Foil: 8 Panel: F86 Sabre Pilots Association Column: 2 Line: 58

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Howard L. Peckham

UPON HIS GRADUATION FROM THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY IN 1951, COLONEL HOWARD L. PECKHAM WAS SENT TO GOODFELLOW AND BRYAN AIR FORCE BASES IN TEXAS, FOR PILOT TRAINING. UPON RECEIVING HIS WINGS IN AUGUST, 1952, HE RECEIVED FURTHER TRAINING AT THE ALL WEATHER INSTRUMENT SCHOOL AT MOODY AFB, GA, FIGHTER-GUNNERY AT TYNDALL AFB, FL, AND TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT SHAW AFB, SC. UPON COMPLETION, HE WAS SELECTED FOR F-86 QUALIFICATION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN A THEN-HIGHLY CLASSIFIED PHOTO-RECONNAISSANCE ACTIVITY WITH THE 15TH TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON, 67TH TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE WING.AI KIMPO AB, KOREA. HE WAS ONE OF A SMALL GROUP OF PILOTS WHO FLEW LONG-RANGE PHOTO-RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS AS DEEP INTO CHINA AS THE RANGE OF THE UNARMED RF-86 AIRCRAFT WOULD PERMIT. FOR HIS 18 COMBAT RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS FLOWN IN JUNE AND JULY 1953, HE WAS AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL AND DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS.
COLONEL PECKHAM RETIRED FROM THE U. S. AIR FORCE IN 1977 AFTER 26 YEARS SERVICE.