Colonel John R. Hed of Duluth, USAF (Ret.), has been officially notified of his entrance into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. Hed, who was instrumental in organizing the 179th Fighter Squadron of the Minnesota Air National Guard in 1948, established a military presence in Duluth that has endured for more than 50 years, reported Chief Master Sergeant James A. Armstrong, also retired.
Hed's contribution to the Minnesota Air National Guard, and the Duluth unit in particular, has reflected on numerous awards and national recognition for the unit, Armstrong said.
At present there are only six members of this prestigious group, said Armstrong. Others include Charles Lindberg, "Speed" Holman, Flying Tiger Wayne Johnson of Silver Bay, and Major General Wayne Gatlin of Duluth.
Hed will be officially inducted in a ceremony scheduled for April 23, 2005, at the Thunderbird Hotel in Bloomington.
Other inductees this year include Kenneth Butler, Joseph Devorak, Bohn Fawkes, Arthur Hinke and General Doyle Larson.
