[2] The son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon J. Stephens, he entered the Army Air Corps in 1943[3] and flew P-47s in combat during World War II.

[1] In 1952, Stephens arrived at Edwards Air Force Base, California to serve as Chief of Fighter Operations.

[8] On May 1, 1965, at Edwards Air Force Base, pilot Stephens and fire control officer Daniel Andre, established four world speed and altitude records in the YF-12A.

[9] They averaged 2,070 miles per hour over a 17-kilometer straight away course, then held 80,257 feet to establish a world record for sustained horizontal flight.

[4] Stephens was a member of the International Order of Characters and was a Fellow and past president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.