Mack Secord was born in Montgomery, AL on September 24, 1931. He joined the Alabama Air National Guard in 1947. He entered flight training in class 53-F at Kinston, N.C. and received his pilot wings in September 1953. During the following 22 years of active duty, he served as a T-6 Mosquito pilot in Korea, a research pilot in T-33 and F-86D aircraft and as pilot and instructor in the C-130E. He was among the first USAF pilots to serve in Vietnam when he was assigned duty as a Forward Air Controller in L-19/O-1A aircraft in January 1963. In November 1964, he flew one of 12 mission aircraft in Operation Dragon Rouge, a joint USAF-Belgian operation to rescue hostages from Stanleyville, Congo. On takeoff from Stanleyville, rebel terrorists riddled his aircraft with rifle and machine gun fire, creating significant damage to the C-130’s fuel tanks. To prevent further damage from the leaking fuel and possible fire, his crew shut down one engine and made the 800-mile trip to Leopoldville, Congo, on three engines before delivering the 125 former hostages to safety. For this flight, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and his unit received the prestigious Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year 1964. The aircraft was repaired and continued to serve for another 46 years before being retired and placed on display at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, GA. Retiring from the Air Force in 1974, Secord moved to Atlanta, where he spent the next 20 years as an electric utility executive. In 1985, he joined Angel Flight as one of its first pilots and later as one of its board members. In addition to flying hundreds of patients to medical treatment facilities, he continues to speak to hundreds of civic and service clubs, schools, community, and church groups to increase awareness of Angel Flight services. In 2008, he was given the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from Angel Flight and hence forth it will be named the Mack Secord Award in his honor. This marked his 23rd year of volunteer service. Because of his dedication to the Angel Flight mission, in 2009 he was named Volunteer Pilot of the Year by the National Aeronautical Association and the Air Care Alliance in ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. WXIA-TV in Atlanta named him one of the recipients of its Community Service Awards in 2010 and televised a five-minute video of an actual Angel Flight mission in which he was the pilot. In December 1988, Secord set a national and world aviation speed record for Class C-1 aircraft during a flight in his Cessna Skylane from DeKalb-Peachtree Airport to First Flight Airport at Kitty Hawk, N.C. This record was recognized by the National Aeronautical Association and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. He has logged more than 11,000 flight hours in the T-6, T-28, T-33, F-86D, U-3, O-1, C-45, C-130, C-182, CV-240 and CV-440. He has owned a Cessna 182 Skylane for more than 25 years which is hangared at DeKalbPeachtree Airport in Atlanta. Mack is a commercial pilot with SEL, SES, MEL ratings as well as CFI, CFII, and CGI certificates. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, 3 Air Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal and the USAF Commendation Medal.  In recognition of his distinguished contributions to his Country and his community, Lt. Col. Mack Secord was enshrined into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame on April 26, 2014.