History of General Winn: the Passing of a Hero

History of General Winn: The Passing of a Hero

At the Air Force Academy Chapel, I attended the memorial service for Brigadier General David W. Winn, whose family I have known for a decade and more. It was a moving experience to participate in a service with full military honors, befitting an officer of such singular character, having earned the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross, a man whose life was so well lived.

This is a man who has fought for his country in two wars, first joining up at 19 and flying 54 combat missions in B-26 bombers in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. Following the war, he attended college before returning to active duty.

During the Cold War, he served in the 109th Fighter Squadron, in Germany with the 86th Fighter, and subsequently with the Air Defense Command

POW

When I arrived at the Chapel, an honor guard stood upon the steps holding flags. These were the Patriot Guard Riders, motorcyclists who honor veterans at their funerals. This group wore emblems in honor of those who had been Prisoners Of War. Indeed, General Winn had spent time in the Hanoi Hilton, the infamous “Hell Hole” of the Hoa Lo Prison in Northern Vietnam, for over 1,600 days between 1968 and 1973.

While imprisoned and tortured in his 6×9-foot cell, he had a profound encounter with Christ, and received the assurance that he’d be freed, that his sins were forgiven, that he was to love his family, and to share what he had.

Allen Greenwold holds his POW bracelet.

General Winn’s POW bracelet

Legacy

He did, and left a tremendous legacy: 6 of his family members have served in the military, including four currently on active deployment. Before retiring, he served as Commander of “the Mountain,” as we locals affectionately call NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, located some 1,600 feet beneath Cheyenne Mountain.

Following a closing hymn and the benediction, there was a 21-gun salute and an exit to the bagpipe strains of Amazing Grace. In a unique and particular honor for the General, the missing man formation of F-15E jets flew directly over the Chapel.

Flyover

The Major in charge of the flyover explained the history, tracing it back to World War I, when British fighter pilots honored the funeral of German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, the “Red Baron.” Thereafter, British fliers signaled the ground crews in the same way as missing planes upon returning from a sortie.

Our Last Conversation

This brought to my recollection a story the General told me last year at the Air Force vs. Navy football game. Before the game, there were many jet flyovers. It concluded with a pair of F-22 jets flying over in formation that was not particularly tight. As both Air Force and Navy aviators are known to fly this jet, the General concluded the following:

“They’re obviously Navy pilots. You know the definition of a Navy formation:
Two jets flying in the same direction… on the same day.”

Blue skies and tail winds, General.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com