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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Elaine Sanders and daughters Christy Weaver and Tina Jordan

Colonel Sanders began flying through the USAF ROTC program while attending Washington University in St. Louis, MO. After graduation in June, 1961, he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Webb AFB in Big Spring, TX and earned his pilot wings in March, 1962. He received gunnery training in the F-100 at Luke AFB, AZ and flew the F-100 at assignments in South Carolina, Spain, Nevada, Vietnam, and Louisiana. While at Phan Rang AB in Vietnam, he flew 211 combat missions totaling over 400 combat flying hours and earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and ten Air Medals. He received upgrade training in the A-7D in 1971 and was assigned to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ as an instructor pilot until 1974. Following a staff tour at Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Colonel Sanders returned to Davis-Monthan where he transitioned to the A-10 Warthog and served as an instructor pilot and Commander of the 357th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron. He also flew the A-10 at Eielson AFB, AK until he became the Base Commander there. He was stationed at Griffiss AFB, NY and then Langley AFB, VA where he served as the Vice Commander of First Air Force until his retirement in February, 1992. During his 30-year USAF career, Colonel Sanders accumulated nearly 4,000 flying hours, most of which was in single-seat fighter aircraft. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and a member of the Order of Daedalians.