Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is a unique memento! This is a North American F-100 Super Sabre Throttle Quadrant which was allegedly presented to Colonel Hal Shook when he retired from the USAF. We have no way of completely confirming this, but still makes for a wonderful research opportunity.

Hal began to realize his childhood dream of flying when, on his 21st birthday, he entered flight training for the Army Air Corp. He graduated just days after Pearl Harbor and remained in the states as an instructor pilot, further sharpening his flying skills. He was a career Air Force pilot and commander. As the D-Day invasion neared, he was offered a squadron commander position and promoted to major while still only 23 years of age. He participated in three different combat theatres including leading a squadron of P-47's for 3 missions during the D-Day invasion and 3 more the following day. He finished his USAF career leading an Air Division during the Vietnam War.

The throttle quadrant is the circular segment that houses the thrust levers. Thrust levers or throttle levers are found in the cockpit of aircraft, and are used by the pilot, copilot, or autopilot to control the thrust output of the aircraft's engines, by controlling the fuel flow to those engines. The North American F-100 Super Sabre is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United States Air Force (USAF) fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight.

The throttle quadrant is in good, displayable condition and is mounted on a lovely silver painted wooden base. On the side of the base it is written in black marker as having been from an F100 and presented to Hal Shook upon his retirement. With it being written in sharpie, we cannot confirm just how credible it is, but after being in this hobby/profession for many years, you’d be surprised just how accurate some of these marking turn out to be!

A beautiful item ready for further research and display.

Colonel Hal Shook USAF (April 1, 1928 - July 7, 2013)
Hal Shook has proven his organization-building genius in the success of a number of people-centered organizations. He, along with his wife Marilyn, founded Life Management Services in the greater Washington, D.C. area in 1976 on the premise that success is people working and achieving together. Their foundational system for organizations and individuals has been applied within the private, public, and institutional sectors for clients such as Corning Besselaar, AT&T, GTE, and federal government agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, State, and Health & Human Services.

Hal graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds graduate degrees from George Washington University and the National War College. He first learned his core leadership principles as the commander of a World War II fighter squadron before, during, and after the D-Day landing. He later commanded Air Force units numbering 300 (fighter squadron) to 5,000 (air division) people. In addition to staff assignments in HQ, USAF and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he also served as Commandant of four major Air Force training schools. Three of these were started from the ground floor.

The 506th Fighter Squadron combat history (October 1944) said of him:
“Major Shook was, in the opinion of the men who flew with him and other officers and men in the squadron, the finest Commanding Officer they had ever been associated with. Without a doubt, the finest fighter pilot, best navigator and all-around leader; he was tops as a C. O. In “Shooky” the pilots had an ideal leader they would follow anywhere. All officers and enlisted men exerted special effort because Shook wished something done and not because he ordered it done.”

During his command of the 506th, Hal Shook was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with nineteen Oak Leaf clusters, a Presidential Unit Citation, the Belgian Croix De Guerre, the French Croix De Guerre with Palm, and the Belgian Fourragère. He also holds the Commendation Medal with cluster and the Legion of Merit. He flew 105 combat missions after which he was ranked in the first ten out of 1,100 instructor pilots in the 72nd Fighter Wing, and rated first in flying ability at Fort Sumner Army Air Field.

Hal has written three books about combat and leadership, and he spent many years speaking in front of diverse audiences about the lessons he learned as an Air Force pilot, entrepreneur, husband, father, and American patriot.

In 2011, Hal was appointed ‘Chevalier’ of the Legion of Honor by decree of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France “as a sign of France’s infinite gratitude and appreciation for [his] personal and precious contribution to the United Sates’ decisive role in the liberation of our country during World War II.”