The man behind the name of Marshall University’s most prestigious scholarship.
The man behind the name of Marshall University’s most prestigious scholarship.At the age of 93, Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager shows few signs of slowing down, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise for the aviation icon once known as the first fastest man alive. The Hamlin, West Virginia, native earned that title on Oct. 14, 1947, when he did the unthinkable and broke the sound barrier. Today, 68 years after that historic feat, he stills enjoys hunting, fishing and, yes, flying. He still travels the world speaking to audiences about the subjects he knows best – aviation and a career in military service.
Before he became famous for breaking that “brick wall in the sky,” Yeager was one of the best dogfighters in the military, shooting down scores of enemy planes during World War II. While most pilots dream of becoming an “ace” during times of war, Yeager accomplished that feat in just one day, shooting down five German planes in the skies over France. He went on to become the greatest test pilot in the game, flying experimental aircraft for the United States Air Force and breaking numerous speed and altitude world records. It was Yeager and his brethren who did the legwork for what would later become NASA.
Yeager was already a household name when writer Tom Wolfe released “The Right Stuff,” a book about America’s test pilots and the Mercury astronaut program. Wolfe’s book and later the movie by the same name would make Yeager a bona fide star. As Wolfe saw it, Yeager was the measuring stick by which all pilots, and later astronauts, were judged. He was the best of the best.
That’s why it only seemed fitting that when Marshall decided to form a scholarship in his honor in 1986, the program’s motto was “Only The Best.”
“I was very adamant that there would be no political influence in appointing scholars,” Yeager explained. “I told them, ‘If I ever see that happen, I’ll walk away from it.’ And they’ve kept it honest. They only pick the best. They’re really sharp kids.”
Each year Yeager tries to meet the newest class and share some of the things he’s learned throughout his long life.
“It’s pretty simple. I don’t give anyone advice. I just give the same message: ‘Those who do it on their own are the best. You can’t just hope that success will be handed to you on a silver platter.’”
From a lowly private in the Air Force to brigadier general, from one of the best fighter pilots in World War II to the man who broke the sound barrier, today Chuck Yeager is considered by many to be the greatest pilot who ever lived. And, as he approaches his 94th birthday, he is still living life at full throttle. What better example of success and achievement could a young scholar hope to emulate?
Jack Houvouras is the publisher of the Marshall Magazine.