Thomas J. Curtis

Tom Curtis enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Air Force on October 30, 1952, and was awarded his pilot wings and commission a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force at Bryan AFB, Texas, on December 18, 1954. Lieutenant Curtis next attended helicopter pilot training, graduating in September 1955, followed by service as an H-19 Chickasaw and HU-16 Albatross pilot with the 47th Air Rescue Squadron at Ellington AFB, Texas, until September 1956. He then served as a T-29 Flying Classroom pilot with the 3608th Navigator Training Squadron at Ellington AFB from September 1956 to March 1958, and then with the 3537th Navigator Training Squadron at Mather AFB, California, from April 1958 to October 1959. Captain Curtis then served as a helicopter pilot, Assistant Base Operations Officer, and then Base Operations Officer with he 38th Tactical Missile Wing and the 38th Air Base Group at Sembach AB, West Germany, from October 1959 to November 1962, followed by service as an HH-43B Huskie helicopter pilot and then Detachment Commander with Detachment 37, Central Air Rescue Center, at England AFB, Louisiana, from November 1962 to February 1964. He served as Commander of Detachment 9, Central Air Rescue Center, at England AFB from February 1964 until he deployed to Southeast Asia in April 1965. Captain Curtis flew HH-43B rescue helicopters with Detachment 3 of the 38th Air Rescue Squadron at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from April 1965 until his helicopter was shot down over North Vietnam and he was taken as a Prisoner of War on September 20, 1965.