Chuck Yeager

Gen. Chuck Yeager is an aviation legend, and that legend was born here in Kern County.

Born in West Virginia, Yeager enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in September 1941 at age 18. In 1942 he was selected for flight training and quickly exhibited an outstanding natural talent as a pilot.

During World War II, his P-51 Mustang was shot down over German-occupied France.

Yeager escaped capture when elements of the French Maquis helped him to reach the Spanish border, and he was awarded the Bronze Star for helping another escaping airman (who lost part of his leg during the escape attempt) cross the Pyrenees.

Yeager returned to states, first serving as an instructor before becoming a test pilot assigned to Edwards Air Force Base near Mojave.

On October 13, 1947, Yeager made world history when he became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound, piloting the Bell X-1 beyond Mach 1 in the skies over Kern County. He would later become the first man to fly more than twice the speed of sound, reaching Mach 2.44 on December 12, 1953.

During the Vietnam War, Yeager commanded the 405th fighter wing out of the Philippines, flying 127 air-support missions. In 1968, he was promoted to brigadier general, and in 1970 served as U.S Defense Representative to Pakistan. He retired from the Air Force in 1975. Yeagers decoration include the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Air Force Commendation medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He was the first and the youngest military pilot to be inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame, earning that honor in 1973. Yeager made his last flight as a military consultant on October 14, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his history-making flight in the X-1. He observed the occasion by once again breaking the sound barrier, this time in an F-15 fighter. A bestselling book, The Right Stuff, and the popular film of the same title, made Yeager a household name. His autobiography enjoyed phenomenal success and he remains in demand on the lecture circuit and as a corporate spokesman.