Howard E. "Howie" Rutledge

Howie Rutledge enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve on July 11, 1946, and after attending the University of Tulsa, he entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Navy in March 1948. Rutledge was designated a Naval Aviator on September 30, 1949, and then attended jet transition training from October to November 1949, later receiving his commission as an Ensign on April 6, 1950. His first assignment was as an F9F-2 Panther pilot with VF-52 from December 1949 to August 1952, during which time he flew 200 combat missions during the Korean War from the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CV-45) from 1950 to 1952. He then served as a project officer with the Naval Air Development Unit at NAS South Weymouth, Massachusetts, from September 1952 to September 1954, followed by service as an exchange officer with the U.S. Air Force, where he flew F-86 Sabre fighters with the 34th Fighter-Day Squadron at George AFB, California, from October 1954 to August 1956. Lieutenant Rutledge next served as an F8U-1 Crusader pilot with VF-32 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, from September 1956 to December 1958, deploying aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60) in support of Operation Blue Bat during the Lebanon Crisis from July to October 1958. His next assignment was as an F8U-1 instructor pilot with VF-174, the F8U Replacement Air Group, at NAS Cecil Field, Florida, from January 1959 to July 1960. Commander Rutledge then attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, to complete his bachelor's degree from August 1960 to August 1962, followed by service as an operations analyst with the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, California, from September 1962 to February 1965. After completing F-8 Crusader Replacement Pilot Training with VF-124 at NAS Moffet Field, California, Commander Rutledge served as Executive Officer of VF-191 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) deployed to Southeast Asia from June 1965 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on November 28, 1965.