FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2007

Contact:

USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc.    Frank Lennon (401) 831-8696

Retired Air Force Major General Philip Conley is a LaSalle Academy alumnus and a 1950 Naval Academy graduate who grew up in West Warwick and flew combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross in Korea, flying with the famous forward air controller unit known as the "Mosquitoes". Conley eventually rose to head the Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. There he supervised the development of every major aircraft now in our flying arsenal, to include the B-1 bomber, F-16, F-15, A-10 and F-117 stealth fighter. He was commander for the first space shuttle landing at Edwards, and in 1982 he hosted President Reagan’s visit to view the first shuttle landing on a conventional runway. General Conley has 4200 hours flight time in 86 different aircraft types/models.

Commander Edward "Ted" Cunningham, USN (Ret) is a Rumford native and a 1949 graduate of St. Raphael High School in Pawtucket. Ted enlisted in the Navy to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a carrier pilot. During the early days of the Vietnam War, he flew numerous highly classified ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) missions shadowing and photographing Soviet missiles After leaving the Navy Ted was a test pilot for Douglas Aircraft, a pilot for Garuda (Singapore) Airlines and a Captain for Midway Airlines. His career encompassed some 20,000 flying hours, spanning the age of the propeller driven fighters through jet fighters, jet bombers, and airliners. He also flew more than 300 combat/operational missions and has 400 carrier landings; in the process, he earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals and two combat-earned Navy Commendation Medals.

1/LT George Sutcliffe, US Army Air Force was born in North Providence and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High in l940. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps shortly after Pearl Harbor, and graduated from flight school in May l943. Sutcliffe deployed to Europe with the 368th Fighter Group, flying the P47 Thunderbolt. Prior to D-Day, their mission was escorting bombers; after the landings, they flew close support missions for ground troops. He flew four missions on the day Allied troops stormed ashore in Normandy. A week later, Sutcliffe was involved in one of the wildest air battles of the war, which was the subject of an episode of “Dogfights”, a History Channel series that aired this summer. He was awarded the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross for his wartime service. He graduated from Bryant College on the GI Bill after World War II, then set up an insurance business in which he is still active. He now lives in Greenville.

The three deceased inductees are:

Aviation pioneer Victor Pagé, who was born in 1885 and graduated from Classical High School in Providence in 1904. Although best known for his accomplishments in the automotive field, he may well have designed and built the first airplane ever to fly in Rhode Island. By 1909 he had already published his first aviation book, and was already working on his first aircraft, a tractor biplane. Late in 1909 he established New England's first airplane manufacturing facility here in Providence, which was only the third such operation in the United States. He also designed and built the first aluminum propeller used in this country, which is now hanging at the National Air & Space Museum. In 1911 he helped form the Rhode Island Aeronautical Society. During WWI, he received a direct commission and was America's chief aeronautical engineering officer in France. He was a prolific writer on aeronautical and automotive topics. He died in 1947.

Also elected to the Hall of Fame this year is Army Air Corps Staff Sergeant Omar Duquette, a Warwick native who was a "Doolittle Raider", one of the 80 volunteers who manned sixteen B-25 aircraft launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet to bomb Tokyo in April of 1942. He joined the Army in February, 1938 at Providence and served at Fort Slocum, New York before being assigned to the Army Air Corps as a mechanic. He served at Albrook Field, Canal Zone before joining the 37th Bomb Squadron at Pendleton, Oregon. Because of weight restrictions the Doolittle mission crew members were trained for two jobs. Staff Sergeant Duquette was a member of the five-man crew on Aircraft Number 12, serving as mechanic and gunner. Duquette bailed out over China and made it back to friendly territory, only to perish on another secret bombing mission just six weeks later. General Doolittle himself attended the ceremony after the war to dedicate a monument erected in Omar’s honor in Phoenix Square where he grew up (now West Warwick). After the dedication, some of his friends started an AMVET Post in the name of Omar Duquette.

Rounding out the honorees is Major Melvin Kimball, US Army Air Force, a World War II P-40 ace who was born in Providence and grew up in Greystone. He graduated from Hope High School in 1935, where he was a state champion wrestler. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1939, excelling in football and track. Kimball was one of the original pilots who secretly boarded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger at Quonset Point in early 1942, then flew their P-40s off the flight deck to land in Africa, the first leg of their journey to China. Kimball and his fellow China Air Service pilots flew with Chennault and the American Volunteer Group, better known as the "Flying Tigers" until July 4, 1942, when they officially took over the AVG duties. In early 1943, Kimball was involved in one of the most dramatic rescue efforts of the war, one that was featured in True Comics. During his service, he earned the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and several Air Medals for gallantry in addition to his designation as an ace. Kimball died in Riverside in 2004.

In addition, the Hall of Fame will provide Special Recognition awards to the men and women of the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment of the Rhode Island Army National Guard, which was named the Outstanding Army National Guard Aviation Unit of the Year nationwide for 2005. Flying in the Iraqi theater for virtually the entire year, the 1/126 flew their UH-60 and CH-47 helicopters in more than 1900 missions, accruing more than 17,000 combat flight hours.

Not to be outdone, D 126th-Theater Aviation Company was selected by the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) as the United States Army Fixed Wing Aviation Unit of the Year for 2006. Flying eleven C-23 Sherpa cargo aircraft, the unit conducted combat fixed wing support operations throughout Iraq and Kuwait. D 126th flew more than 5000 sorties and accumulated more than 6500 combat flight hours. By the end of their tour, D 126th TAC conducted some 1600 missions, transporting more than 30,000 passengers and 12 million pounds of cargo.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the November 16 event.

"Each year’s induction, and the publicity it receives, generates more recommendations from the public", said Frank Lennon, the Hall's founder. "Many people have written or called to let us know about the role a family member, neighbor or friend may have played in our state's rich aviation history. In fact, four of the six inductees this year were not even on our radar screen at the start of this year because we were unaware of the scope of their accomplishments," Lennon said.

Tickets cost only $45 each ($80 per couple) and can be obtained by writing to the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame, PO Box 28581, Providence, RI 02908, or by e-mailing Frank Lennon at savesara@aol.com. For further information, please call 401-831-8696.

Last Updated:
10/30/07