2016 Inductees (click on a name for more details).
LeSans Alexander- Currently employed for the National Guard Bureau at Joint Base Andrews, MD, Ms. Alexander is a 34 year Air Traffic Control (ATC) veteran who served 16 ½ years in the United States Air Force. She continued her career within the Department of Defense and has dedicated the past 19 years of service to the Delmarva area.
David T. Archino - An Air Force Academy graduate, Colonel Archino flew support missions throughout the Pacific, accumulating over 4000 hours of flying time (including 560 combat hours in Vietnam). He has flown a variety of aircraft and participated in testing new airdrop systems for the Parachute Test Group at NAF.
Fred Johnson (1924-2017) - Mr. Fred Johnson, Delaware's last surviving documented Tuskegee Airman was the only black commissioned navigator from the State of Delaware. He volunteered for the Army Air corps in 1943. He was the first African American to teach at Wilmington's Warner Junior High School and retired as Chairman of the Science Department in 1981.
David Ham - During his 42 year military career, Col. (ret.) David R. Ham served more than 39 years in a variety of positions in aviation with the Delaware National Guard, piloting a wide variety of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, with his units receiving numerous awards for accident free flying and aviation excellence.
Thomas Nale - A combat pilot and forward air controller in Korea, Captain Nale flew 20 combat missions in F-84 fighters. A member of the Pennsylvania and then the Delaware National Guard, he was severely burned in an engine failure crash near Dover in an F-86H. After retiring from the National Guard, he worked designing aircraft arresting equipment for All American Engineering.
James Vreeland- Mr Vreeland has worked as a flight instructor, crop duster and commercial pilot. He got his pilot’s license at 17, his commercial ticket at 18 and his instructor’s ticket at 19. After working as a crop duster he went to work for Piedmont Airlines as a captain, check airman, and instructor. After retiring from Piedmont he went back to crop dusting. He has logged 33,645 hours in 102 different aircraft and has instructed 984 students.
