Col. Don Henry gained a unique
perspective as a combat fighter pilot, squadron commander, and psychologist. He
has logged thousands of hours in supersonic fighter aircraft and is a highly
decorated combat pilot and commander of a first-line fighter squadron. His
combat decorations include the Silver Star and three Distinguished Flying
crosses.
A native of Charleston, Illinois,
Colonel Henry graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor of science in
business, a commission as second lieutenant, and an assignment to Air Force
pilot training.
After receiving his wings, Don
Henry attended F-105 fighter pilot school at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and
soon after reported to the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Okinawa. While
serving at both Korat and Takhli Royal Thai Air Force bases in Thailand during
the height of the Vietnam conflict, Henry flew 129 combat missions into Laos and
North Vietnam. Between combat tours on the F-105, he served as an operational
test pilot in the F-111 aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base.
Colonel Henry's education and
distinguished service to his country did not end with his combat duties. He
completed training at the Air Force War College and earned a master's degree in
psychology from Troy State University. He went on to work in several Pentagon
departments as a fighter aircraft requirements officer and later commanded the
55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, a nuclear task F-111 operational unit. Mr. Henry
completed his active duty with the rank of colonel.
Don Henry's first novel,
Thunderchief, is a dramatic investigation of the “Right Stuff” and how
fighter pilots get it. The war in Vietnam in 1966 remains etched on the memory
of all who served there. This thrilling barrel-ride of a novel takes readers
inside the cockpit in the heat of modern battle and examines the inner conflict
of people serving their country in extraordinary circumstances.
Don Henry is now a full-time
writer, investigating the natural link between dramatic structure and
psychology. A member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilot Association, the
Order of the Daedalians, and the American Psychological Association, he lives in
Laguna Beach, California, with his wife, Dixie.