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)

1966 – Walter Benning

1966 – Bob Hoover

1967 – LT(JG) Dieter Dengler, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1967 – Lt. Col. Eugene P. Deatrich, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF * (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – Col. Robert F. Titus, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – Capt. Billy Phillips, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – CDR Harold Marr, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – Maj. Ronald Heald, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1968 – Capt. Richard Tickner, USAF (AFA Medal of Valor)

1968 – CDR James A. Hill, USN

1968 – Anthony “Tony” Levier

1968 – Richard L. Johnson

1968 – John Konrad

1969 – Lt. Col. Philip P. Combies, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1969 – Maj. Darrell D. Simmonds, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1969 – CDR Marion H. Isaacks, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1969 – CDR Louis C. Page Jr., USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1971 – VADM Thomas J. Walker, USN

1971 – Capt. William S. Gordon III, USAF

1971 – Lt. Col. Jacob W. Moore, USAF

1972 – Senator Barry S. Goldwater

1972 – Maj. Gen. Daniel James Jr., USAF

1972 – Col. Roberto Salido Beltram, Mexican Air Force (Ret)

1972 – Lt. Col. Donald Rodewald, USAF (Ret)

1972 – Capt. R. Steven Ritchie, USAF * (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1972 – Capt. Charles D. DeBellevue, USAF (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1972 – LT Randall “Duke” Cunningham, USN * (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1972 – CMDR Willie Driscoll, USN (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1973 – Gen. George Simler, USAF

1973 – Maj. Gen. William K. Carr, Canadian Armed Forces

1973 – AVM Raymond Collishaw, RAF (Ret)

1973 – Col. James Kasler, USAF * (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1973 – Capt. Jeffrey Feinstein, USAF

1973 – Col. Dyke L. Meyer, USAF

1973 – Hon. John L. Waddy

1973 – William N. Hess

1974 – Senator Howard Cannon

1974 – Brig. Gen. Robinson Risner, USAF* (AFAA Medal of Valor)

1974 – Lt. Col. Royal D. Fry, USAF

1974 – Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness, USAF

1974 – Gen. Robert M. Lee, USAF

1975 – Gen. James Doolittle, USAF (Ret)

1976 – Marvin L. “Lefty” Gardner

1976 – Lloyd P. Nolen

1977 – Lt. Gen. John P. Flynn, USAF (Ret)

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

1979 – Edward H. Heineman

1977 – CAPT Walter Shirra, USN (Ret)

1980 – Maj. Gen. Ralph Maglione, USAF

1980 – Robert L. Stephens

1981 – Col. Leon Grey, USAF (Ret)

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

1982 – RADM Paul E. Pugh, USN

1982 – Brig. Gen. Robert Titus, USAF

1982 – Col. Robert L. Stephens, USAF

1983 – Senator Barry S. Goldwater (second selection)

1984 – Doug Champlin

1985 – Maj. Gen. Charles Cleveland, USAF

1985 – Col. Ken Cordier, USAF

1985 – Col. Ray Toliver, USAF (Ret)

1985 – Marvin Bradburn

1986 – Betty Savage

1986 – Maj. Gen. Richard Pierson, USAF

1986 – Barrett Tillman

1987 – Floreine Lane

1987 – Secretary of the Air Force Vern Orr

1987 – Frank Olynyk

1988 – Gen. Joe Engle, USAF

1989 – Robert E. Cunningham

1989 – Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

1990 – A. Scott Crossfield

1991 – George Gunn

1991 – Tom Friedkin

1992 – Lt. Gen. Joseph H. Moore, USAF (Ret)

1992 – ADM Thomas H. Moorer, USN

1993 – Gen. Mark. E. Bradley, USAF (Ret)

1993 – Col. James W. Boyce Jr., USAF (Ret)

1994 – CAPT Phil Wood, USN (Ret)

1995 – Cook Cleland

1995 – Todd C. Fruen

1996 – Brig. Gen. Benjamin B. Cassiday Jr., USAF (Ret)

1996 – Oliver R. Crawford

1996 – Jeffrey L. Ethell

1997 – J. P. Nelson

1998 – Gen. John Roberts, USAF (Ret)

1999 – Connie Bowlin

1999 – Col. Bruce Hinton, USAF (Ret)

1999 – Dave Ferguson

1999 – Marshall Lehman

2000 – RADM Richard Myers, USN

2000 – Lee Archer

2000 – Linda Finch

2000 – Charlton Heston

2001 – Clifford G. Neve

2002 – Eugene P. Sonnenberg

2003 – James G. Scott

2004 – Roy Grinnell

2005 – Gen. Charles A. Horner, USAF

2005 – Ralph A. Bufano

2006 – Brig. Gen. Robert McDermott, USAF (Ret)

2006 – Mayor Phil Hardberger

2007 – Gloria and Bob Clinton

2008 – Phil W. Schasker

2009 – Carlo Marlow

2010 – Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, USAF (Ret)

2010 – Col. “Bud” Day, USAF (Ret)

2011 – Dennis Scott Thomas

2011 – Gregg Wagner

2012 – Col. Lee Forbes, USAF (Ret)

2012 – Dean Wolff

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

2014 – Gen. Robin Rand, USAF (Ret)

2015 – Harold & Marjean Rubin

2015 – Jon Guttman

2016 – H. Ross Perot

2016 – Paula Clark

2017 – Gen. Mark Welsh, USAF (Ret)

2017 – Ernie Lee

 

*American Fighter Aces Association member