2001 Inductees

 

LtCol Walter “Bill” Thompson, USAF Retired

LtCol Walter “Bill” Thompson, USAF Ret.

Colonel Thompson?was born in New York in 1927, moved permanently to Arizona in 1957. He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1945, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1970.  His assignment to the Commander in Chief, Soviet Forces, East Germany, led to the award of the Airman’s Medal for heroism for numerous attempts to rescue downed American aircrew men in restricted East German areas. Bill briefed Presidents Nixon and Johnson as well as other high level national officials during his service to our Nation.  After active service, he held numerous offices with the Department of Arizona American Legion, the Air Force Association, the National Association for Uniformed Services, The Retired Officers Association, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  Bill also served on Senator Jon Kyl’s and Congressman John Shadegg’s Military Advisory Committees.  He is the past chairman of the Unified Arizona Veterans and was appointed by Governor Hull to the Veterans Services Advisory Commission.

MajGen Barry M. Goldwater

The Honorable Barry Goldwater, Senator & MajGen, USAF Ret.

The Honorable Major General Barry M. Goldwater (1909-1998), was born in Phoenix, Arizona.  Barry served during WWII flying transport missions in both the Pacific and European theaters.  He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1967 with 15,000 flying hours.  Barry was a five-term United States Senator for Arizona.  He was also the Republican Party’s nominee for President in the 1964 US Presidential election.

With a great passion for all things Arizona, Barry founded the Arizona Historical Foundation; assembled one of the world’s largest Hopi Kachina collections and donated it to the Heard Museum; became one of the widest exhibited photographers in the world; and was an author of 16 books and numerous articles and commentaries.

MajGen Goldwater was a former member of the First Arizona Chapter MOAA, and was inducted posthumously into the Arizona Veteran?s Hall of Fame.