Gerald W. Johnson (military officer)
| Gerald Walter Johnson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Jerry |
| Born |
10 July 1919 Owenton, Kentucky |
| Died | 9 September 2002 (aged 83) |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army Air Corps United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1941-1974 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant General
|
| Commands held |
508th Strategic Fighter Wing 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing 95th Bombardment Wing 305th Bombardment Wing 825th Air Division 1st Strategic Aerospace Division Eighth Air Force |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross (5) Air Medal (5) |
Gerald Walter Johnson (1919–2002) was a high-ranking officer in the United States Air Force and World War II flying ace. Enlisting in 1941, Johnson served as a fighter pilot in Europe, and was credited with shooting down 16 enemy aircraft before being shot down himself and taken prisoner. After the war, he continued his military career rising to command several fighter and bomber wings during the 1950s and 60s. He commanded the Eighth Air Force for a period during the Vietnam War, and retired in 1974 after serving as Inspector General of the Air Force.
Johnson was born in Owenton, a small town in northern Kentucky, on 10 July 1919.
In 1941, he entered service with the United States Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet at Randolph Field, Texas. He graduated the following April and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He served with the 56th Fighter Group, flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). He became the first ace of the 56th and the second American ace in the ETO. In February 1944, he was promoted to Major and took command of the 63d Fighter Squadron. He was credited with 16 air-to-air victories. After fifteen months of combat he was shot down and finished the war as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft I.
After the war, he was associated with the fighter forces of Strategic Air Command (SAC), becoming the commander of the 508th Strategic Fighter Wing, flying Republic F-84 Thunderjets in 1954. He remained in SAC after its fighters were transferred, becoming commander of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, the first Air Force organization to fly the Lockheed U-2, in 1956. Following staff assignments with the 7th Air Division, SAC headquarters and the 12th Strategic Aerospace Division, he returned to command with the 95th Bombardment Wing in 1963.
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