This is a web site with stories of incredible people who have lived, loved, struggled, and thrived through pivotal historically important times. This web site was engendered from my childhood, born and raised by my grandparents, always wanting to be an author. I am fascinated with older family, friends, and acquaintances who made history by living it. This web site and its stories are written in the spirit of Pulitzer-winning author Studs Terkel’s oral history creative masterwork “Hard Times.”
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CPT (ret) Lee White
Captain Lee B. White is a retired USAF Vietnam War fighter pilot. He entered active duty from ROTC having earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from Kansas State University, where he transferred to from Wichita University. He flew hundreds of F-105 missions in Vietnam War and conflicts in Laos “Air America” war, Thailand, South Korea, North Korea and North Vietnam out of Itazuke and Yokota Air Bases, Japan, Korat and Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Bases, Thailand, and Danang Air Base, South Vietnam. He was one of the few pilots entrusted with two one megaton fusion atomic bombs, one under each wing payload. He notes he was always on nuclear strike alert in which you have 15 minutes to go from dead sleep to be in your cockpit on the runway checking in by radio that you are ready to taxi and take off. Capt White was sitting on the runway at Osan Air Base, South Korea, for several hours on standby with fully loaded fighter jet when President Kennedy was assassinated waiting for orders. He has flown 43 different airplanes, including fighters, sailplanes, helicopters and bombers as an USAF pilot, instructor pilot, and later as a test pilot and project manager at Edwards Air Force Base for General Dynamics. After completing training as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, he was sent to Louisiana NASA to undergo astronaut training with the dream to go to the Moon. He completed astronaut training, but the program was stopped. He flew the F-104, which was modified to be rocket powered, to 111,000 feet, which was the record at that time. He brags he successfully landed the plane when famous test pilot Chuck Yeager flew and crashed it and had to eject. He was shot down over Laos and hid in canopy for several hours with enemy troops within yards of him, eventually rescued by friendly troops.
Living Walking History 