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)
Dick Cheney’s Legacy with the Air Force
Nov. 6, 2025
Dick Cheney, who died Nov. 3 at 84, is best remembered by most Americans as among the most powerful Vice Presidents in history, a consummate Washington insider who had previously served in the Nixon administration, was Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, a Congressman for a decade, and Secretary…


