My dad died in a training accident over Puget Sound in August, 1963 (2 months before I was born). His name was Roger Conrad Axlund.
He was flying an F104 working on one of the first iterations of in-flight refueling when some sort of accident occurred. Everything was classified so we never found out what happened.
Shortly thereafter, the USAF apparently discontinued the F104.
He died as a Leutenant and was posthumously promoted to Leutenant Colonel. When he died, he had been accepted to “Astronaut School”. He was in the first class to graduate from the USAFA in 1957 (I think...I have his yearbook downstairs).
He was 27.
Thank you for providing this forum. Writing this has been helpful. Now, I’m going to dry my tears and go spend a wonderful day with my family and friends in the north Idaho woods.
I know I have the ranks wrong. He was a Captain when he died.
I’m very sorry you lost your Dad - he was clearly a star for the Air Force and our country. My grandfather was killed in a car accident two months before my Dad was born and he suffered all his life because of his loss.
Nobody has to tell you that your Father was a hero. I will keep him in my prayers.