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Robert L Cardenas

USAF Brigadier General Robert L Cardenas Bob Cardenas began his military career as a Private in the Army Coast Artillery. He applied for flight training and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps in July of 1949. He Flew B-24s in Europe and was shot down over Germany. He escaped and made his way to Switzerland, and eventually France prior to D-Day. Upon his return to America, Bob became an experimental test pilot. He has flown more than thirty different types of aircraft. Bob served as operations officer for the XS-1 supersonic project, and he piloted the B-29 that launched Chuck Yeager into the realm on supersonic flight on October 14, 1947. Later in 1947 Bob received word that he would participate in testing of the B-35 and YB-49 'flying wing' projects at Muroe Air Force Base. He was the Chief Air Force Test Pilot on the jet powered YBA9, and he points out the similarity of design and size between the flying wing and the B-2 bomber. During the Korean War he tested jet fighters and bombers at both Wright Field and Edwards Air Force Base. Later he would serve as Commander of the 18 th Tactical Fighter Wing on Okinawa at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Cardenas Flew the F- 105 Thunder Chief during the Vietnam War as Commander of a Squadron based in Korat, Thailand. Later in the conflict he was assigned to McConnell AFB in Kansas as Commander of the 835th Air Division, which trained flight crews for the F-105. Cardenas graduated from the Air War College and later was Chief of the Aircraft and Missile Programs Division at The Pentagon. He then served as Chief of the Special Operations Division at US Strike Command Headquarters in Tampa Prior to assuming Command of the Air Force Special Operations Force. Later in his career he would serve in Europe as Vice Commander of the 16th Air Force, where he had the dubious distinction of negotiating with Mulimar Quadaffi. He then served as the US Deputy to Live Oak under SACEUR. Prior to his retirement from active duty in 1973, he spent two years as Chief of the JL Division of the Joint Strategic Targeting Staff that was responsible for US Nuclear War Planning. Cardenas spent ten years in industry prior to being appointed to the White House as Coordinator for President Reagan's Southwest Border Economic Action Group. Later Bob was appointed by California Governor Dukernejian as Chairman of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Group and as a member of the California Council for Criminal Justice. He was also appointed to the California Veterans Board in 1987 and in 1992 was elected Chairman. The University of New Mexico honored General Cardenas in 1993 for his 'Outstanding Professional Contributions and Leadership', and in 1994 the Air Force Experimental Test Pilots School honored him as a 'Distinguished Alumnus,' and in 1995 he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor at Lancaster, California. Bob is currently Chairman of the Board of the Flight Test Historical Foundation, which is the force behind the establishment of a Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB. Bob resides in San Diego with his wife Gladys, where they both enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

Items Signed by USAF Brigadier General Robert L Cardenas

	Jacks Unusual Design by Stan Stokes. (B) Price : £125.00	John K. Jack Northrop was one of the pioneers in American aircraft design and production. He was the chief designer for Lockheed, developing that companys first aircraft, the Vega. In 1939 he formed his own aircraft company. Jacks passion was the t......
	Jacks Unusual Design by Stan Stokes. (C) Price : £95.00	John K. Jack Northrop was one of the pioneers in American aircraft design and production. He was the chief designer for Lockheed, developing that companys first aircraft, the Vega. In 1939 he formed his own aircraft company. Jacks passion was the tai......

Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of USAF Brigadier General Robert L Cardenas

USAF Brigadier General Robert L Cardenas