‘America’s greatest Pilot’ Chuck Yeager, first person to break sound barrier, dies at 97 | USA Today

One of the U.S. Air Force’s most decorated Pilots, General Chuck Yeager, set and broken numerous records throughout his lifetime. First being noticed as the fighter pilot in World War II that shot down nearly a dozen enemy aircraft, Yeager became a test pilot for the U.S. and broke multiple records for speed and altitude. In 1947 over the Mojave Desert, Yeager broke the sound barrier when he exceeded 662 mph in his X-1 aircraft. He returned to fight in in the Korean and Vietnam war and finally retired in 1975. During the 65th anniversary of his achievement, he broke the sound barrier once again in the passenger seat of an F-15 near Las Vegas. Some of his achievements include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/07/chuck-yeager-us-test-pilot-break-sound-barrier-dies-97/6486730002/