David C. Garrett, Jr. was born July 6, 1922 in Pickens, S.C. He served our country during World War II in the Army Air Corps. After the war he hired on with Delta Air Lines, Inc. in July 1946, as a reservations agent. He worked his way up through the ranks and became President on Nov. 1, 1971 and Chief Executive Officer on Feb. 1, 1978. On Oct. 28, 1983, he became Chairman of the Board of Directors. He held the offices of Chairman and CEO until his retirement on August 1, 1987. He remained a member of the Board of Directors until 1994. He was a man committed to his country, his community, his family and his airline. Even after his retirement he maintained his love for Delta Air Lines and its people by being a member of the Golden Wings (retired pilots) and the Delta Pioneers, Inc. (retired Delta employees.) He knew that the employees made Delta Air Lines a great airline. There was a mutual love and respect between the Delta people and Dave Garrett. He was a great leader and made many contributions to the airline. For over 41 years, Dave Garrett helped Delta Air Lines grow from a regional carrier into the nation’s fourth largest airline. In 1982 the people of Delta purchased a Boeing 767-200 aircraft and gave it to the company. It was named “The Spirit of Delta” and was given to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Ga., after it was taken out of service. In 2009, A Boeing 777-200 LR bearing his name and signature was dedicated to Mr. Garrett. He loved Delta and its people until the day he died. David C. Garrett, Jr. died June 2, 2012. A memorial service honoring him was held at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Ga. on June 12, 2012. In recognition of his distinguished contributions to his country, community, family, and Delta Air Lines, David C. Garrett, Jr. was enshrined into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame on April 26, 2014