I entered the U.S. Air Force in 1952 as an aviation cadet. I flew F-84s on 100 combat missions during the Korean war. After a tour as a flight instructor I was assigned to the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright Patterson. I participated in both the Air Force Man in Space program and Project Mercury. I also participated in the X-15 and X-20 programs and worked as a bioastronautics officer with NASA on Gemini. During my Air Force career, I earned both a Master’s and Doctorate degree from Purdue University. I flew a combat tour in Southeast Asia in F-4s as a member of the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron and flew 133 combat missions. I retired from the Air Force in 1978 as the Commander of the Human Resources Laboratory at Brooks AFB, TX. I am presently the Director Of Biosciences for a research organization in San Antonio, TX. In 1959 I volunteered for training to become a back up pilot for Capt Joe Kittenger in his high altitude balloon projects. I flew two missions for training purposes with Capt Kittenger and Capt Bill Kaufman from Holloman AFB, NM in May, 1959. On the second flight we were practicing touch and go landings north of Roswell, NM when we “crashed” on one of the landings. The gondola flipped over and my head was pinned to the ground by the lip of the gondola. We managed to lift the gondola off of my head and looked it over for damage. Capt Kittenger was bleeding from a cut on his face and I noticed that my head seemed to be protruding outward from underneath my helmet. Realizing I was injured, I sat down and feared I might go into shock. I was not in pain but my entire head was throbbing and began to swell. I then remember boarding the “chase” helicopter that was following us and flying a short distance to Walker AFB for medical treatment. I recall walking into the hospital and also stopping on the front step to smoke a cigarette. I remember security personnel escorting and questioning us to determine who we were. Security was very tight at Strategic Air Command bases such as Walker. On occasion surprise inspection teams from SAC headquarters arrived in helicopters just as we did. In addition, a story of three Air Force officers crashing in a balloon was somewhat far fetched. The security people were convinced of our identities when they spoke with Col John P. Stapp, the Aero Medical Laboratory Commander.