X-15 Pilot. Major General White attended public school in New York, earned a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from New York University in 1951 and a masters in business administration from George Washington University. In 1959 he graduated from the Air Command and Staff College. In November 1942 he began active military service as an aviation cadet and received his pilot wings and promotion to second lieutenant in February 1944. During World War II he flew with the 355th Fighter Group in Europe, flying the P-51 from July 1944 until his 52nd Mission in February 1945 when he was shot down over Germany. Captured he was a prisoner of war until release in April 1945. He left active duty in December 1945, and became a member of the Air Force Reserve at Mitchel Air Force Base, New York while attending New York University. Due to the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty in May 1951 as a pilot and engineering officer with the 514th Troop Carrier Wing at Mitchel Air Force Base, New York. In February 1952 he was assigned as a fighter pilot and flight commander with the 40th Fighter Squadron, based near Tokyo, Japan. In August 1953 he returned from overseas to serve as a systems engineer at Rome Air Development Center, Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. In June 1954 he transferred to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he attended the United States Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School. He served as a test pilot and deputy chief of the Flight Test Operations Division, and later as assistant chief of the Manned Spacecraft Operations Branch. During this period he piloted research flights in the X-15 aircraft. On November 9, 1961, he became the first man to fly a winged craft six times faster than the speed of sound when he flew his X-15 at 4,093 miles per hour. He was the first man to fly Mach 4, Mach 5 and Mach 6. He became the first man to fly above 200,000 feet and the first to fly above 300,000 feet. He was the first to exceed 3,000 miles per hour. On July 17, 1962, he flew the rocket-powered X-15 aircraft 59.6 miles above the earth. For this feat, he won the Air Force rating of winged astronaut, the first winged aircraft pilot to earn astronaut wings. At that time this made him the fifth United States astronaut. In October 1963 he returned to Germany, where he served as operations officer for the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg, and later as commander of the 53d Tactical Fighter Squadron. He returned to the United States in August 1965 to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, District of Columbia and graduated a year later. He was transferred to Air Force Systems Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as chief of the Tactical Systems Office, F-111 Systems Program Office. In May 1967 he received a Southeast Asia assignment as deputy commander for operations, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. He completed 70 combat missions in F-105 aircraft over North Vietnam. In October 1967 he became chief, attack division, Directorate of Combat Operations at Seventh Air Force Headquarters, Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam. He returned to the United States and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in June 1968, where he served as director of the F-15 Systems Program in the Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command. In August 1970 he assumed duties as commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he was responsible for research and developmental flight testing of manned and unmanned aerospace vehicles, aircraft systems, deceleration devices and for the Air Force Test Pilot School. During his tenure as commander, testing was begun on such important programs as the F-15 Air Superiority Fighter, the A-X ground attack aircraft, and the Airborne Warning and Control System known as AWACS. In October 1971 he completed the Naval Test Parachutist course and was awarded parachutist's wings. In November 1972 he assumed duties as commandant, Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He became chief of staff of the Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force in March 1975. His military decorations and awards include the Air Force Cross which is the second highest Air Force medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with three oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with four oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 16 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with "V" device which indicates combat or direct combat support actions. For his achievements in the X-15 aircraft, he received the Harmon International Aviators Trophy, the Collier Trophy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Distinguished Service Medal. He was promoted to the grade of Major General effective February 12, 1975, with date of rank July 1, 1972. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. On December 16, 2005 he was inducted into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame alongside Brigadier General Paul Tibbets and Chalmers H. "Slick" Goodlin at the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland, Florida. His Air Force Cross citation reads as: "The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, awards the Air Force Cross to Colonel Robert M. White, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-105 Mission Commander near Hanoi, North Vietnam, on 11 August 1967. On that date, Colonel White led the entire combat force against a key railroad and highway bridge in the vicinity of Hanoi. In spite of 14 surface-to-air missile launches, MIG interceptor attacks, and intense antiaircraft artillery fire, he gallantly led the attack. By being the first aircraft to dive through the dark clouds of bursting flak, Colonel White set an example that inspired the remaining attacking force to destroy the bridge without a single aircraft being lost to the hostile gunners. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Colonel White reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."
