Kay Russell

Kay Russell was commissioned an Ensign through the Navy ROTC program at Rice University in Houston, Texas, on June 1, 1956, and then served as an Analysis Officer with the Bureau of Aeronautics General Representative, Central District, at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, from July 1956 to January 1957. Ensign Russell entered the U.S. Naval School of Pre-Flight at NAS Pensacola, Florida, in February 1957, and was designated a Naval Aviator in June 1958. He then served as an F4D Skyray pilot with VF (AW)-3 at NAS North Island, California, from July 1958 to March 1959, followed by service as an FJ Fury and later F8U Crusader pilot with VU-7 at NAAS Brown Field, California, from March 1959 to September 1961. Lieutenant Russell's next assignment was as an instructor pilot with VT-7 at NAAS Meridian, Mississippi, from October 1961 to February 1963. He then attended U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, where he received his Master's degree in Operations Research in May 1965. Commander Russell joined VF-124 at NAS Miramar, California, for F-8 Replacement Air Group training in June 1965, and then served as an F-8 pilot with VF-211 at NAS Miramar and later aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) from January 1966 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on May 19, 1967.