The Smoking Musket · Dec 8, 2020
INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER
The Mountain State lost a true West Virginia legend Monday night with the death of Chuck Yeager.
Most famous for being the first human being to break the sound barrier, Yeager was first a decorated World War II hero.
Yeager enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in September 1941, beginning his career as an aircraft mechanic as he was ineligible for flight school due to his age and educational background.
It wasn’t until the United States entered into World War II, leading to the USAAF changing their pilot requirements, that Yeager would have his opportunity to move into the cockpit.