BEGINNINGS
How the glider pilots association got its start:
Several attempts were made following World War II to organize a glider pilot association. The movement didn't really get started until the spring of 1965 when Earl Dust, of Champaign, Illinois, a former member of the 80th TC Squadron of the 436th Troop Carrier Group, made a vacation trip from New York to Florida and visited many of his old buddies along the way. Earl decided to call for a reunion of those GPs he had contacted to be held in Champaign in May of 1966. Using a personal list of names, the word was put out and a total of nine GPs and wives showed up. This may not sound like a large group but at that time, it was the largest group of ex-glider pilots gathered in one place since the end of WWII. At this meeting it was decided that these few would initiate a movement calling for a reunion of all former glider pilots. Bickett Ellington and Virginia Randolph “volunteered” to help in locating as many ex-GPs as possible and do the awesome chore of letter writing and address list typing. A Steering Committee was formed headed by Earl Dust. Earl located and appointed ex-GP Lt. Col. Frank Moore as temporary “National Chairman” and indicated that Moore's primary responsibility would be to “search, seek out and locate former glider pilots. Moore was authorized to use all available news sources in this effort. The preliminary mailing lists started to grow. Finally, after months of hard work, the decision was made to call for the first national GP reunion. It would be held in Dallas, Texas on August 13, 14, and 15, 1971. Since the national VFW organization was holding its annual reunion on those same dates, it was felt that this would be an ideal opportunity to attract many GPs who might also be attending that event.
THE POSITIONS AWARDS, 1971 - PRESENT
National World War II Glider Pilots Association/Committee
| THE NATIONAL COMMANDERS |
1971 .....................Bickett Ellington
1973 .................... Frank L. Kehr
1974 ................... S. Tipton Randolph
(The office of National Commander was eliminated upon the adoption of the 1974 By-Laws of the Association)
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THE NATIONAL CHAIRMEN, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL |
1975, 1976, 1977 ...............Frank L. Kehr
1978............................Richard S. Kennedy
1979, 1980 .....................J. Garth Caldwell
1981, 1982, 1983 ...............John Huska
1984, 1985, 1986 ...............Lee G. Hampson
1987, 1988, 1989 ...............Edward L. Cook
1990, 1991 ....................David H. Trexler
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1992, 1993...............John W. Hancock
1994, 1995...............Gilbert M. Slaughter
1996, 1997..............David A. Truman
1998 ....................Otto F. Lyons, Jr.
1999 through 2007......Michael J. Samek
2008 through 2014......E. Douglas Flynn
2015 through 2018........Otto Lyons, Jr
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CHAIR, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL In 2019 the words National Chairman was dropped from the title |
2019 through 2021........R. Bruce Overman
2022 to present..........Gary L. Stripling
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THE NATIONAL WING COMMANDERS |
1975....................J. Garth Caldwell
1976, 1984 .............Joseph J. Cannella
1977....................Joseph F. Menard
1978 ..................Connie Nanartonis
1979, 1987 .............Melvin J. Brockman
1980....................John Huska
1981....................Lee G. Hampson
1982, 1983 .............Rowell S. Houghton
1985, 1986 .............Douglas W. Wilmer
1988....................David H. Trexler
1989 ..................Howard M. Thompson
1990, 1991..............Thomas F. McGrath
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1992 ..................Richard J. Redfern
1993, 1994.............Jose F. Casaus
1995, 1996..............John S. Seawright
1997, 1998..............Ray J. Welty
1999, 2000, 2001 .......Charles J. Anderson
2002 through 2011.......Ray J. Welty
2012, 2013.............Robert W. Powell
2014, 2015.............Peter J. Lecce
[Pete was the last glider pilot to hold this position
the GPs voted to change their Bylaws allowing a non GP to hold the NWC poition, they nominated Patricia Overman]
2016 to present.........Patricia Ann Overman
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THE BICKETT ELLINGTON MEMORIAL AWARD |
1977....................Harry “Pappy” Engel
1978....................Frank L. Kehr
1979....................Virginia & S. Tipton Randolph
1980....................William K. Horn
1981....................George F. Brennan
1982....................Richard S. Kennedy & J. Garth Caldwell
1983....................Connie Nanartonis
1985....................Joseph J. Cannella
1986....................Edward L. Cook
1987....................Joseph F. Menard
1988....................John Huska
1989....................Melvin J. Brockman
1990....................Douglas W. Wilmer
1991....................Lee G. Hampson
1992....................Ed Keys
1993....................George I. Theis
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1994 ...................Harry Loftis
1995 ..................John W. Hancock
1996 ...................Dale Oliver
1997 ..................David H. Trexler
1998 ..................Gilbert M. Slaughter
1999 ..................Darlyle M. Watters
2000 ..................Howard M. Thompson
2001 ...................Otto F. Lyons, Jr.
2002 ..................Charles J. Anderson
2003 ..................E. Douglas Flynn
2004 ...................Ray J. Welty
2005 ...................Michael J. Samek & Leslie D. Bailey
2006 ...................Fred H. Lunde
2007 ..................Leon B. Spencer
2008 ..................James L. Larkin
[the GPs voted to change their Bylaws allowing a non GP to Recieve this award, they nominated Charles Day]
2009 ...................Charles L. Day
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THE MICHAEL C. MURPHY MEMORIAL AWARD |
1987....................Paul H. Poberezny
1988....................Richard A. Flood
1989....................George C. Dade
1990....................Lewis J. Stowe
1991....................Frederick R. Dent, Jr.
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1992....................Floyd J. Sweet
1993....................John W. Laister
1994....................Paul, Ernest & William Schweizer
1995....................Lewin B. Barringer, Jr.
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THE SILENT WINGS OUTSTANDING WING COMMANDER AWARD |
1979....................Bill McDonald
1980....................Bill Foster
1981....................Melvin J. Brockman
1982....................Connie Nanartonis
1983....................John Pope
1984....................David H. Trexler
1985....................Raymond C. Hoersch
1986, 1998 .............Roy Barbata
1987....................William D. Knickerbocker
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1988....................William E. McFadden
1989, 1991..............Richard J. Redfern
1990....................David S. Kaufman
1992....................Daniel H. Martine
1993....................Donald B. Collins
1994....................John Smelcer
1995....................Carl Leggett
1996, 1999..............Ray J. Welty
1997....................Charles J. Anderson
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THE S. TIPTON RANDOLPH MEMORIAL AWARD |
2009....................Philippe Esvelin
2010....................Mark N. Earle
2011....................E. Susan Arnoult Pinter
2012....................Hans den Brok
2013....................Patricia Ann Overman
2014....................Mike Skidmore
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2015....................Scott Glover
2016....................Keith Thoms
2017...................Mary Roemer & Charles Hobbs
2018....................Gary Stripling
The RANDOLPH award was eliminated when the GPs disolved their part in the organization.
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National World War II Glider Pilots Committee
WWII U.S. GLIDER PILOTS MEMORIAL AWARD |
2019...................Joan Abrahamsen
2020...................Barbara Woods
2021...................Thomas Martin
2022...................Jean Michel Soldi
2023...................Rob Beahan
2024...................Zachary G. Cromley
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