Col Sykes grew up in Kentucky and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in electrical engineering in 1967.  He was commissioned through the ROTC program at Wisconsin.  Following graduation from Flight School he was assigned to McConnell where he checked out in the F-105 “Thunderchief."  He was subsequently assigned to Korat Thailand where he flew 118 combat missions.  In 1972 Sykes returned to McConnell and joined the Kansas Air National Guard where he served as an F-105 instructor.  He served in the McConnell Guard for over 20 years and flew the F-105, F-4 and F-16 with over 1000 hours in each of these aircraft.  He Commanded the 184th Tactical Fighter Group from 1986 to 1992.  The “World’s Greatest Fighter Pilot” now lives on a small farm near Rose Hill where he raises cattle and hogs.  For the past several years he has been involved in recovering the remains of friends who he fought with in SEA.  Sykes and his wife Mary have been married for 56 years end have four children and fourteen grandchildren.