Thomas H. Kirk

Tom Kirk He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force through the Air Force ROTC program at Virginia Military Institute , completed Undergraduate Pilot Training, and was awarded his pilot wings on June 30, 1951. Kirk flew B-29 Superfortress bombers in Georgia and Kansas before serving in combat during the Korean War flying the AT-6 Texan as an Artillery Spotter and then the F-86 Sabre between November 1952 and November 1953. After Korea, Kirk flew with fighter squadrons in Louisiana, Belgium, and Italy, before going through Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. His next assignment was at Edwards AFB, California. He then served an Air Force Institute of Technology assignment at the University of Southern California, where he earned an MBA. Kirk served at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina, with the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, until he left for an overseas assignment in Japan. He served as Operations Officer of the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Misawa AB, Japan, until July 1967, when he began flying combat missions as the Commander of the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand. On October 28, 1967, Colonel Kirk was forced to eject from his F-105 Thunderchief when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire over North Vietnam. He was immediately captured and taken as a Prisoner of War.