USAFA Class Heritage Class of 1963

   Bill was born in Galveston, TX in 1941. After graduating from Texas City High School in 1959 he entered the United States Air Force Academy where he subsequently received his Bachelor of Science degree and was com­missioned a second lieutenant in 1963. Bill earned his pilot's wings at Vance AFB. OK and was assigned to Luke AFB, AZ for combat crew training in the F-I00. From 1965 through 1967, Bill was an operational fighter pilot with the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England. In 1968, Bill served in Southeast Asia as a forward air controller fly­ing the 0-2A in support of the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division. He participated in extensive combat operations during the 1968 Tet Offensive, including the Battle for Hue, the Siege of Khe Sanla, and the A Shau Valley Offensive. In 1968, Bill was the first forward air con­troller to receive an in-county checkout in the OV-10 Bronco, and he completed his combat tour as an OV-10 instructor pilot with the 504th Tactical Air Support Group at Phan Rang AB, Republic of South Vietnam.    From 1969 to 1971 Bill flew the AT-33 and F-100 while assigned to the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, NM. In 1971, Bill attended the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, OH where he earned a Master of Science Degree in aeronautical and air weapons design engineering. Following graduation in 1973, Bill was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA, serving as a flight test engineer on the YF-16 Lightweight Fighter Program and F-16 full scale development program. During this period he was also an academic instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School.    Returning to primary flying duty in 1977, Bill was,a flight commander and operations officer in the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Syladron, Williams AFB, AZ, flying as an F-5 instructor pilot. In 1979-1980, Bill was Commander, USAF Detachment, U.S. Military Training Mission, Taif, Saudi Arabia, where he was the chief advisor and F-5 instructor pilot to the Royal Saudi Air Force. In 1980, Bill attended the Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, earning a Master's degree equivalent in Indonesian language and cul­tural studies. He then served as Chief, Air Force Division, U.S. Defense Liaison Group, U.S. Embassy, Jakarta, Indonesia, and was also the U.S. Deputy Air Attache. During this tour of duty Bill piloted the embassy C-12 aircraft and flew the F-5 with the Indonesian Air Force. Following this assignment Bill reported to USAFTAWC in September 1983.    Bill was a command pilot who has flown the F.100, A-37, 0-2, OV-10, AT-33, L-20, C-12, and F-5. He has over 2,800 hours flying time. including 280 combat missions and 600 hours combat time. His decorations include Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and numerous expeditionary unit/service awards. His service and skills as a pilot earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.    In 1993 Bill earned a Masters Degree in Psychology.    Bill loved fishing, boating, writing, reading and spending time with his family and his beloved African Grey, Bobby. Bill was very patriotic and encouraged everyone to exer­cise their right to vote. After Bill retired from the Air Force, the job he loved most was with his last employer, ATAC. He enjoyed being back working with the fighter planes he loved so much and he could once again smell the jet fuel.  Bill had a team of eighteen engineers working under him and he enjoyed working with each of them. He was loved by many and will be missed very much by his family and many friends.    Lt. Col. William F. Bryant Jr., U.S. Air Force retired, age 62, died peacefully at his home in Niceville on Dec. 8th, 2003. after a short illness.  Bill was preceded in death by his father, William F. Bryant and his mother. Avemell of Texas City, TX and his nephew, Christopher Collier of Harlingen, TX. 35th Reunion (1998): June 1963...the second phase of the great adventure began. Four years of hard work had forged friendships, personal pride, and dedication at levels far above any prior experience of my life. UPT at Vance reinforced those key elements in a new dimension—the sky, and I was fortunate enough to have my dream of flying fighters become a reality. I still smile when I recall my assignment notification to fly the F-100! Luke AFB was a real warrior haven!...something we don’t seem to have around anymore. Although Vietnam was getting cranked up about that time, I went to England to RAF Lakenheath. Many of our commanders were WWII and Korean aces. No need for credibility checks here, I absorbed all they could teach, and after three volunteer statements, got orders for Vietnam...as a forward air controller! Yes, I was an attitude case. I soon learned, however, that saving a bunch of grunts on the ground could be just as magnificent as blasting a MiG from the sky. I got to Nam just in time for the ‘68 TET Offensive and went VFR direct to I Corps to fly the O-2 and eventually the OV-10. Tent- living and C-rations, and nightly ground attacks, from which I put a few notches on my AR-15, had a profound effect on my views of the war. At least I survived...a third of the pilots in my outfit went home in body bags. My tactical fighter career continued after Vietnam. AT-33s and the Hun again at Cannon Air Patch. Then AFIT and a graduate degree in Aeronautics and Weapons Design Engineering. A great assignment followed...Edwards AFB and 4 1/2 years on the YF/F-16 program. It was a “kick-ass” fighter that the F-15 Mafia hated, so it was converted to a primary air-to-mud machine. After Eddy, I became a “mercenary” in the F-5 for six years...another string of great assignments, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. My career champagne flight was a 1 v | fight with a former Mig-21 pilot over the smoking volcanoes of central Java. After winning four engagements, I took off my g-suit for the last time, followed by many beers and tears. I had five more years as a tactics development division chief at the Tactical Air Warfare Center here at Eglin before retiring. I continue to support weapons systems testing as a defense contractor engineer. I love the Air Force...the way it used to be. We had lots of airplanes, flew hard, partied hard, and the clubs and “stag bars” flourished. We read our Playboys, pointed with our fingers, and weren’t afraid to use a four- letter word when needed. Most of all, though, we had a bonding and an esprit de corps forged from the spirits of all those aerial warriors before us...and by damn it felt great! I am so proud of our class and our legacy from those good days. We were the standard of excellence, and we gave duty and honor higher meaning.