Salvador E. Felices
Major General Salvador Enrique Felices (August 13, 1923 – July 14, 1987) was the first Puerto Rican to reach the rank of major general in the United States Air Force. In 1957, he participated in "Operation Power Flite", the first round-the-world nonstop flight by a jet airplane.
Salvador E. Felices | |
|---|---|
 Major General Salvador E. Felices Participated in the first around the world flight by an all-jet aircraft. | |
| Nickname(s) | Cucho |
| Born | August 13, 1923 Santurce, Puerto Rico |
| Died | July 14, 1987 (aged 63) Vienna, Austria |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |  |
| Years of service | 1946–1974 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Unit | Headquarters SAC |
| Commands held | 306th Bombardment Wing 416th Bombardment Wing Sixteenth Air Force |
| Battles/wars | Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit w/ two oak leaf clusters Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal w/ two oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal w/ two oak leaf clusters Army Commendation Medal |
Early years
Felices was born in the Santurce section of San Juan, Puerto Rico the capital city of island. There he received his primary and secondary education. After graduating from the Santurce Central High School, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico and joined its ROTC program.
West Point
In 1943, Felices was granted a congressional appointment to West Point, the U.S. Military Academy in New York. While he was a cadet at the academy, he undertook flying lessons at Curtis Field, Texas and Stewart Field in New York. On June 4, 1946, he was awarded his pilot wings and the following day, on June 5, he graduated from the academy and commissioned a second lieutenant.
Military service
On September 18, 1947, he became part of the newly formed branch of the armed forces, the United States Air Force. Felices received training in multi-engines and also completed the weapons training course. He was assigned in 1952, to the 303rd Bombardment Wing as the 359th Bombardment Squadron operations officer. Felices participated in a bombing competition, using a B-29 Superfortress equipped with an APQ-7 radar set and a Norden bombsight rate head. This would eventually lead the way to the development of the current techniques of synchronous radar bombing used today.
Korean War
In 1953, Felices flew in 19 combat missions over North Korea, during the Korean War, as combat operation officer for the 344th Bombardment Squadron. In 1954, he was reassigned and stationed at Castle Air Force Base, California. In 1955, Felices completed the instructor course for the B-52
In January 1957, he participated in a historic project that was given to Fifteenth Air Force by the Strategic Air Command headquarters known as "Operation Power-Flite".[1][2] Operation Power-Flite was the first around the world flight by an all-jet aircraft. He later completed a course on the KC-135 aircraft at the Boeing Company Ground School and participated in its flight test program. He wrote the first flight curriculum and initial qualification requirements for future SAC pilots.[1]
In July 1957, Felices delivered the first KC-135 to SAC Headquarters and he was the first to pilot the first flight of a KC-135 made by the then-Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1958, he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for landing a B-52 without the right rear landing gear.
Vietnam War
Felices held various positions within the military and rose in rank. On June 1968, he was named commander of the 306th Bombardment Wing. He flew 39 combat bombing missions over North Vietnam during the Vietnam War in a B-52 aircraft. In 1969, he became the commander of the 823d Air Division at McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, which covered SAC bases and operating locations in Florida, Puerto Rico, North Carolina and Georgia. On May 1970, Felices was named Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff at Headquarters, Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. In this capacity, he was responsible for SAC's intercontinental ballistic missile operational testing programs.[1]
Later years
Felices was promoted to the rank of major general on April 2, 1973 and on August of that year became the Vice Commander of Sixteenth Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Torrejon Air Base, Spain.[1]
Major General Salvador E. Felices retired from the Air Force on September 1, 1974. He died of natural causes on 14 July 1987 while vacationing in Vienna, Austria. and was buried with full military honors at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Felices was married to Shirley C. Gross with whom he had three children, Sherryl, Mark and Steven.[3]
Awards and decorations
Among Felices' decorations and medals were the following:
 |
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
 |
 |
 |
.svg.png){kind=small} |
 |
 |
Badges:
Further reading
- Puertorriquenos Who Served With Guts, Glory, and Honor. Fighting to Defend a Nation Not Completely Their Own, Greg Boudonck. ISBN 1497421837; ISBN 978-1497421837
See also
References
- "Biographies: Major General Salvador E. Felice". Air Force Link. United States Air Force. April 1, 1974. Archived from the original on 2006-08-08. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
- "Aviation History Facts". Archived from the original on 2008-06-28. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- USAF Academy Cemetery (by name index), El Paso County, Colo.
External links
- "Biographies: Major General Salvador E. Felice". Air Force Link. United States Air Force. April 1, 1974. Archived from the original on 2006-08-08. Retrieved 2006-08-12.