Honorary Board Members

Dr. Buzz Aldrin
Dr. Aldrin was an astronaut on Gemini 12 and was on the world's first moon landing with Apollo 11. After serving a distinguished career in the USAF, including a combat tour in Korea with 2 aerial victories, Dr. Aldrin retired as a colonel. Dr. Aldrin has authored 6 books.

Commander Malcom Scott Carpenter USN (ret.)
Cmdr. Capenter was a Mercury Astronaut and America's 4th man in space. After retirement from NASA and the USN, he participated in deep sea research and authored several books.

Captain Dale Dye USMC (ret.)
Captain Dye served in Vietnam during his career in the Marine Corps. After retiring, Capt. Dye served as a technical consultant and/or actor in several action movies. Capt. Dye recently authored a novel of intrigue and combat in Laos.

Second Lieutenant Walter Ehlers U.S. Army
He served in WWII and based on individual actions following the D Day invasion distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty and was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Goebel USAAF (ret.)
Lt.Col. Goebel is an Ace from WWII and while flying the P-51 Mustang was credited with 11 aerial victories over the Me 109 Messerschmidt, one of them piloted by Erick Hartmann. Lt.Col. Goebel received the Silver Star, 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 18 Air Medals.

Commander Willis E. (Bill) Hardy USN (ret.)
Cmdr. Hardy is an Ace from WWII and while flying the F6F-5 Hellcat was credited with shooting down 6.5 Japanese aircraft and actually became an Ace-in-a-day by shooting down 5 on April 6, 1945. He is the recipient of the Navy Cross, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and 5 Air Medals.

Captain Richard F. Gordon USN (ret.)
Captain Gordon was an astronaut on Gemini 11 and was the Command Module Pilot on Apollo 12, the second moon landing mission. He retired from NASA and the USN to settle down with his wife in Prescott, Arizona.

Wes Parker
Mr. Parker was the first baseman for the LA Dodgers from 1965 - 1975. He played in 3 World Series Games and was recently voted to be the Spalding sponsored Best First Baseman in the Past 50 Years contest. He currently works for the Dodgers in various public affair and charity projects.

Brigadier General Richard S. (Steve) Ritchie USAF (ret.)
General Ritchie is an Ace from the Vietnam war where flying the F-4 Phantom was credited with 5 aerial victories over the MiG-21. BGen Ritchie is the recipient of the Air Force Cross, 4 Silver Stars, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals.

Robert J. "Bob" Gilliland
Mr. Gilliland is a 1949 graduate of the Naval Academy and transferred to the Air Force where he flew the F-84 in a 1952 combat tour in Korea. Transitioning to the Reserves in 1960, Mr. Gilliland joined Lockheed as a test pilot and rapidly advanced to the "Skunkworks" where "Kelly" Johnson made him the Chief Test Pilot of the SR-71. First to fly it on December 22,1964, he eventually achieved it's full envelope expansion of speed and altitude. A Fellow in the S.E.T.P., Mr. Gilliland received the prestigious Kincheloe Award which was followed by many other aerospace awards and recognitions. Currently, Mr. Gilliland is the General Manager of DeSoto Oil and Gas Trust of Memphis TN.