MONTVALE—Lt. Col. Edward M. Ballanco, USAF (ret.) formerly of Montvale, will be inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey in a ceremony to be held at the Fiesta Ballroom, 225 NJ-17, on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m.
The oldest of Edward and Eileen Ballanco’s 10 children, Ballanco was born in Hackensack and grew up in Montvale. He graduated from Montvale Elementary School and St. Joseph’s High School, and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.
He began his aviation career in 1967 when he entered Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Stevens Institute of Technology.
He entered Air Force pilot training in September 1972 at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas and throughout his 23-year U.S. Air Force career served in numerous flying assignments as a flight leader, instructor pilot, flight commander and standardization evaluation flight examiner.
Ballanco was essential in implementing the “Wild Weasel” campaign during Desert Storm. In addition to combat mission planning, Ballanco flew 18 F-4G Wild Weasel combat missions, employing the AGM-88 High Speed Anti- Radiation Missile (HARM). He received the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, as well as other awards.
Ballanco served as Chief Officer the Society of Wild Weasels a non-profit military fraternal organization.
He and his wife, the former Eileen Huff, who also grew up in Montvale — as the daughter of Mayor George and Agnes Huff — live in Williamsburg, Va. They are the proud parents of Col. Edward J. Ballanco USA, ret.; Jamie Ballanco Young; Jeremy M. Ballanco; and Lt. Col. Matthew Ballanco, USAF; and have eight grandchildren.
Due to Covid-19 this is the first such induction ceremony in three years. Also inducted will be Dr. Eugene Richardson, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen; Dorothy Johanna Fulton (Slinn), one of New Jersey’s first WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during WWII; Michael Castania, Civil Air Patrol leader and educator; and William Thomas Wakinson Jr., a decorated WWII pilot.
The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum is in the 400 Fred Wehran Dr., Teterboro, and is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday. For more information visit njahof.org.
— Editor’s note: Lt. Col. Edward M. Ballanco was nominated for this award by Montvale historian Maria Hopper, who also furnished us with this story