Windfield S . Harpe Windfield Scott Harpe ( January 12 , 1937 – December 5 , 1988 ) was a United States Air Force officer who served during the Vietnam War and Cold War . General Harpe died during an attempted forced landing after a technical failure while on a routine training mission outside of Madrid , in Spain . Education . General Harpe was born in 1937 , in Thomaston , Georgia , and graduated from Cedartown Georgia High School in 1955 . He received a bachelor ' s degree in economics from Florida State University in 1959 and a master ' s degree in business administration from Auburn University in 1970 . The general was a distinguished graduate of Squadron Officer School in 1965 , Air Command and Staff College in 1970 and the Air War College in 1978 . He also is a 1979 graduate of the Institute for Management , Northwestern University , and a 1983 graduate of the Harvard University School of Government program for senior managers . Military career . The general was a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in July 1959 . He attended primary flying training at Malden Air Base , Missouri , and basic flying training at Craig Air Force Base , Alabama , where he earned his wings in September 1960 . After initial flying duties in KC - 135 Stratotanker s at Beale Air Force Base , California , he received transition training to F - 105 Thunderchief s ; and earned the outstanding graduate award . The general flew fighter aircraft for the remainder of his career . In 1966 and 1967 , during the intensive air campaigns against North Vietnam , he was assigned to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand , and flew 100 combat missions over North Vietnam . Many of these missions were into the heavily defended Hanoi area . He returned to the United States in September 1967 and was assigned to McConnell Air Force Base , Kansas , as an F - 105 instructor pilot with the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing . While there he trained pilots for F - 105 duty in combat , and also served an extended temporary tour of duty flying F - 4 Phantom II s at Davis - Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona . He then attended Air Command and Staff College , and upon graduation in August 1970 , was assigned as the F - 86 Sabre adviser to the Royal Thai Air Force at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand . As the only American military individual at Takhli , he negotiated details of the bed down of a full U . S . Air Force fighter wing at Takhli in 1972 with the Thai military . In addition to F - 86s , General Harpe flew C - 47 s , T - 28 s , T - 33 s and T - 41 s during this two - year tour of duty in Thailand . In August 1972 the general was assigned to the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing and received transition training in A - 7D Corsair II s at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base , South Carolina . He then returned with the wing to Thailand for combat operations from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base . During two extended temporary duty tours there , he flew missions again over Hanoi , North Vietnam , as part of Linebacker II operations , as well as many missions over Cambodia , Laos and the Republic of Vietnam . In June 1974 he transferred to Randolph Air Force Base , Texas , as assistant for personnel plans , programs and analysis at the Air Force Military Personnel Center . In July 1977 he entered the Air War College and , after graduating in December 1978 , assumed command of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base , Mississippi . In addition to training pilots for the U . S . Air Force , General Harpe ' s wing had one of the largest contingents of foreign pilots in training in the United States . General Harpe returned to Randolph Air Force Base in June 1980 and served initially as vice commander of the Air Force Military Personnel Center . In March 1982 he became commander of U . S . Air Force Recruiting Service . He was appointed deputy chief of staff for technical training , Headquarters Air Training Command , also at Randolph , in September 1983 . In October 1984 he was assigned as director of personnel programs , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , Manpower and Personnel Headquarters U . S . Air Force , Washington , D . C . , and in October 1986 became assistant deputy chief of staff for personnel . In July 1987 he was named commander of Sixteenth Air Force , United States Air Forces in Europe , with headquarters at Torrejón Air Base , Spain . He was responsible for U . S . Air Forces in Spain , Italy , Greece and Turkey . On 5 December 1988 , the Block 30D F - 16C he was flying on a training flight , AF serial 86 - 0316 , crashed near Chiloeches , in the Spanish province of Guadalajara , which is close to Torrejón Air Base , outside of Madrid during an attempted forced landing after a technical failure while on a routine training mission . The general was killed in the crash . An Air Force spokesman said the general was participating in a training mission , flying in formation with three other planes and was near the end of a 90 - minute training flight when he crashed . He was buried in Section 7 - A of Arlington National Cemetery , beneath a stone which reads : " A noble man . A knight of the skies . " Decorations . The general was a command pilot with more than 5 , 000 flying hours . His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal , Silver Star with oak leaf cluster , Legion of Merit , Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters , Meritorious Service Medal , Air Medal with 20 oak leaf clusters , Joint Service Commendation Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster . He was promoted to major general on July 1 , 1984 , with date of rank October 1 , 1980 .