James D. Cutter

J.D. Cutter was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at North Carolina State College on August 27, 1962, and completed Undergraduate Pilot Training in October 1963. After completing KC-135 Stratotanker combat crew training, Cutter was assigned to the 28th Air Refueling Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, where he served from April 1964 to November 1968. During this time he flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from April to September 1966, May to June 1967, and December 1967 to June 1968. He next flew with the 911th Air Refueling Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, from November 1968 to November 1969, when he attended F-105 Thunderchief combat crew training. Captain Cutter served with the 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron at McConnell AFB, Kansas, from August 1970 to July 1971, when he was sent to Southeast Asia as an F-105G Wild Weasel pilot. He served with the 6010th Wild Weasel Squadron flying out of Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from July 1971 until he was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and taken as a Prisoner of War on February 17, 1972.