Eugene Peyton Deatrick Jr. (November 17, 1924 – December 30, 2020) was a United States Air Force colonel, test pilot, and combat veteran.

[3] Deatrick arrived at West Point on July 1, 1943 and began six weeks of military training known as Beast Barracks due to the verbal abuse and hazing delivered by upper classmen to toughen the cadets.

[6] Deatrick's interest in aviation was piqued during his freshman or "plebe" year when an AT-6 aircraft simulated a strafing attack on his group that was on field maneuvers sending them into the bushes to escape.

[16] B‑52B serial number 52-0004, the first B model aircraft, was extensively instrumented to measure thermal, blast, and gust effects of a nuclear explosion.

[20][21][22] On his fourth flight (an orientation mission), Deatrick was diverted into the A Shau Valley to help defend a Special Forces camp that was under attack.

[12] He was responsible for the rescue of Lt. Dieter Dengler, United States Navy, who had escaped from a prison camp after six months of captivity.

[23][24] Dengler later wrote about the miraculous circumstances of his July 20, 1966 rescue: Because the wings of a Spad are set into the fuselage right under the canopy, a pilot can see the ground directly beneath him only when he banks ninety degrees.

[26][27] TF Prong, consisting of three Montagnard companies supported by U.S. Special Forces advisors, was acting as a screen for elements of the U.S. 14th Infantry.

[26]To strengthen ties with the soldiers they protected, Deatrick encouraged his flyers to take troops on orientation flights above the battle fields.

[29] His pilots also worked on the ground directly with the soldiers to improve communications and select munitions best-suited for close air support missions.

[29] Deatrick returned to the United States in early 1967 and was assigned as commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, California, from May 1967 to June 1968.

[31] During Deatrick's tenure at the school, students received the long-awaited Lockheed NF-104A—a rocket-powered variant of the F-104 intended to inexpensively train military space pilots.

[35] Safety modifications were made to the two remaining aircraft, and a restricted flight profile was defined that lowered the maximum altitude and decreased the climb angle.

[36] In spite of the precautions, a serious accident occurred on June 18, 1965 when an instructor flying 56-0756 experienced a hydrogen peroxide fire from the reaction control system.

[32] Students who flew the NF-104A while Deatrick commanded the school include Robert Lilac, Harry Blot, and Mike Loh.

[43] On March 9, 1999, on the thirty-third anniversary of the Battle of A Shau, Deatrick and other members of the 1st ACS gathered at a Pentagon ceremony to honor Bernie Fisher.

Before touring the school to view the many improvements since his tour as commandant in 1967, Deatrick attended a mission briefing presented by current TPS commandant, Colonel Charles Webb Jr. Deatrick was especially pleased to find that TPS students now receive a Master of Science degree in flight test engineering upon graduation.

[58] In 2000, Deatrick was awarded membership in the Gathering of Eagles Program[12] along with other noted aviators including Duke Cunningham, Fitz Fulton, Michael Novosel, Günther Rall, Ed Rector, and Chuck Yeager.

[59] In 2001, Deatrick was selected as the Distinguished Alumnus of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and spoke at the graduation dinner banquet.

[3] In 2005, he received the National Aeronautic Association's Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman of Aviation award for his service to the United States military, especially as one of its top test pilots.

[60][61] In 2006, Deatrick was an invited panelist for the 38th National Conference on Aviation and Space Education's Hangar Talk tribute to the late Scott Crossfield.