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In July 1964, he returned to Okinawa as Commander of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena AFB, flying combat missions against North Vietnam from Korat, Thailand. He returned to the US to command the 835th Air Division at McConnell AFB, training F-105 crews for combat in Vietnam.
Promoted to Brigadier General in 1968, Cardenas then commanded the Air Force Special Operations Force at Eglin AFB and Hurlburt AFB, Florida. He was inducted into the Air Commando Hall of Fame on October 12, 2002 for his contributions to the development of the Special Forces.
His next assignment was Vice Commander of the 16th Air Force in Spain, where he had the dubious honor of negotiating with Muammar Gaddhafi the withdrawal of US forces from Wheelus AFB in Libya. Following General Officer staff tours at NATO and at Offut AFB, he retired from the Air Force in 1973.
After retirement, General Cardenas worked as an Executive in private industry until 1983. He then served in government appointments under President Reagan and in California under Governor Deukmejian. Appointed to the California Veterans Board that is the policymaking body for the California Department of Veterans Affairs in 1987; he was later elected to be Chairman of that Board. In 1993 he left to serve as Chairman of the San Diego United Veterans Council and as a Director on the Board of the Veterans Memorial Center and Museum, where he was instrumental in establishing the Miramar National Cemetery. VA Secretary Anthony Principi subsequently appointed the General to the VA Memorials and Cemetery Committee in Washington.
Post-retirement honors:
• As a former Chairman of the Flight Test Historical Foundation at Edwards AFB, General Cardenas now serves as a
Trustee to the FTHF. The Foundation is the fund-raising arm of the AFFTC Museum at Edwards AFB and the SR-71
“Black Bird Air Park” in Palmdale, California.
• In 1995, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Fame in Lancaster, California, and the Sigma Chi fraternity
awarded him the "Significant Sig" medal.
• In 2004, he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of the United
States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB.
• In 2008, the San Diego Air & Space Museum inducted Cardenas into
its International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
• In 2014 the National Aviation Hall of Fame came calling and inducted
General Cardenas into the Class of 2015.
• In 2017, Star Trek Discovery introduced the Cardenas class starships,
named after the General - the USS Buran and the USS Yeager.
Update:
Brig. Gen. Bob Cardenas turned 100 years of age on March 10, 2020. During the prior weekend, on March 7, he attended a DFC Memorial Dedication at Miramar National Cemetery that is the subject of Bill Heard’s and Larry Yarham’s excellent articles in this issue. Bob Cardenas was instrumental in bringing the Miramar Cemetery into existence.
During the ceremony, Keynote speaker and DFC Society member, Dennis Schoville, paused his remarks while some 75 veterans of the San Diego Lindbergh Chapter of The Distinguished Flying Cross Society, active duty officers, and family members rose and sang “Happy Birthday” to Cardenas. Later at the reception sponsored by the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation, General Cardenas was offered the first piece of the ceremonial cake topped with a replica of the DFC Medal.
Brigadier General Bob Cardenas receives the 1st piece of cake at the Leatherneck Historical Foundation from DFC Society San Diego Lindbergh Chapter President Gene Alfaro.
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