F-16 Dedicated to Late General

Officials at Arnold AFB, Tenn., in late June dedicated an F-16 on static display at the base to Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Harpe, the highest ranking active duty officer ever to die in an F-16. Harpe was killed on Dec. 5, 1988, when his F-16 crashed in Madrid, Spain, during a routine training mission. At the time, he was commander of 16th Air Force, a component of US Air Forces in Europe. “America needs heroes” like Harpe, said Col. Eugene Mittuch, vice commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Center, at the dedication ceremony. The F-16, he continued, “will stand as a testament to his memory and to all those who have given their lives building the greatest Air Force the world has ever known.” (Arnold report by Joel Fortner)