AIR foRcE
MVAC SPOTLIGHT
coLoNEL EDwARD"EDDIE"LEVELL, jR. (RET.)
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Training Programs. It was only one year later before he was off to Nellis AFB, Nevada for Combat Crew Training in the F-100 Super Sabre Jet Fighter. Subsequent assignments took him to California, New Mexico, Arizona, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. In August 1964, the Vietnam War started as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, and while stationed at Cannon AFB, Brother Levell and his flight of six pilots were subsequently selected to deploy to Vietnam. Col. Levell deployed twice TDY to Vietnam in the F100D Super Sabre airplane utilizing the KC-135 Tanker Refueling Aircraft. He went back to Vietnam PCS in 1968 and ended up with 150 combat missions. Col. Levell was the first pilot in the Tactical Air Command to achieve 1000, 2000 and 3000 hours in the F-100 Super Sabre Jet. His last flight in the F100 Aircraft was at Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, on 10 July 1969. His total F100 flying time was 3,700 hours. Colo- nel Levell crossed the Mediterranean Sea four times and the Pacific Ocean three times in the F100 Aircraft. His longest flight in the F100 Aircraft was 10 hours and 15 minutes, from Torrejon Air Base, Spain to Clovis Air Force Base, New Mexico. Col. Levell’s overall flying time was 5,700 hours. An F100D Super Sabre Aircraft, #56-3440, is on perma- nent display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. In 1973, Brother Levell was appointed Deputy Comman- dant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy. He was responsible for educational, motivational and career counseling of the 4400 member Air Force Cadet Wing and he led a staff of 40 squadron commanders and four group commanders. In January 1979, Col. Levell was then appointed as Com- mander, 20 th Air Division, Fort Lee Air Force Station, Virginia. He was responsible for all activities of the Division, whose mission was to provide primary defense against any air attack on the East Coast and Gulf Shores. He also coordinated the activities of 5000 military and civilian personnel at 25 operat- ing locations supporting the 20 th Air Division. Col. Levell’s il- lustrious military career came to a close when he retired from the Air Force in December 1983. He was awarded numerous medals for his bravery, including, the Legion of Merit Award, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal (8 Oak Leaf Clusters). From 1987 to 1989, Col. Levell was Deputy Commis- sioner of Aviation at O’Hare International Airport, in Chicago,
Colonel Edward "Eddie" Levell, Jr. (Ret.)
C olonel Eddie Levell was born and raised in Jack- sonville, Alabama. A fine student and athlete, he entered Tuskegee University on a five-year plan, enabling him to attend classes, while working. Not certain what his major would be, it became obvious when he found out that the Air Force ROTC instructors were the famous Tuskegee Airman. He eventually became a Life Mem- ber of the Tuskegee Airmen Organization. Brother Levell also met, courted and married Rosa “Kitty” Casellas from Tampa, Florida. Over the years, they have raised six sons and one daughter. Col. Levell graduated from Tuskegee University in 1953, and assignments followed in Hondo and Bryan AFB, Texas, where he received his pilot wings. From there, it was on to Luke AFB, Arizona for Combat Crew Training in the F-84F Thunder Jet. The training he received from the F-84F Thun- der Jet prepared him for the future supersonic combat Fighter
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