeffrey Feinstein, USAF, Col. Dyke L. Meyer, USAF, Hon. John L. Waddy and William N. Hess

1974 – Senator Howard Cannon, Brig. Gen. Robinson Risner, USAF* (AFAA Medal of Valor), Lt. Col. Royal D. Fry, USAF, Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness, USAF and Gen. Robert M. Lee, USAF

1975 – Gen. James Doolittle, USAF (Ret)

1976 – Marvin L. “Lefty” Gardner and Lloyd P. Nolen

1977 – Lt. Gen. John P. Flynn, USAF (Ret) and CAPT Walter Shirra, USN (Ret)

1978 – Lt. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, USAF (Ret)

1979 – Edward H. Heineman

1980 – Maj. Gen. Ralph Maglione, USAF and Robert L. Stephens

1981 – Col. Leon Grey, USAF (Ret) and Lt. Col. Robert Garlich, USAF (Ret)

1982 – RADM Paul E. Pugh, USN, Brig. Gen. Robert Titus, USAF and Col. Robert L. Stephens, USAF

1983 – Senator Barry S. Goldwater (second selection)

1984 – Doug Champlin

1985 – Maj. Gen. Charles Cleveland, USAF, Col. Ken Cordier, USAF, Col. Ray Toliver, USAF (Ret) and Marvin Bradburn

1986 – Betty Savage, Maj. Gen. Richard Pierson, USAF and Barrett Tillman

1987 – Floreine Lane, Secretary of the Air Force Vern Orr and Frank Olynyk

1988 – Gen. Joe Engle, USAF

1989 – Robert E. Cunningham and Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

1990 – A. Scott Crossfield

1991 – George Gunn and Tom Friedkin

1992 – Lt. Gen. Joseph H. Moore, USAF (Ret) and ADM Thomas H. Moorer, USN

1993 – Gen. Mark. E. Bradley, USAF (Ret) and Col. James W. Boyce Jr., USAF (Ret)

1994 – CAPT Phil Wood, USN (Ret)

1995 – Cook Cleland and Todd C. Fruen

1996 – Brig. Gen. Benjamin B. Cassiday Jr., USAF (Ret), Oliver R. Crawford and Jeffrey L. Ethell

1997 – J. P. Nelson

1998 – Gen. John Roberts, USAF (Ret)

1999 – Connie Bowlin, Col. Bruce Hinton, USAF (Ret), Dave Ferguson and Marshall Lehman

2000 – RADM Richard Myers, USN, Lee Archer, Linda Finch and Charlton Heston

2001 – Clifford G. Neve

2002 – Eugene P. Sonnenberg

2003 – James G. Scott

2004 – Roy Grinnell

2005 – Gen. Charles A. Horner, USAF and Ralph A. Bufano

2006 – Brig. Gen. Robert McDermott, USAF (Ret) and Mayor Phil Hardberger

2007 – Gloria and Bob Clinton

2008 – Phil W. Schasker

2009 – Carlo Marlow

2010 – Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, USAF (Ret) and Col. “Bud” Day, USAF (Ret)

2011 – Dennis Scott Thomas and Gregg Wagner

2012 – Col. Lee Forbes, USAF (Ret) and Dean Wolff

2013 – Col. Bruce R. Crandall, USA (Ret)

2014 – Gen. Robin Rand, USAF (Ret)

2015 – Harold & Marjean Rubin and Jon Guttman

2016 – H. Ross Perot and Paula Clark

2017 – Gen. Mark Welsh, USAF (Ret) and Ernie Lee

2018 – Maj. Gen. Robert Butcher and Doug Matthews

2019 – Tom Dwelle, Ed Garland, Chris Mann and Bryan Miller

2021 – Sue Cleveland

2022 – Rick Emshoff, Irene Grinnell, Sharon Stone Cunningham and Randall Stillinger

*American Fighter Aces Association member