Jim Dunbar was in the third seat for the Naval Academy eight which won the 1952 Olympic gold medal. He attended Purdue briefly but graduated from the Academy in 1955, but before leaving Annapolis, added three consecutive IRA and Eastern Sprint titles to his collection. After graduating, he was commissioned into the US Air Force, and also attended the Armed Forces Staff College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Aerospace Research Pilot School. Dunbar became a career officer in the Air Force, serving 28 years, and distinguishing himself as an F-105 Thunderchief pilot in Southeast Asia. Dunbar was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He flew over 100 successful missions in Vietnam, and earned many medals and awards including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
United States