X-15 Pilot. Major General White attended public school in New York, earned a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from New York University in 1951 and a masters in business administration from George Washington University. In 1959 he graduated from the Air Command and Staff College. In November 1942 he began active military service as an aviation cadet and received his pilot wings and promotion to second lieutenant in February 1944. During World War II he flew with the 355th Fighter Group in Europe, flying the P-51 from July 1944 until his 52nd Mission in February 1945 when he was shot down over Germany. Captured he was a prisoner of war until release in April 1945. He left active duty in December 1945, and became a member of the Air Force Reserve at Mitchel Air Force Base, New York while attending New York University. Due to the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty in May 1951 as a pilot and engineering officer with the 514th Troop Carrier Wing at Mitchel Air Force Base, New York. In February 1952 he was assigned as a fighter pilot and flight commander with the 40th Fighter Squadron, based near Tokyo, Japan. In August 1953 he returned from overseas to serve as a systems engineer at Rome Air Development Center, Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. In June 1954 he transferred to Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he attended the United States Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School. He served as a test pilot and deputy chief of the Flight Test Operations Division, and later as assistant chief of the Manned Spacecraft Operations Branch. During this period he piloted research flights in the X-15 aircraft. On November 9, 1961, he became the first man to fly a winged craft six times faster than the speed of sound when he flew his X-15 at 4,093 miles per hour. He was the first man to fly Mach 4, Mach 5 and Mach 6. He became the first man to fly above 200,000 feet and the first to fly above 300,000 feet. He was the first to exceed 3,000 miles per hour. On July 17, 1962, he flew the rocket-powered X-15 aircraft 59.6 miles above the earth. For this feat, he won the Air Force rating of winged astronaut, the first winged aircraft pilot to earn astronaut wings. At that time this made him the fifth United States astronaut. In October 1963 he returned to Germany, where he served as operations officer for the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg, and later as commander of the 53d Tactical Fighter Squadron. He returned to the United States in August 1965 to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, District of Columbia and graduated a year later. He was transferred to Air Force Systems Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as chief of the Tactical Systems Office, F-111 Systems Program Office. In May 1967 he received a Southeast Asia assignment as deputy commander for operations, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. He completed 70 combat missions in F-105 aircraft over North Vietnam. In October 1967 he became chief, attack division, Directorate of Combat Operations at Seventh Air Force Headquarters, Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam. He returned to the United States and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in June 1968, where he served as director of the F-15 Systems Program in the Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command. In August 1970 he assumed duties as commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he was responsible for research and developmental flight testing of manned and unmanned aerospace vehicles, aircraft systems, deceleration devices and for the Air Force Test Pilot School. During his tenure as commander, testing was begun on such important programs as the F-15 Air Superiority Fighter, the A-X ground attack aircraft, and the Airborne Warning and Control System known as AWACS. In October 1971 he completed the Naval Test Parachutist course and was awarded parachutist's wings. In November 1972 he assumed duties as commandant, Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He became chief of staff of the Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force in March 1975. His military decorations and awards include the Air Force Cross which is the second highest Air Force medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with three oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with four oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 16 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with "V" device which indicates combat or direct combat support actions. For his achievements in the X-15 aircraft, he received the Harmon International Aviators Trophy, the Collier Trophy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Distinguished Service Medal. He was promoted to the grade of Major General effective February 12, 1975, with date of rank July 1, 1972. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. On December 16, 2005 he was inducted into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame alongside Brigadier General Paul Tibbets and Chalmers H. "Slick" Goodlin at the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland, Florida. His Air Force Cross citation reads as: "The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, awards the Air Force Cross to Colonel Robert M. White, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-105 Mission Commander near Hanoi, North Vietnam, on 11 August 1967. On that date, Colonel White led the entire combat force against a key railroad and highway bridge in the vicinity of Hanoi. In spite of 14 surface-to-air missile launches, MIG interceptor attacks, and intense antiaircraft artillery fire, he gallantly led the attack. By being the first aircraft to dive through the dark clouds of bursting flak, Colonel White set an example that inspired the remaining attacking force to destroy the bridge without a single aircraft being lost to the hostile gunners. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Colonel White reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."
Bio by: Nevada Bob
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