MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA- The U.S Air Force's Gathering of Eagles symposium, held annually here, recently announced the honored Eagles invited for the 2012 program, scheduled June 5-9. The 2012 Gathering of Eagles theme - Adversity-Victory-Legacy - embodies the experiences of the selected Eagles. The 2012 Eagles are:
Brig. Gen. Robert Cardenas, USAF, retired- 50+ year Air Force career as World War II B-24 pilot, Vietnam F-105 pilot, and commander of Air Force Special Operations Command -Test Pilot; flew B-29 for X-1 flights, chief test pilot for YB-49 Flying Wing, Distinguished Flying Cross recipient
Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, USA, retired-Desert Storm Prisoner of War after UH-60 Black Hawk shot down on a combat search and rescue mission over Iraq-Champion for women in combat, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, psychological strengthening and resilience training
Col. Hank Fowler, USAF, retired-F-4 pilot, downed during raid over Hanoi; POW for nearly six years-Air Force Judge Advocate General and senior staff attorney for the Alabama Supreme Court
Lt. Leon Frankel, USN, retired-WWII Avenger pilot who sunk Cruiser Yahagi; Navy Cross recipient -Flew for newly-born country of Israel in 1948 (Messerschmitt 109)
Tech. Sgt. Robert Gutierrez, USAF-Combat controller awarded Air Force Cross on Sept. 20, 2011 for continued bravery in action in Afghanistan, despite life-threatening gunshot wound to chest
Col. Gail Halvorsen, USAF, retired- Pilot during the Berlin Airlift, known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber"- Cheney Award recipient
Col. James Harvey III, USAF, retired-Member of the Tuskegee Airmen; renowned in WWII for recording highest survival rates for the bombers they escorted- P-40 and P-51 pilot; winner of first USAF Top Gun competition
Ms. Gloria Heath- Women Airforce Service Pilot, flying B-26 bombers - Founding member of the Flight Safety Foundation; search and rescue pioneer and NASA advisor.
Brig. Gen. Miroslaw Hermaszewski, Polish Air Force, retired-Cold War cosmonaut; First and only Pole in space-Flew aboard SOYUZ 30 spacecraft; MiG-21 pilot
Col. Howard "Scrappy" Johnson, USAF, retired-Flew P-51s in Korea; F-105s in Vietnam; test pilot set altitude record in F-104 (91K)-Founded Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association with Robin Olds and Chappie James
Col. Jim Kasler, USAF, retired-WWII/Korea/Vietnam aviator; F-86 Ace; 6.5 years as POW in Hoa Loa-Only person ever to receive 3 AF Crosses
Lt. Col. Ed Saylor, USAF, retired-Engineer of B-25 Crew 15, Doolittle Raiders-1 of only 5 surviving Doolittle Raiders today
Col. Leo Thorsness, USAF, retired - Vietnam F-105 pilot and Medal of Honor recipient- POW for 6 years in Vietnam
-Renowned aviation artist Jay Ashurst has continued to support the Gathering of Eagles program for many years. His painting is hand-signed by each Eagle and recreated into lithographs, which are then sold to help fund the Gathering of Eagles Foundation.-
These visionary aviators will be honored during Gathering of Eagles week, hosted annually at Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Ala. The college is a graduate school program designed to prepare U.S. and international field grade officers to develop, employ, and command air, space, and cyberspace power in future operations.
The Gathering of Eagles week is the completion of a year-long effort of the competitively-selected Gathering of Eagles student team. In addition, the GOE Foundation provides two annual scholarships to Air Force ROTC students and also supports various aviation organizations that promote the spirit and history of air, space and cyberspace legacy.
Another important objective of the student Gathering of Eagles team is to commission an original painting, depicting the selected Eagles and their airframe or contribution to the air, space and cyberspace industry. Renowned aviation artist Jay Ashurst has continued to support the Gathering of Eagles program for many years. His painting is hand-signed by each Eagle and recreated into lithographs, which are then sold to help fund the Gathering of Eagles Foundation.The Gathering of Eagles Foundation is a non-profit organization which funds Eagle guest travel and the Gathering of Eagles Week events. Lithographs for 2012 and previous years are available for purchase at www.goefoundation.com. Each year the honored Eagles are presented with a lithograph as a remembrance of the occasion. For more information on the Gathering of Eagles program or lithograph availability, visit us on the web at http://www.goefoundation.org/ . - Office of Public Affairs Maxwell AFB, AL 36112