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Walnut Hill Veteran Paul Entrekin Honored During Auburn Football Game

Veteran Paul Entrekin of Walnut Hill was honored Saturday during the Auburn game last Saturday against Oklahoma at Jordan -Hare Stadium

Entrekin described the day as “surreal” and “beyond humbling”.

“Semper Fidelis and War Eagle,” he exclaimed.

Entreking graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1976.

Entrekin was commissioned as a U.S. Marine Corps officer in 1977 and designated a Naval Aviator in 1980. During his military career he became carrier qualified, flying both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. He was an instructor pilot until leaving active duty in 1986 and then retained reserve status with the Defense Intelligence Agency as a clandestine operative until retiring after Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991.

No stranger to the air show world nor pushing boundaries, Entrekin soon was nicknamed “The Bandit,” after becoming the first civilian pilot to own and fly a Russian MiG aircraft. He founded Entrekin Aviation as a full-time air show pilot in 1986. He holds multiple U.S. and world airspeed records and is recognized on the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor.

He is a member of the prestigious Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He has flown more than 30,000 hours in over 50 types of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, ranging from the UH-1N Huey and BD-5J microjet to the Boeing 777, and holds multiple U.S. and world airspeed records.

For 31 years, he has serve as the air boss of the Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show.

[Read more: Walnut Hill Man Was The Boss Of The Pensacola Beach Air Show. Here's A Behind The Scenes Look.]

A defensive back, he played football as one of head coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan’s “Amazin’s” that defeated Paul “Bear” Bryant’s number 2 ranked (10-0) Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1972 Iron Bowl, by the score of 17-16. It has become known in the annals of SEC college football as the “Punt Bama Punt” game. The Auburn Tigers went 9-1 that year and finished 5th in the nation, ending the season with a Gator Bowl victory over the University of Colorado Buffaloes.

Entrekin also flew for Delta Air Lines for 30 years before his retirement, and over the years has authored a number of books including, “Mighty Hands,” his bestseller “Mr. MiG,” and his most recent children’s book entitled, “Jasper and the Christmas Faeries” set at his Walnut Hill ranch.

[Read more: New Children's Book 'Jasper and the Christmas Faeries' Set At Walnut Hill Ranch.]

Pictured top: Veteran Paul Entrekin of Walnut Hill was honored Saturday during the Auburn game last Saturday. Pictured inset: Entrekin with Auburn mascot Aubie. Pictured below: Entrekin and his wife Lisa. Pictured second  and third below: Entrekin with Coach Hugh Freeze and Charles Barkley. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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