2019 Honored Guests
| Be Sure to visit the Autograph Tent to meet our Distinguished Guest and visit with them. | |
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 Major General Arnold Fields, USMC (Ret), Deputy
Commander, USMC Forces EuropeMajor General Arnold Fields, USMC (Ret), Deputy Commander, USMC Forces Europe. General Fields retired from the USMC with over 34 years of active military service. At the time of his retirement he was serving as the Deputy Commander of Marine Corps Forces in Europe. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, General Fields commanded the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the 6th Marine Regiment in operations against Iraqi Armed Forces. After retirement, he served as a member of the U.S. Department of Reconstruction and Management Office. He then served as the Deputy Director of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Department of Defense. He then served as Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction until 2011. He was recently reappointed by the Secretary of the Navy to a second term on the Board of Visitors, Marine Corps University. He will close the Honored Guests Banquet, as he has for many years, by singing "God Bless America". |
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Major General
Henry W Stratman, USA (Ret) Major General Hank Stratman served honorably in Army units in the United States, Germany, Korea, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. During 33 years of distinguished service, he participated in every major US Army combat operations since Vietnam. He commanded 229 Field Artillery Battalion in the First Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) for which he was awarded the Valorous Unit Citation for highly effective fire support. Immediately following the 911 Terrorist Attack of the United States, Brigadier General Stratman served as Deputy Commanding General, for Support, 3rd Army; CENTCOM’s Land Component Command during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. While supporting Special Forces Operations in Afghanistan, he oversaw the build-up of Coalition Forces in Kuwait - logistically and operationally for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the defeat of Saddam Hussiens forces in 2003. His las assignment was as Deputy Chief of Staff for Political, Military and Economic Integration for the Interim Iraqi Government, US Embassy and Coalition Forces in Baghdad (2004/2005) |
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Brigadier General Christopher Walker,
USAF Brigadier General Christopher Walker, USAF is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Chief of Staff for the West Virginia Air National Guard which has over 2,000 members and consists of two C-130 flying units (one of which is here in support of our Celebration!). He has served as a C-130 navigator throughout the world, leaving active duty in 1997 to join the (ANG) and serve as a C-130H3 evaluator navigator, and has commanded at the squadron and group level. Brigadier General Walker is a Master Navigator with over 5200 hours in WC-130 and C-130E/HH3 aircraft including over 400 combat and combat support hours. |
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Group Captain Willy Hackett MBE MA BSc
RAF Group Captain Willy Hackett joined the Royal Air Force in 1987 and was posted to the Tornado F3 Force, where he flew on operations in Gulf War I and the Balkans. In 1997-98 he was the Tornado F3 demo pilot performing at airshows around Europe. Selected to fly the Sea Harrier F/A2 in 1999 with the Royal Navy, he served with 801 Naval Air Squadron on board HMS Illustrious, seeing service in Iraq and Sierra Leone in Africa. Before leaving his time with the Royal Navy he served with 899 Naval Air Squadron as an instructor pilot. In 2002 he was selected for Test Pilot training at the Empire Test Pilots School at Royal Air Force Boscombe Down where he won the Cobham Trophy as the best pilot on 61 Fixed Wing course. After completion of the course he worked as the Eurofighter Typhoon project test pilot. In 2006 he joined the F35 Integrated Test Force as the UK F35B test pilot at Lockheed Martin Fort Worth in Texas. Group Captain Hackett and his family moved to Washington DC in 2013 where he serves as the lead of the UK Lightning Project Team based in the USA with his wife and two daughters. In 1999 Queen Elizabeth II made him a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to aviation. |
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Colonel Charles DeBellevue, USAF (Ret) Colonel DeBellevue is our Ace of Aces from the Vietnam War. As a member of the famed "Triple Nickel," the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, he is credited with downing six North Vietnamese MiGs. Altogether he logged 550 combat hours while flying 220 combat missions, 96 over North Vietnam. After 30 years of distinguished service he retired from the Air Force in 1998 as the last American Ace on active duty. His final assignment was as Commander of the AFROTC Detachment 440 at the University of Missouri - Columbia. His decorations include the Air Force Cross, three Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, and six Distinguished Flying Crosses. In 2012 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and he will be receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. |
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Colonel Roderick Cox, USA (Ret) Roderick M. Cox served as an Officer in the United States Army for over 32 years as an Artilleryman, Foreign Area Officer, Professor, and Historian. His service included numerous Joint and Combined operations both in the United States and overseas to include combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian, and diplomatic duties including Director of the US Army Combat Studies Institute, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Professor of Military Studies and Chair of the Department of Leadership & Strategy at the US Air Force Air War College. Colonel Cox’s over 40 military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the NATO Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award, and the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara. |
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Colonel Dennis Goldsmith, USMC (Ret) Colonel Goldsmith joined the USMC in 1974. His long career includes service with the 24th Marine Regiment when he deployed to Southwest Asia for OPERATION DESERT SHIELD & DESERT STORM. In 2002 he mobilized in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, retiring in 2006 while at Richards-Gebaur AFB. |
