Roger McFillen was born in May 1938. He graduated from Kansas State and entered Naval Aviation training through Aviation Officer Candidate School. He earned his Wings of Gold in 1965 as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO). Spook was a pioneer in the NFO community and excelled as a Radar Intercept Officer in the F-4 Phantom II and progressed into the F-14 Tomcat. One of the first NFOs to be selected for Aviation Command, he commanded VF-142 in the late ’70s and went on to numerous high level assignments as an O-6. Spook retired in 1991after 30 years of service, and continued to be extremely active in Naval Aviation and the Tailhook Association. He was personally responsible for the creation of the Colorado Springs Tailhook Chapter (“Ready Room”). He succumbed to complications, 25 April 2011, related to Interstitial Lung Disease.