Wilson Flagg
Encyclopedia
Wilson Falor "Bud" Flagg (October 26, 1938 - September 11, 2001) served in the United States Navy
, achieving the rank of Rear Admiral
. On October 15, 1993 he was censured for failing to prevent the 1991 Tailhook conference scandal, effectively ending further advancement. He was later killed in the September 11 attacks.
During his military career, he logged more than 3,200 flight hours on the F-8 Crusader, more than any other pilot.
Flagg also was a pilot for American Airlines
from 1967 through 1998.
Flagg moved to Millwood, Virginia
around 1993 to start Daybreak Farm, a Black Angus beef cattle farm.
in the September 11, 2001 attacks
. He was a passenger on the flight, traveling to Las Vegas
with his wife, Darlene "Dee" Flagg, and friend Barbara G. Edwards.
At the National 9/11 Memorial, Flagg is memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-70.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, achieving the rank of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
. On October 15, 1993 he was censured for failing to prevent the 1991 Tailhook conference scandal, effectively ending further advancement. He was later killed in the September 11 attacks.
Career highlights
- 1961 - Graduated from the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval AcademyThe United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
- 1962 - Navy pilot assigned to the F-8 CrusaderF-8 CrusaderThe Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...
- 1963 through 1967 - Three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
- 1967 - Left active duty and joined and Naval Reserves F-8 Squadron VF-201
- Commanding officer of Naval Reserve F-8 squadrons VFP 206 and VFP 6366
- Commander of the Naval Reserve Readiness Command Region II, and assistant chief of naval operations-air warfare
- Special assistant to the Honorable Fred Davidson, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy
- 1986 - Promoted to Rear Admiral (lower half)
- 1987 - Posted to the PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
- 1990 - Promoted to Rear Admiral (upper half)
- 1993 - Censured for failing to prevent the Tailhook conference scandal
- 1995 - Retired from the Navy (though he maintained an office at the Pentagon and remained available for technical advice)
During his military career, he logged more than 3,200 flight hours on the F-8 Crusader, more than any other pilot.
Flagg also was a pilot for American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
from 1967 through 1998.
Flagg moved to Millwood, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
around 1993 to start Daybreak Farm, a Black Angus beef cattle farm.
Death and legacy
Flagg died at age sixty two in the crash of American Airlines flight 77American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
in the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. He was a passenger on the flight, traveling to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
with his wife, Darlene "Dee" Flagg, and friend Barbara G. Edwards.
At the National 9/11 Memorial, Flagg is memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-70.