In Memory of my Father,

Colonel Arthur Leo Chase (1935-1994)
Fighter Pilot, USAF (1958-1986)

Obituary for Arthur Leo Chase
Published in the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, September 23, 1994

If you knew my Dad or have any pictures of him or stories to share I would really like to hear from you.
Please send me an email at spanky@mac.com. Thanks!

Some of the planes my Father flew during his career as an Air Force Fighter Pilot

A-7D Corsair II	My Father was Commander of the 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Flying Tigers" at England AFB, Louisiana from 1975-1977. His nickname was "Rocket Man," and the sign in front of the Squadron included it under the "official" sign that said "Col. Arthur L. Chase-Commander."
A-37 Dragonfly	Trained South Vietnamese Air Force pilots how to fly A-37 fighter jets while stationed at England AFB, Louisiana in the early 70's.
F-100D Super Sabre	283 air combat missions (422.1 combat hours) in Vietnam while stationed at Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of South Vietnam, August 1967-August 1968. Awarded multiple medals and ribbons.

Some of the Units my Father was Associated With During his Air Force Career

Unit / Location	Emblem	Aircraft
55th Tactical Fighter Squadron RAF Wethersfield, Essex, England		F-100 Super Sabre
352nd Tactical Fighter Squadron Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam The Latin motton at the bottom of the emblem translates to "While we breathe, we fight."		F-100 Super Sabre
76th Tactical Fighter Squadron England AFB, Alexandria, Lousiana The Chinese characters at the top of the emblem indicate the squadron name "Vanguards" History of the 76th		A-7D Corsair II

My Dad was awarded several medals while he served our country.

A plaque of "High Flight" was on the wall in every home we lived in.
My Dad requested that it be read at his funeral, and it was.

High Flight

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds -- and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of -- wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer John G. Magee, Jr.

High Flight was composed by Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., an American
serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was born in Shanghai, China in 1922,
the son of missionary parents, Reverend and Mrs. John Gillespie Magee; his father was
an American and his mother was originally a British citizen.

He came to the U.S. in 1939 and earned a scholarship to Yale, but in September 1940 he
enlisted in the RCAF and was graduated as a pilot. He was sent to England for combat
duty in July 1941.

In August or September 1941, Pilot Officer Magee composed High Flight and sent a
copy to his parents. Several months later, on December 11, 1941 his Spitfire collided
with another plane over England and Magee, only 19 years of age, crashed to his death.

His remains are buried in the churchyard cemetery at Scopwick, Lincolnshire.