Col Everest's Reassignment

Col. Everest's Reassignment

Courtesy of Buck Seibert

Desert Airman - 1965
Davis-Monthan AFB

Col Frank K. Everest Jr. 4453rd CCTW commander, received unexpected reassignment orders this week to report to Nellis AFB, Nev., where he has already assumed command of the 4520th CCTW. Col. John F. Groom, who has been serving as vice commander under Colonel Everest, has taken command of the TAC training unit. In June, however, Col. Jones E. Bolt, present director of safety for Twelfth Air Force at Waco, Tex., will take command of the F4C wing.

At Nellis, Colonel Everest will command a combat support group, two combat crew training squadrons flying F-105 Thunderchiefs, an F-86 and T-33 equipped foreign student squadron, the USAF Weapons School, which is equipped with the F-100 Super Sabre, as well as the F-105 and the famed Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team. Colonel Everest came to DM from MacDill AFB, Fla., last year when the 4453rd transferred here.

A veteran of the Africa, Silcicy and Italy campaigns, flying 94 combat missions in the P40, Colonel Everest shot down two German aircraft and damaged another. He was shot down by ground fire in May 1945 after chalking up 67 combat missions as commander of a fighter squadron at Chinkiang, China. He was captured and was a prisoner of war until the end of hostilities. Colonel Everest was a test pilot for the Air Force from September 1945 to August 1956 at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and Edwards AFB, Calif. He was the chief test pilot at Edwards. He is credited with test flying the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, XF92 and XB52. In addition, he participated in the early tests of the B57, F100, F101, F104 B66 and F105. On Oct. 29, 1953 he established a world's speed record of 755.159 mph in the YF100. Flying the Bell X2 rocket plane, he established a new unofficial speed record of 1957 mph making him the "fastest man alive" at that time. Pilots flying the newer X15 have since flown twice as fast as this.

Originally from Fairmont, W. Va., Colonel Everest will be joined by his family in June.

Article Index	Home Page