Wellman, Dave C. -- oral history interview, 2018 May 18
File
Vietnam War veteran David C. “Dave” Wellman is interviewed about his military service and engineering career. He discusses his experiences as a bomber pilot with the United States Air Force and describes his combat tours in Vietnam flying the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. He then discusses his post-military career with the Boeing Company and his work on various armament integration programs, such as the SRAM (short-range attack missile) and ALCM (air-launched cruise missile). The interview concludes with an overview of Wellman’s docent work at The Museum of Flight.
Dates
- 2018 May 18
Language of Materials
All materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. Interviews are being made available online on an ongoing basis. For more information
contact us.
Extent
2.26 Gigabytes (1 master video file, 1 access video file, 1 PDF transcript)
1 Digital recordings : 27 min., 33 sec.
Biographical Note: Dave Wellman
David C. “Dave” Wellman is an aviation engineer and Vietnam War veteran who served with the U.S. Air Force as a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress pilot. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana to Ferdinand and Katherine Wellman. His father was an engineer, and his mother was a schoolteacher and homemaker.
Wellman attended Purdue University (Indiana), where he studied electrical engineering. He also participated in the school’s ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) program and graduated with a Reserve commission in 1959. After completing his flight training, he was assigned to fly the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. He transitioned to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in 1964 and was deployed to Anderson Air Force Base (Guam). He served two combat tours in Southeast Asia, flying bombing missions against Vietnam.
Leaving military service in 1967, Wellman next embarked on an engineering career with the Boeing Company. His projects included integrating SRAM (short-range attack missiles) into the B-52, developing missile maintenance programs, developing a navigator training program for the B-52 and General Dynamics FB-111, and integrating ALCM (air-launched cruise missiles) into the B-52 and Rockwell B-1 Lancer. He retired from the company after 27 years and afterwards managed several test laboratories.
In the mid-1990s, Wellman joined The Museum of Flight Docent Corps. He is still an active volunteer as of 2018.
Biographical information derived from interview and additional information provided by interviewee.
Wellman attended Purdue University (Indiana), where he studied electrical engineering. He also participated in the school’s ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) program and graduated with a Reserve commission in 1959. After completing his flight training, he was assigned to fly the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. He transitioned to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in 1964 and was deployed to Anderson Air Force Base (Guam). He served two combat tours in Southeast Asia, flying bombing missions against Vietnam.
Leaving military service in 1967, Wellman next embarked on an engineering career with the Boeing Company. His projects included integrating SRAM (short-range attack missiles) into the B-52, developing missile maintenance programs, developing a navigator training program for the B-52 and General Dynamics FB-111, and integrating ALCM (air-launched cruise missiles) into the B-52 and Rockwell B-1 Lancer. He retired from the company after 27 years and afterwards managed several test laboratories.
In the mid-1990s, Wellman joined The Museum of Flight Docent Corps. He is still an active volunteer as of 2018.
Biographical information derived from interview and additional information provided by interviewee.
Existence and Location of Copies
This interview available at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections.
- Air pilots, Military
- Airplanes, Military -- Armament
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet Family (Model 450)
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Family (Model 464)
- Boeing Company
- Boeing Company -- Employees
- Bombing, Aerial
- Engineers
- Florsheim, Bruce (Interviewer)
- Guam
- Operation Linebacker II, 1972
- United States. Air Force
- Vietnam
- Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Wellman, David C. (Interviewee)
Creator
- From the Collection: Museum of Flight (Seattle, Wash.) (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org