Captain Iven C. Kincheloe Memorial

Captain Iven C. Kincheloe Memorial. . , (Marker 1) , Captain Kincheloe , Born July 2, 1928, was a Korean War fighter ace who flew the rocket-powered Bell X-2 to a world record altitude of 126,200 feet on September 7, 1956. He died July 26, 1958, in the service of his country while flight testing an experimental aircraft. , , (Marker 2) , Ace Pilot of the Korean War , Iven Carl Kincheloe (1928-58), space pioneer, grew up one mile from this site. The 1945 Dowagiac High School graduate was licensed to fly at 16 and graduated from Purdue University in Aeronautical Engineering in 1949. Entering the USAF from ROTC, he flew 131 combat missions in the Korean War, becoming the 10th jet ace of the war on April 6, 1952. He earned the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals. , , (Marker 3) , The First Spaceman , After his Korean War service, Captain Kincheloe trained to be a test pilot. Assigned to Edwards AFB, he flew experimental rocket aircraft and piloted the Bell X-2 to a record 126,200 feet, the fringes of outer space, on September 7, 1956. Kincheloe received the Mackey Trophy and was hailed as “The First Spaceman.” Chosen as the first pilot of the North American X-15, he was a national hero and spokesman for the USAF and space program. , , (Marker 4) , Kincheloe’s Legacy , Captain Kincheloe died in a jet crash on July 26, 1958 and never flew the X-15. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery and awarded the Legion of Merit. Kincheloe AFB in the Upper Peninsula, the Iven C. Kincheloe Award and Dowagiac’s Kincheloe Elementary School honor his legacy. With this monument, Cass County remembers the dreams, spirit and achievements of Iven C. Kincheloe, the First Spaceman.