Retired Lt. Gen. Charles H. Terhune Jr., one of the original 10 men to receive the newly created Space and Missile Pioneer Award, died at the age of 90 at his home in La Canada, Calif., on Aug. 30, following a long illness. Terhune entered the Army Air Corps in 1938, earning his pilot wings in 1939. He worked in aeronautical research and development and migrated to guided missiles, becoming one of the first five officers to work on USAF’s ballistic missile program. He was key to the Thor, Titan, and Minuteman programs. He served in various command positions, including heading Electronic Systems Division, and led the Air Force’s Project Forecast. In 1971, Terhune became deputy director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working the space arena from the civilian side until he retired in 1983. (Read his official USAF biography and another from Air Force Space Command.)
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
