[December 12, 2020] It has been said that a hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown. That, my friends, describes Chuck Yeager, flying combat ace, and test pilot – a real American hero.
“You don’t concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done.” – Chuck Yeager
I’m sad to report that this past Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7th, Brigadier General Chuck Yeager passed away at 97. He flew a P-51 Mustang in the European Theater in WWII. He is credited with 11.5 kills (the half being an assist from his wingman). One day, he shot down five German fighters and shot down four others on another day.
Chuck Yeager was one of those rare people. It can indeed be said, “They don’t make them like that anymore.”
For all the things he accomplished, Yeager is best known for that day in 1947 when he climbed into the Bell X-1 rocket plane and punched through the sound barrier. Until that moment, going faster than the speech of sound was filled with unknowns, not the least of which were predictions of dead controls and wings ripped right off the fuselage.1
Whether it was his fighter pilot experience, being shot down during WWII and escaping, strapping on a bomb-with-wings (the X-1), or his time in three wars, Yeager was a man who did his duty. He was the right man in the right place to help advance the cause of freedom and for giving back to his country.
Yeager was a confident man with often tough assessments of the Air Force and its pilots. He was not cruel; he was brutally honest, which sometimes didn’t sit well with armchair quarterbacks. He said what he was thinking, regardless of what others thought, and that can be refreshing.
After he retired from the U.S. Air Force, Yeager traveled the country, giving speeches. During those years, it showed that Chuck Yeager loved to fire up the engines and punch into the air. He was like so many men after WWII; the lack of fear to try and die.
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American Hero. True. Good article on a great man.
Gen. Satterfield, first, thanks for the article on Chuck Yeager. I will also point out another resource for those wanting to know more about this great hero. It is about the “Right Stuff” … you all remember the movie. Here is a website dedicated to it. I highly recommend reading the site.
https://www.wired.com/2014/11/oral-history-of-right-stuff/
Chuck Yeager, a man’s hero. Nuff said. The man was a great individual. He was honest to a fault. Many say he was “brutally honest.” That is the kind of person we all should be and when we become adults, we won’t cringe at criticism of us. Unlike the college snowflakes that pervade our college campuses that are a bunch of wimps in their pajamas.
You can read his Twitter page here.
https://twitter.com/GenChuckYeager/
Harry, I see that his page is better than most self-absorbed Twitter pages. This one has lots of photos and videos. Many of them are old and historical. I recommend reading thru many of the passages here. Thanks folks and Merry Christmas to all – in advance.
Right Ken, and Merry Christmas to you also. I was the army long enough to say that I earned the privilege of saying Merry Christmas and NOT happy holidays (PC drivel).
Yes, good one. 👍
Thanks Harry for finding it. I would not have guessed that a man of that advanced age would have a Twitter page. But upon reading it, I see that someone else is doing the postings for him. 😊 Nevertheless, the words are most his (I presume) and are often not just reflections of the past but good guides to learning to live a prosperous life.
Gen. Yeager emphasized that Duty comes first and that doing his Duty was first and foremost in leading to his successes.
The legendary test pilot, who has clocked more than 19,000 flying hours during his illustrious career, demonstrates that he is still young at heart, battle ready and as passionate about flying and life as ever. Sadly, now he is no longer with us. But, his exploits will forever be remembered as something special.
Great man and timely article as well. Sad that Mr. Yeager passed away so recently. Looks like he lived a long, prosperous, and fulfilling life. If only we all could do the same. He served the US in WWII, Korea, and in Vietnam. This man’s career and lifelong dream to do something for his country is praiseworthy.
You can find his official website at this link:
https://www.chuckyeager.com/
Yep, a real American hero. If you have any doubts, whatsoever, then you are not a real American.
You got that right, Gil. Chuck Yeager, Gen. Satterfield sure knows how to pick them. I do like his hero series. While I do know of Brig. Gen. Yeager, I learn something new each time I read his blog – esp. on this series.
That is what being a leader is also about. Knowing those who can get the job done and done right, with the tools and resources on hand, and not whining about not knowing what to do or being scared at the sight of responsibility.
Yep, nuff said. I agree (love this nuff said phrase). ❤
American heroes today don’t exist. We overuse the term and apply it willy nilly without much thought. Chuck Yeager is the real deal. There are many, for example and to make my point, that think Pres Obama was a hero. Nothing could be further from the truth. The man was self-aggrandizing, sycophant. Obama did such great damage to America and you know what? That’s exactly what Obama wanted to do. Those who call Obama a hero are batshit crazy.
POW, Yusaf …. you da man!!!