William Lovis Austin 1923-2000

My Uncle Billy leaves a rich heritage of military design in aircraft. While working for General Dynamics, he put the first sketches on paper that would result in the finest war plane in the world. Bill Austin was another example of the unique talent as a draftsman, exhibited by my father and grandfather. From his first creation, he went on to develop the ‘AfterBurner’ that affords our aircraft to break the sound barrier, as well as the original design of the F-111 jet fighter. I recall Sunday dinners when my father would attempt to learn what his younger brother was doing and we never truly understood until much later. In the early days, Bill would accompany the experimental model to the west coast for secret testing. Even though we tried very hard to get him to reveal what all that traveling meant, he never gave a hint. My family never really learned the truth until just recently. It is a proud feeling to know that my family was instrumental in keeping America safe. God Bless America. That’s what I get from My Box of Chocolates.  AMEN