LtCol Levy was born in Phoenix, Arizona on July 21, 1933. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1955. Following an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) commission, he entered undergraduate pilot training in 1956 at Bainbridge Air Base, Georgia (T-34/T-28) military training aircraft, thereafter graduating basic from Laredo AFB, Texas in T-33s the Lockheed subsonic jet trainer.
His first assignment was in B-47s the first fully jet bomber. His interest in flying fighters lead to a transfer to Air Training Command as an Instructor Pilot in T-37s (jet trainer aircraft), knowing that this would lead in to fighters and the F-4 pipeline. After transitioning into F-4Cs at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona in 1966, he ferried F-4Ds from the St Louis McDonnell Douglas factory to Southeast Asian bases prior to joining the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1967 (under the command of the then famous Robin Olds and Chappie James) known as the Wolf Pack.
After completing 144 total combat missions and his 100th mission over North Vietnam on July 25, 1968 including 16 “downtown” Hanoi missions, he returned to another instructing tour in T-38s (first supersonic trainer) at Reese AFB, Texas as Flight and Section Commander, then technical advisor on a special Air Training Command filming project.
In 1972 He was assigned a staff position at Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe (EUROPE) in Wiesbaden/Ramstein, Germany as Chief Air Traffic Control Division where he flew T-39 sabreliners in order to maintain proficiency. His final assignment was at Beale AFB in Marysville, CA as Chief of Operations and Training. He retired from active duty on February 1, 1978.
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