Wednesday, September 17th

This is your official Air Force Academy History Update for Wednesday, September 17th — 

On this day, back in 1959 — Major General William Stone becomes the Academy’s third Superintendent, taking the reins from Major General James Briggs, who was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed command of the Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. 

…Also on this day, back in 1970 — Captains Steven Melnick and James Wood, both members of the Class of ’65, are killed when their F-4E “Phantom II” aircraft crashes after encountering anti-aircraft fire during a night strike mission southwest of Da Nang, South Vietnam.  Their names appear on the Graduate War Memorial on the Academy Terrazzo. 

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