Edward F. Bronson

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Edward F. Bronson

Edward F. “Ted” Bronson (December 3, 1932 – August 24, 2021) was a United States Navy captain and naval aviator who served from 1957 to 1985, completed multiple combat tours in the Vietnam War, and later contributed to aviation history preservation and related activities.

Early life and education

Bronson was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, where he attended Catholic grade school and graduated from Salesianum School in 1950. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from La Salle College in 1954 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago in 1958.

Naval career

Bronson was commissioned in the U.S. Navy on 28 June 1957 and served on active duty until 28 November 1985. He was designated a naval aviator on 16 November 1958 and logged more than 5,400 total flight hours, including approximately 3,000 in jet aircraft.

During the Vietnam War, Bronson flew 236 combat missions in A‑4C aircraft from the aircraft carriers USS *Kitty Hawk* and USS *Enterprise* as part of Air Wing deployments to Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. His assignments included service with VNAF 514th at Bien Hoa, VA‑44, VA‑113, and as a flight deck officer on USS *Oriskany*.

Bronson held a variety of aviation command and staff positions, including commanding officer of Attack Squadron 46 (VA‑46) from July 1976 to October 1977. He was the 25th naval aviator to achieve 1,000 carrier landings. Other assignments included service in the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, attendance at the National War College, and standing up the Naval Space Command at Dahlgren, Virginia, as deputy commander.

His military awards included the Legion of Merit, multiple Bronze Stars, Single Action Air Medals, Strike Flight Air Medals, Navy Commendation Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation, among others.

Later activities

After retiring from the Navy, Bronson served in roles related to aviation history and support. He was Scholarship Chairman for the Washington Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association from 1989 to 2011 and served as an aviation representative to the Navy’s Cold War Gallery at the Washington Navy Yard from 2007 to 2017. He initiated the awarding of Navy Astronaut Wings to Neil Armstrong in 2010 and coordinated a 2014 "Flight to Freedom" ceremony celebrating the 1975 VNAF Bird Dog landing on USS *Midway*.

Death

Bronson died on August 24, 2021, in his home in Wilmington, Delaware.

References

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