His Army Air Corps grandfather received his pilot license in 1906 from Orville Wright and knew aviation legends like Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. His father served in the Air Force and in Korea. And third generation pilot Al Palmer flew fighter jets in the Air Force–including the famed F-4 “Wild Weasel” missions during the Vietnam War–then later changed to becoming a naval aviator in the Navy flying the new F-14 Tomcats off of aircraft carriers.
We’re turning the tables on this episode of STARRS and Stripes and interviewing the host himself, CDR Al Palmer, US Navy ret to learn about his incredible family military aviation legacy, his own combat service as a fighter pilot, and later creating and running aviation museums. There he helped preserve important aviation history that he and his family lived through, serving from World War I to the Cold War.
Al recounts his hair-raising F-4 Phantom Wild Weasel missions flown during the Vietnam War including Operation Linebacker where their mission was to draw out the enemy’s missiles so they couldn’t be used against the bombers. He discusses firsthand accounts of tactical maneuvers, the dangers of air combat, and the brotherhood among pilots. From the psychological challenges to the tactical brilliance required to outsmart enemy defenses, his stories give a vivid picture of bravery and camaraderie in the face of overwhelming odds.
When the war ended, Al did something most people didn’t do at the time: a lateral move from the Air Force to the Navy. There he flew the iconic F-14 Tomcat–brand new at the time–off of carriers. After his service, he recounts his contributions to preserving military aviation history running the San Diego Aviation Museum, creating from scratch the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, securing rare artifacts, his interactions with historic aviation and space figures, and his job running the National Atomic Testing Museum. Al has an amazing military aviation heritage and story.
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