Legends inducted into Space, Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kate Rust
  • Air Force Space Command Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  One man was a nuclear physicist who led the Air Force to create a command dedicated to space, while the second is an aviation legend famous for flying airplanes into space, and together they entered the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame Aug. 8 here.

The 2007 Space and Missile Pioneer honorees are retired Gen. Lew Allen Jr. and Air Force and Air National Guard retired Maj. Gen. Joe H. Engle.

Inductees of the past and present, whose accomplishments formed the basis upon which Air Force Space Command now operates, were met with cheers and applause from more than 200 guests and headquarters members gathered at the Hartinger Building. 

"You can clearly see the impact these individuals have had in their professional careers on what we do at Air Force Space Command," said Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, the AFSPC commander. "Their foundational work got us where we are today. Just as importantly, it's still enabling where we're going in the future."

The Air Force and National Space Club unofficially initiated the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award in May 1989. Ten honorees received the award at that time. The award was formalized into an official Air Force award in 1997, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Air Force and the 15th anniversary of the Air Force Space Command. Since then a select few have been honored with the award each year.

General Allen was the 10th Air Force chief of staff, named to the position in 1978. During his tenure, he kept the global positioning satellite program on track when skeptics tried to kill it, according to the AFSPC History Office. As a member of Joint Chiefs of Staff, he contributed to deliberations on the SALT II agreement and the proper balance between long-range missiles and bombers. Before retiring from active duty June 30, 1982, he oversaw the approval process for establishment of the Air Force Space Command.

"General Lew Allen was recognized for his contributions to the Air Force and rose (it) to its highest levels," General Chilton said. "(He was) a leader who made a difference from the time he was a junior officer. He made things happen in the Air Force, not just in space and not just in missiles, but in the air-breathing world as well, that are still significant today in the way we operate as an Air Force."

General Engle is known for his skill at flying airplanes and spacecraft. He entered the history books June 29, 1965, when he flew the X-15 experimental aircraft to an altitude of 280,600 feet, becoming the youngest person, at age 32, ever to qualify officially as an astronaut, and one of only eight men to qualify for astronaut wings by flying an airplane into space.

"He's one of the individuals in the history of the Air Force who has bridged these two domains (air and space)," General Chilton said. "He spent more time operating in a domain between 100,000 feet and 400,000 feet than probably anybody alive on the planet today."

By the time he retired from Air Force active duty, General Engle had accumulated 224 hours in space and held the unique distinction of being the only person to have flown two entirely different winged space vehicles -- the X-15 and the space shuttle.

"I am honored and truly humbled to even be considered to stand among these legends and these giants of our space and missile heritage," General Engle said. "It is truly one of the highest honors one can receive to be recognized by one's peers." He indicated when those peers were the members of the Air Force, "it elevates the honor even higher." 

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