Foil: 6 Panel: Distinguished Flying Cross Society Column: 4 Line: 10

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Chris Kilgore

Chris Kilgore began flying in 1967, courtesy of the U.S. Army. A year later, at age 19, he flew his first combat mission as a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. Chris was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in January 1969 as the aircraft commander of a UH-1 that provided covering fire (while under fire himself) allowing the crew of another downed helicopter to swim to the safety of the opposite shore of a canal. (Ultimately, all four aircraft involved in that operation were shot down.) For other operations, Chris was awarded the Air Medal with "V" and 36 oak leaf clusters, and the Purple Heart. He also received the Army Commendation Medal for his work as an OH-6 instructor pilot and the Bronze Star. He logged over 1200 combat flight hours and was shot down twice during his tour.
Chris' flying career spanned 16 years, including diverse jobs as a civilian flight instructor for the Army, corporate pilot, fighting forest fires and a tour of duty with the U.S. Coast Guard. Chris was awarded the Coast Guard Air Medal for his role piloting an HH-52 that rescued 22 seamen under hazardous conditions following the collision of the M/V Mimosa and M/T Burma Agate off Galveston, Texas in November 1979. Later, as a Coast Guard reservist, Chris was called to active duty for six months during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Chris retired from the USCG Reserve in 1996.
In 1983 Chris took a change in direction and went to law school. As a practicing lawyer from 1986 on, he was engaged principally in the field of aviation law, representing manufacturers and operators. The highlight of his legal career was successfully arguing a case on behalf of McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company in 1993 before the Federal Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that expanded the protection of the doctrine of the government contractor's defense. The subject of that case was the OH-6 helicopter, the model he had flown in combat 25 years earlier.
Chris' aviation ratings include ATP - Helicopter, Commercial Pilot - ASMEL-I, CFI -Helicopter, GI - Advanced & Instrument and designations as a Coast Guard Aviator and Senior Army Aviator.