Richard Lynn Trail

LIEUTENANT COLONEL RICHARD “DUSTY” LYNN TRAIL
U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1959
Cadet Squadron 02

Richard Lynn Trail, known to many as "Dick" or by his cadet nickname "Dusty," was born on May 4, 1937, in McCook, Nebraska. Raised on a farm a few miles south of town, Dick’s roots were firmly planted in the Nebraska soil, but his eyes were always on the sky. He attended a one-room country school (District 8) through the 8th grade before moving into town for high school, where he graduated with the McCook High School Class of 1955.

His path to the newly established United States Air Force Academy was driven by a singular ambition: to fly. Appointed from Nebraska, he joined the "First Class," becoming one of the 306 men to enter the Academy on July 11, 1955. As a member of Cadet Squadron 02, Dick was described in the 1959 Polaris as a "fightin' falcon" who hailed from the Nebraska plains where "fanning was his game," but whose main goal was "making holes in the sky" as a pilot.

MILITARY CAREER AND THE MCKAY TROPHY

Following graduation in June 1959, Dick entered pilot training at Moore Air Force Base and Vance Air Force Base. He spent the majority of his career in the cockpit of the KC-135 Stratotanker, providing the vital lifeblood of fuel to combat aircraft during the Cold War and the Vietnam conflict.

The defining moment of his military service occurred in 1967. While serving as an aircraft commander, Dick and his crew were awarded the prestigious McKay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year. During a combat mission, his KC-135 crew performed a historic "daisy-chain" emergency refueling. Under combat conditions and facing severe fuel shortages, they refueled a Navy A-3 tanker which was simultaneously refueling a Navy F-8 fighter. This unprecedented feat of airmanship saved six Navy aircraft and their crews from certain loss over the Gulf of Tonkin.

Dick went on to serve as an Instructor Pilot at Castle AFB and earned a Master of Science in Systems Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 1973. He retired from active duty at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

LEGACY AND LIFE IN MCCOOK

After retiring from the Air Force, Dick returned to his roots in McCook, Nebraska. He transitioned from fueling jets to feeding the world, engaging in farming and later serving as the Chief Pilot for Farm Fertilizer Production and Kugler Oil Company. His contributions to aviation were recognized statewide when he was inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dick remains a prolific voice in his community, writing a regular column for the McCook Gazette titled "Trail," where he shares reflections on Nebraska history, the evolution of flight, and the values of the Air Force. He and his wife, Peggy, remain active members of the McCook community, where Dick continues to mentor aspiring aviators, having taught both men and women to fly for over 60 years.

________________________________________
SERVICE ASSIGNMENTS
Year(s) Duty / Assignment Location
1955–1959 Cadet, USAFA Lowry AFB / Colorado Springs, CO
1959–1960 Pilot Training Moore AFB / Vance AFB
1960–1961 Pilot, 407th Air Refueling Squadron (KC-97) Malmstrom AFB, MT
1961–1965 Pilot, 19th Air Refueling Squadron Otis AFB, MA
1966–1969 Aircraft Commander, 902nd Air Refueling Squadron Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK
1970–1972 Instructor Pilot (KC-135), 93rd Air Refueling Squadron Castle AFB, CA
1972–1973 Student, AFIT (MS Systems Management) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
1974 Chief, Flight Manuals Section Oklahoma City ALC, OK
1975–1976 Air War College (Student) Maxwell AFB, AL
1977–1979 Operations Officer (KC-135), 46th Air Refueling Squadron K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI
1980–1998 Farming / Agriculture McCook, NE
2005–2017 Chief Pilot / Corporate Pilot McCook, NE

MEDALS AND AWARDS

• Distinguished Flying Cross
• McKay Trophy (1967)
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Air Medal (4 Awards)
• Air Force Commendation Medal (3 Awards)
• Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame (Inducted 2015)