A TRIBUTE TO Darrol Schroeder

While Darrol Schroeder made his home on the ground, the pilot’s heart and soul were always flying among the clouds.

Co-chair of the Fargo AirSho for 30 years, he was a passionate force for aviation. This year’s show is the first since his passing at the age of 88 in March 2019. We dedicate this weekend’s event to him.

Darrol had a distinguished military career, retiring from the U.S. Air Force as Major General, and was a partner in a successful farming operation that included crop dusting and aerial spraying for mosquitos. He was active in local civic organizations and served on the board of many organizations.

In addition to co-chairing the Fargo AirSho, he was instrumental in starting the Fargo Air Museum and served on its board for more than 20 years.

And Darrol did it all with care and cheer.

“He was the guy who was everyone’s friend,” said U.S. Air Force retired Maj. Gen. Alex Macdonald, a friend of Darrol’s since childhood. “He was an amazing individual to live the life he did without creating animosity. Everyone liked him.”

Darrol was destined to soar.

As a high school student, he lived with his aunt in Fargo during the week. His father gave him $5 a week for spending money, which he promptly spent on flying lessons.

Over the years, Darrol flew more than 22,000 hours in more than 130 different types of military and civilian aircraft. He enlisted in the North Dakota Air National Guard in 1947 and graduated from North Dakota State University. He received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps.

He completed U.S. Air Force pilot training in 1954 and was assigned to Etain Air Base in France where he flew an F-86 fighter jet during the height of the Cold War. In 1957, he and his wife, Jean, returned to North Dakota where Darrol joined the Air National Guard and the family farm operation.

His daughter Terry Schroeder Scherling remembers spending summers at the family lake cabin. Her dad would work on the farm and crop dusting during the week and join the rest of the family on weekends.

“Most people drove to the lake; my dad flew,” she says.

He retired from the Air National Guard in 1987, after 39 years of military service that included numerous military decorations and awards. He also was appointed assistant to the commander of U.S. Air Force in Europe.

In 1989, Darrol and Dick Walstad were named co-chairs of the Fargo AirSho. Together, they organized shows that drew both aviation enthusiasts and curious community members.

“It was a partnership that was unbelievable,” Dick said. “We had tough times and difficult decisions to make, but we were always on the same page.”

The air show’s early successes led to another idea: an air museum for the Fargo-Moorhead region.

“Once (Darrol) made up his mind, he was going to find a way to make it happen,” Dick said. “He had so many contacts and friends that he could pick up a phone, call somebody, and we could get some things done.”

The museum’s first hangar opened in 2001. When Jackie Williams was named executive director of the Fargo Air Museum in 2016, Darrol was one of the first people she met.

“He was as comfortable visiting about aviation as he was conversing with national politicians,” she said. “He was the face of the air museum.”

Darrol flew high even among aviators. In 2005, the FAA presented him with the “Master Pilot” award. He was inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame and served on the nominating committee of the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

His passion for flight was contagious and with that passion, he inspired all.

When Darrol retired from the military, he invited Dick to make a few comments at a ceremony at the Pentagon. The words he shared then still apply today.

“He’s a man who walked with kings and flew with eagles,” Dick said.