Capt Donald L. Larry Wright

Foil: 14 Panel: Retired United Pilots Association Column: 1 Line: 37

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Graduated from Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, California with an AA degree in 1955 and from Long Beach State College with a BA in 1957.
Attended Naval Flight Training, Pensacola, Florida as a Marine Corps 2nd Lt. and was designated Naval Aviator in November 1958. Served in Oppama, Japan 1959 to March 1960. Assigned Camp Pendleton until January 1961. Assigned as Flight Instructor in Pensacola, Florida-first as primary flight and later as a helicopter instructor until 1964. Back to Camp Pendleton, 1964-65, deployed to Viet Nam August 1965 with Marine Observation Squadron Six (VMO 6). Returned to the U.S. and moved to New River, North Carolina in September 1966. Was released to the Marine Corps Reserve in 1967 and started training with United Airlines in Denver, Colorado during January 1968. Completed training and reported to San Francisco as a DC 6 Second Officer. Flew Boeing 727, 737, and Douglas DC 8 as Second Officer until 1982. During this period was also Commanding Officer Marine Reserve Heavy Helicopter Squadron 769 (HMH 769) at NAS Alameda, California. From 1982-1990 flew 737 and DC 8 First Officer. During this period was retired as Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. Promoted to Captain with United in 1990 and flew 737, 757, and 767 until retirement in 1995.