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Colonel
John A Cluck, USAF Colonel John A. Cluck serves as the Vice Commander, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Memorial Airport, St. Joseph, Missouri. Colonel Cluck was born in St. Joseph, Missouri and grew up in Wathena Kansas. He enlisted in the Missouri Air National Guard in April 1986 as an Air Cargo Specialist. In 1992, Colonel Cluck transferred to the 180th Airlift Squadron as a C-130 loadmaster. In 1994, he earned his undergraduate degree in Milling Science from Kansas State University, and received his commissioned from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee, in 1995. After graduating from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB, Texas, Colonel Cluck returned to the 180th to serve as a C-130 pilot. Colonel Cluck has deployed for Operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, SOUTHERN WATCH, JOINT FORGE, ALLIED FORCE, PROVIDE PROMISE, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, JOINT ENTERPRISE and CORONET OAK. Colonel Cluck has served as Commander, 180th Airlift Squadron, Commander, 139th Operations Support Squadron, and as the Commander, 139th Operations Group. Colonel Cluck is a Command Pilot with more than 5,000 flight hours in the C-130. |
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Captain
Keith Hoskins, USN (Ret) A native of Parkville, Mo., Hoskins joined the Navy after graduating from Missouri Western State University in 1989. After deploying aboard the USS. America and flying combat operations in Operations Decisive Edge and Southern Watch, Hoskins, (call sign "Judge"),served with the Blue Angels, acting as the narrator, opposing solo, and lead solo pilot from 1999-2001. Returning to the fleet, Hoskins completed an extended deployment flying combat missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom. After serving as the national director of NROTC programs, Hoskins took command of NAS Pensacola in 2013. During his career, Hoskins accumulated more than 3,400 flight hours and 570 arrested landings. His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Air Medal (three awards with combat “V”), Navy Commendation Medal (three awards with combat “V”), Navy Achievement Medal (two awards), and numerous unit commendations and awards. He is a former 8th Grade student of Dick Starks of the Kansas City Dawn Patrol. |
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Lt Colonel Steve Schnell, USAFR (Ret) Lt. Colonel Schnell is currently flying for American Airlines. He has over 5000 flying hours in the C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, and his most recent airlifter, the C-17 Globemaster III. He served full time for the Air Force Reserve as their Chief of Current Operations -orchestrating over 5500 hours of flying annually in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He has been involved in nearly every US contingency since 1992. He is most proud of his units (445th Airlift Wing) flying 17000 wounded out of Balad, Iraq, from 2003-2005, without the loss of a single life. Lt Col also has the distinction of being the last C-141 Pilot. |
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Lt Colonel Maura George, USA and USAFR Lt. Colonel George spent 7 years serving as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot in the US Army, including a combat tour as a MEDEVAC pilot in Iraq flying wounded off the battlefield. She left the Army to join the US Air Force Reserve flying C-130 Hercules in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom as well as stateside MEDEVAC Missions. She is a former 8th Grade student of Dick Starks of the Kansas City Dawn Patrol. |
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Captain
Ron Sharek, USAF Captain Sharek served for 8 years in the USAF and flew 233 missions in Vietnam. After growing up in Kansas City Ks, Ron Sharek attended Parks College of St Louis University. There he received his degree in Aeronautical Engineering and his commission through the Air Force ROTC program. He received his pilot training at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls TX and upon flight school graduation, he went to transition training in the F-100 at Luke, AFB outside Phoenix AZ. After training in the F-100, he was assigned to the 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phan Rang Air Base in the Republic of South Vietnam. While at Phan Rang, he flew 233 combat missions in the F-100 and during his year tour he was awarded the Air Medal with 13 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Silver Star. After Vietnam, he served as an instructor pilot, flight commander and flight examiner back at Sheppard AFB. His final assignment was with Headquarters Air Training Command Standardization and Evaluation team where he was awarded the Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. Ron now resides in St Louis Mo. |
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Master Sergeant Danny Hopper,
USAF (Ret) Master Sergeant Daniel S. Hopper served as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force for 22 years as a Logistician, USAF Enlisted Accessions Recruiter, and Senior Enlisted Accessions Manager for Air Force Recruiting Service. His service included multiple tours to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as well as a one year tour in Osan Air Base, South Korea. During his tours supporting OIF, Sergeant Hopper was responsible for all logistical requirements supporting the local men and women of US and NATO Armed Forces at Tallil Air Base. While deployed to Joint Base Ballad, Iraq he and his team recovered more than a billion dollars’ worth of logistical assets and transferred them back in to the Army Supply Chain Management function for further use. In February of 2005, Master Sergeant Hopper was stationed at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 101. During this time, he managed ten-supply accounts worth over $750,000 with 100 percent mission equipment accountability. His awards include Meritorious Service Medal, USAF Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, AF Achievement Medal 1 oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Unit Award, AF Outstanding Unit Award with 6 oak leaf cluster, Iraq Campaign Medal 2 gold stars, and Korean Defense Service Medal. Master Sergeant Hopper currently works for Northrop Grumman as a Strategic Campaign Planner, USTRANSCOM, Scott AFB, IL. |
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