Ensign Glen Howard Rickelton USN

Air Medal with Gold Star

Glen Howard Rickelton was born 3 October 1928 in Olathe CO to Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Rickelton.  The family moved to Farmington NM when he was 16 years old where Glen’s father ran Farmington Drugstore with his brother.  Glen graduated from Farmington HS in 1946 and enrolled at NMAMC the following fall to study Engineering.  He attended NMAMC for two years departing in the spring of 1948 following his sophomore year. Soon thereafter he joined the US Navy and was commissioned as an Ensign jg.  He next attended flights schools in Pensacola FL and Meridian MS.  Following receipt of his Naval Aviator Wings he was assigned to VF-51, the Screaming Eagles, where he flew the Grumman F-9F Panther along with his fellow ensign, Neil Armstrong.  VF-51 was the first USN squadron to take jets into combat.   In the summer of 1951, VF-51 was assigned to the USS Essex, CV-9, for combat patrols off the coast of Korea.  The squadron entered combat operations in August 1951 flying close air support and air to ground interdiction missions against North Koreas railway and transportation infrastructure.  Over the course of the fall they completed three tours off the Korean coast between replenishments in Yokosuka Japan.