http://www.scindependent.com/articles/2010/10/14/south_kingstown/doc4cb70ec24c7a1974084943.txt
Wakefield man's flying achievements to be honored

By Erin Tiernan/Independent Staff Writer
Thursday, October 14, 2010 10:07 AM EDT

EAST GREENWICH - A Wakefield resident will be among those inducted into the R.I. Aviation Hall of Fame on Oct. 23 at the Varnum Armory.

Frederick J. Wilson III earned the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Single Mission Air Medals, a Navy Commendation Medal and 46 mission Air Medals and he was named 2nd Marine Airwing Aviator of the Year in 1969 after his combat tour in Vietnam. He did it all, he said, in 13 months aboard a tandem router chopper, Yankee Tango 13.

To most people, 13 is considered a bad omen, but Wilson said it has always been his lucky number.

Wilson shares war stories and tales of heroism as if he were discussing Monday's Patriots game. He seems almost unimpressed with his short-lived yet action-packed career as a Marine that garnered him 46 air medals and his face on the cover of more than a few newspapers. For 13 months from 1967 to 1968, Wilson soared behind enemy lines and through hostile skies in his CH46 helicopter to rescue wounded soldiers and carry out search -and-destroy missions.

"Basically just the amount of missions I flew and the number of hours I flew was what they thought was very unusual, particularly the number of air medals," said Wilson.

Wilson said his tour in Vietnam, though short, racked up so many missions because all he wanted to do was fly. Most officers, he said, would stop flying because of the dangers involved and move to a desk position to further their careers, but not Wilson. He reveled in the adrenaline rush he felt while flying over hostile territories looking for stranded reconnaissance units.

"A lot of people didn't enjoy their Vietnam experience," he said. "I loved mine, probably because I wasn't killing people, I was saving people basically."

By the time Wilson was out of college, he had his private pilot's license and was already considered a senior pilot. Despite his age, Wilson had more in-flight experience than many older Marines. Thanks to his mother, who was one of the state's first female pilots, Wilson learned to fly fixed-wing airplanes as a 14-year-old in Rhode Island, setting him up for a passion with aviation that would last a lifetime.

In school Wilson was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps and after he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in English, he was ready for battle. Since he already knew how to fly, he made the likely transition from sniper to pilot. When he felt as though he wasn't getting enough airtime in his fixed-wing craft, Wilson made the jump to helicopter pilot.

"Helicopters are much harder to fly than fixed wing," he said. "They are inherently unstable because of their ability to hover, there are more moving parts and they need more maintenance."

But he said none of that fazed him. He flew more than 920 missions in just half that number of days.

"The thing is, is that this is what I did on daily basis," he said. "You got shot at on daily basis; you didn't really think about it. The trick is I never got hit except when landing or taking off, but I did manage to get shot down three times and I managed to walk away."

At 26 he had achieved the rank of captain and was responsible for more than $60 million worth of aircraft.

Wilson credits his achievements in battle to his state-of-the-art helicopter and the skills of his crewmembers. The CH46 chopper is the same helicopter the military is using now in Iraq and Afghanistan - 40 years after he flew.

Wilson returned home from his combat tour on Nov. 22, 1968, and eventually joined the family business, Wilson Publishing, which published the Narragansett Times and other papers. He founded the Independent in 1997 and is now retired from publishing.

Although he still flies from time to time and still holds a commercial license, instrument license and a multi-engine and jet rating, he said he can't fly as he did in Vietnam now that he's back in the States.

"I loved my flying, I really enjoyed it and you never get to fly like that in the U.S.," he said. "To a certain extent it's unsafe flying - you're flying low, flying fast and at its maximum ability to get the heck in and out of hostile areas and back here. When life isn't on the line you don't take those kinds of risks. Back in college I was probably one of worst adrenaline junkies in the world - probably the biggest insurance risk too - I flew, I skydived, I raced cars, I scuba dived."

Now that he's a grandfather, Wilson said he has calmed down a lot. When he does fly, it's usually in a fixed-wing airplane.

"At my age now, I'm 68 years old, I probably would think long and hard about some of the places I've gone and some of the things I did," he said. "I have no desire to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft now, but it sure was fun then."

Wilson said he plans to share a few of the stories behind his medals of honor at the induction ceremony.

The other living inductee is William Anders, the Apollo 8 astronaut best known for his photograph "Earthrise." Anders lived in Barrington for most of the 1980s while serving as Textron's executive vice president and later as senior vice president. Providence-based Textron manufactures and develops aircraft, defense and industrial products and technology. He will speak about his experiences with NASA and with the private aviation industry.

The two deceased inductees are Capt. John J. Coonan Jr., a Navy officer from Pawtucket, and Otto Hermann, who built and flew the first biplane in the state in 1910.

Every year Lennon said the Hall of Fame also recognizes Rhode Islanders with special commendations during their lifetime. In an e-mail, Lennon explained that the organization can only accept a handful of inductees per year, but offers other distinctions that recognize achievements.

"We get so many applications each year," he said. "It doesn't mean that person won't be inducted later on. It's almost like a step to becoming an inductee."

This year's honorees are George Sullivan of Aquidneck Island and East Greenwich resident Capt. John A. Romano.

Tickets to the event cost $50 per person or $90 per couple and reservations can be made by calling 398-1000 or by e-mailing riahof@aol.com.

The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m.

Reporter Erin Tiernan can be reached at eg@neindependent.com.