Chuck Yeager retraces history, breaking the speed of sound -- again

Chuck Yeager retraced history on Sunday, 65 years to the minute, as the first test pilot to break the sound barrier, taking to the skies once again to fly faster than the speed of sound.

The 89-year-old Yeager broke the sound barrier in a U.S. Air Force F-15 at 10:24 a.m. over the Mojave Desert, the same location where he first flew past Mach 1 on October 14, 1947, the military said in a statement.

Yeager possessed outstanding eyesight (rated as 20/10, once enabling him to shoot a deer at 600 yards (550 m)[7]), flying skills, and combat leadership; he distinguished himself by becoming the first pilot in his group to make "ace in a day:" During WWII he shot down five enemy aircraft in one mission, finishing the war with 11.5 official victories, including one of the first air-to-air victories over a jet fighter (a German Messerschmitt Me 262). Two of his "ace in a day" kills were scored without firing a single shot; he flew into firing position against a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the pilot of the aircraft panicked, breaking to starboard and colliding with his wingman; Yeager later reported both pilots bailed out.   You can read the full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/us/nevada-yeager-anniversary-flight/index.html?hpt=hp_c3



Basil Plumley, Army veteran of 3 wars, dies at 92

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Basil L. Plumley, who fought in some of the U.S. Army's bloodiest battles in three wars, died Wednesday in Columbus, Georgia. He was 92.  Plumley enlisted in the US Army on March 31, 1942, as a private. Plumley was a veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He was a member of the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, with which he made 4 combat jumps and was awarded medals. He confirms this during interviews conducted with author Phil Nordyke, who has written 4 books relating to the 82nd Airborne Division in WWII. He went on to make one combat jump in Korea with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. He retired as a Command Sergeant Major on December 31, 1974, having been awarded 28 different medals (40 total) in almost 33 years of service. After his retirement, he worked 15 more years for the Army as a civilian in administration at Martin Army Community Hospital (Fort Benning, Georgia), retiring again in 1990.