Joseph Kittinger - Wikipedia

Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that July 27 is the anniversary of the birth of Vietnam War fighter pilot and POW spending 11 months as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese prison Joseph William Kittinger II who retired as a full colonel in the United States Air Force and a USAF Command Pilot.

Joe Kittinger From The Edge of Space Highest Skydive/Freefall Ever
"A tribute to the great Joe Kittinger and all who worked on Project Excelsior.
Music composed by 85 bEARS in tribute.
Song; Jumpin' with Joe from the Highest Step
Authors: Music composed in tribute by 85 bEARS - a London three piece instrumental band 2007-2009.
Song Recorded by G. Powers-Donovan"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNj2YSav_eg

Background on Joseph William Kittinger II from nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/kittinger-jr-joseph-william/

"Biography
Joseph William Kittinger, Jr. was born on July 27, 1928. He briefly attended the University of Florida before being accepted into the U.S.A.F. aviation school at Goodfellow AFB in 1949.
His first flying assignment was as a fighter pilot in Germany where he served until 1953. He was then assigned to the Air Force Missile Development Center at Holloman AFB. Later, Joe became a test pilot for Project Man High where a high altitude balloon was used with a pressurized gondola and partial pressure suit. In 1957, Joe piloted the balloon, Man High One, to an altitude of 96,000 feet.
In 1958, Joe moved on to Project Excelsior with the goal to put a man into space and to test a person’s ability to survive extremely high altitude bailouts. In 1959, Joe made a parachute jump from Excelsior I from an altitude of 76,000 feet. By far, Joe’s greatest feat was accomplished in Excelsior III in 1960. He piloted the gondola to an altitude of 102,800 feet, setting a world record for the highest balloon ascent and another for the longest parachute freefall. The jump established that it was possible to put a man into space. In 1960, President Eisenhower awarded Joe the Harmon Trophy for outstanding accomplishments in aeronautics. Joe piloted his final high altitude balloon flight during Project Stargazer in 1962.
Joe then volunteered for three tours of duty in Vietnam. He shot down a Mig and was shot down himself and spent 11 months as a prisoner of war. After his release, Joe was Vice Wing Commander of an F-4 fighter wing in England. He retired in 1979 as a Colonel.
Joe spent the next fourteen years as Vice President of Flight Operations for Rosie O’Grady’s Flying Circus. In 1983, Joe again set a record for the longest distance flown in a 1,000 cubic meter helium balloon. In 1984, Joe became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a helium balloon.
For the past four years, Joe has been barnstorming in a 1929 New Standard bi-plane, which was built for the Gates Flying Circus. He also serves as an aviation and aerospace consultant and is still test flying airplanes and flying balloons. Most recently Colonel Joe Kittinger is using his knowledge to help address the challenges of Red Bull Stratus in their attempt to break his more than 50-year-old record by freefalling 36,576 metres (120,000 feet) from a balloon in the stratosphere."

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Greg Henning LTC Jeff Shearer Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" PriceCPT Scott Sharon CWO3 Dennis M. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SGT (Join to see) PO1 H Gene Lawrence SPC Margaret HigginsPO2 Kevin Parker PO3 Bob McCord LTC Bill Koski CW5 (Join to see) MSG Brad Sand SGM Steve WettsteinTSgt Joe C.

Wow is all I can say. What a bio.

Impressive. Thanks for the informative share this morning Maj Marty Hogan