A-12


COL. TED DAKE, MD

1930 Ted was born 16 October 1930 in Paris, Texas
1948 He was 17 years old when he first started his military career serving in the U.S Naval Reserve from 1948-1951 as a Hospital Corpsman He graduated from Sumner High School in 1948 in Sumner, WA.
1951 Ted was in his junior year at the University of Oklahoma, during the Korean War, when he received his draft notice from his home state of Texas to report for active duty He volunteered for US Air Force pilot training and was able to finish out his third year of pre-med.
1951-1952 Entered Aviation Cadet Primary Training at Goodfellaw AFB, San Angelo, Texas in T-6 aircraft and Advanced Training in jets (T-33) at Laredo AFB, Laredo, Texas He graduated as a USAF 2nd Lt (Class 52-G) on 25 October 1952
Nov. 1952 - Mar 1953 Jet Fighter Pilot Gunnery School, Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada, flying F-80 and F-86 aircraft
19S3 Korean War Ted volunteered and flew 25 missions as an AT-6 Mosquito pilot with the 6148th TAC squadron Every pilot was then required to serve as a ground Forward Air Controller on the front lines Ted's tour was with the 1st ROK (South Korean Army Division). At the wars end, Ted was awarded the Air Medal, UN Medal and Korean Service Medal.
1953-1955 After Korea, Ted was assigned to Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, Texas as an instructor Pilot flying T-6's, T-28's, and B-25's He was promoted to 1st Lt.
1955-19S6 Next on to Hondo AFB, Hondo, Texas as a military check pilot in T-28’s.
1956-1957 He requested and was released from active duty and joined the New York Air National Guard with the rank of Captain while he finished his last year of pre- med at New York University
1958-1961 Ted continued to fly with the Air National Guard during his first three years of medical school at State University New York Downstate Medical College He flew T-6's, B-25's, A-26's and C-119's as an instructor Pilot
1961-1962 Left the New York Air National Guard to participate in the US Air Force sponsored Senior Year Medical Student Program and became an Active Duty Reserve officer with the rank of 2nd LT in the Air Force Medical Service Corps and was no longer on flying status
June 1962 Graduated from SUNY College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY, and was promoted to 1st LT in the Medical Corps
July 1962 Promoted to rank of Captain in the USAF Medical Corps
l July 1962-1963 Rotating internship at USAF Hospital, Keesler AFB. Biloxi, Mississippi
June 1963-Sept 1963 USAF Flight Surgeon School, Brooks AFB, San Antonio, Texas and received rating of USAF Flight Surgeon
Sept 1963-1966 Assigned as Wing flight surgeon for 1st Air Commando Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fort Walton Beach, Florida and was returned to pilot flight status. In 1964, he attended the USA Special Forces jump school and earned his jump wings with parachutist rating

Later in 1964, he was assigned with the Air Commandos to Udorn, Thailand, "Operation Water Pump" This was a joint ClA/Air American operation Ted performed as an instructor Pilot and a Flight Surgeon, and volunteered to help train Laotian pilots in fighter bomber gunnery (AT-28's) as there was a shortage of instructor pilots He also performed medical civic action trips into the jungles of Thailand with his medical team, treating the indigenous natives for medical ills As a result of the work he accomplished during this assignment, Ted received the Bronze Star and the Air Force Commendation Medal He was also nominated for, and then presented with the Major General Malcolm C Grow USAF Flight Surgeon on the Year Award in 1964. This award is presented to an individual thought to exemplify the "ideal flight surgeon at the operational level" Selection is based on exceptionally effective support of a flying operation and superior rapport with flying personnel He was promoted to Major in the secondary zone and received a regular commission.
Jan 1S66-June 1969 Ted was requested by the USAF Surgeon General to volunteer for the 1129th Special Activities Squadron (Area 51), Groom Lake, Nevada Test Site, Las Vegas, Nevada The squadron's mission was ClA photo intelligence flying the world's most sophisticated and secret plane, spy the A-12, the precursor to the SR-71, "Blackbird" The flights took place anywhere in the world, but mainly Southeast Asia, North Korea and North Vietnam The 1129th also worked with the Taiwanese U-2 pilots training them in mountain survival techniques Ted participated in this strenuous three month duty assignment as well in order to provide medical care He remained on active flying status and flew T-33's F- 101's and the YF-12 (two seat version) with instructor pilot. He was upgraded to Command Pilot (rated as a pilot for 1S years with 2000 hours of flying time) as well as earning his Master Parachutist rating (completion of 60 jumps including water, night, and forest jumps) He was awarded his 2nd Air Force Commendation medal
June 1969-June 1972 Entered Psychiatric Medical Residency program at Wilford Hall, USAF Medical Center, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas He remained on flying status and flew the T-39 VlP jet courier He was promoted early to Lt. Colonel in 1970
June 1972-1974 Assigned Chief of Aerospace Medicine and Chief of Psychiatry, USAF Hospital, Bitburg AFB, Bitburg, Germany, the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing He flew F-4C's with the 22nd Fighter Squadron. ln 1974, he was promoted early to full Colonel.
1974-1976 Chief of Psychiatry and Neurology, Elgin AFB Hospital, Ft. Waiton Beach, Florida He was awarded his third Air Force Commendation Medal and a Meritorious Service Medal for successfully defusing a dangerous hostage situation A former mental patient of Ted's who was being processed out of the USAF at Robbins AFB, Georgia, was holding his squadron commander and the Center's commander, a Major General, at gunpoint Ted flew to Georgia in a T-38, where at the time of his arrival, the SWAT team was already deployed around the commander’s office. He was able to enter the room, and after much dangerous interchange, convince the deranged airman to surrender his gun and freed the hostages unharmed
1976-1978 Hospital Commander, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Austin, Texas where he flew RF-4C's in the 12th TR Squadron
1977 He became Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology and was awarded his Chief Physician Badge He was awarded the USAF Legion of Merit Medal upon his retirement from the USAF on 30 November 1978
1978 Ted first joined the military at 17 when he served in the Naval Reserve for three years After a total of nearly 31 years of service, Ted retired from military active duty and entered private psychiatric medical practice in Austin, Texas. He has continued his flying activities in his beloved Bonanza A-36 and has logged more than 7,000 hours of flying time He is a member of the United Flying Octogenarians and the Order of Daedalians He remains the only person in military history to have achieved a tri-rating of Command Pilot, Master Parachutist and Chief Physician


back Home Email
© Copyright 2001-, Dreamland Resort. All rights reserved. See a broken link or error - please email the webmaster. Page last modified 09/11/2021