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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Daniel Lee Leftwich began his federal service on 22 January 1942 as an aviation cadet and received a 2nd Lt commission with wings on 10 November 1942. He served in the Army Air Corps as a dive bomber pilot flying A-24s, A-25s,A-36s & V-72s; fighter pilot flying P-39s, P-40s, P-47s, P-38s, & P-5ls. He was an RTU (Replacement Training Unit) fighter instructor pilot prior to an overseas assignment flying 78 combat missions with the 364th Fighter Gp, 384th Squadron, Honington, England, during WWII. He downed 4-1/2 German aircraft confirmed while in combat.
After WWII, in 1946 he entered CIC (Counter Intelligence Corps) school, Holibird, MD, and upon graduation returned to an overseas assignment in Vienna, Austria, and remained in various types of intelligence activities, both military & civilian, for over 26 years. In June 1948, while serving in Germany, he was credited with flying the first mission on the "Berlin airlift" in C-47 "Goony Birds." Seventy-four airlift missions were flown. His military intelligence assignments were varied in major air force commands and NATO AFSouth headquarters which included four European tours. Some of the major air force commands included Hq USAFE, Wiesbaden, Germany; Hq 3rd Air Force, South Ruislip, England; Hq USAF, Pentagon, Washington DC; & NATO Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy. With 23 years military service he retired as Colonel, command pilot with 4,600 flying hours in single & multi-engine aircraft.
Three days after retirement, he entered civil service, 3 August 1964, in the Aeronautical Systems Division (ASD), Dayton, Ohio, with an intelligence assignment. He was later reassigned to a major aircraft program office and worked with a number of programs including the fighter attack, F-4, & EF-111 program offices. He retired from federal service with a total of 43 years service. Retirement date: 3 January 1984.
While in the military service, Mr. leftwich received twelve decorations & awards which included the Distinguished Flying Cross & Air Medal with 5 clusters. While serving in civil service at Wright Patterson AFB with ASD, he received 3 outstanding performance ratings, 2 Sustained Superior Performance cash awards & 3 Air Force Organizational Excellence awards.
Mr Leftwich graduated from the University of Maryland with a BSc degree in Military Science & from the Defense Systems Management College.
Dan married Naomi Siler 21 July 1946, and has two daughters, Danielle Lee Leftwich White & Elizabeth Anne Leftwich Myers with five grand-children; Daniel & Kelly White and" Curtiss, Leesa & Marcus Myers.