John R. Alison
| John Richardson Alison | |
|---|---|
John R. Alison
Gathering of Eagles 2004 Lithograph |
|
| Nickname(s) | Johnny |
| Born |
November 21, 1912 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 2011 (aged 98) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1936–1955 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held |
75th Fighter Squadron 1st Air Commando Group |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star |
| Other work | Assistant Secretary of Commerce Senior Vice President, Northrop |
John Richardson "Johnny" Alison (November 21, 1912 – June 6, 2011) was a highly decorated American combat ace of World War II and veteran of the Korean War, and is often cited as the father of Air Force Special Operations.
Born in Micanopy, Florida, near Gainesville in 1912, Alison graduated from the University of Florida School of Engineering and joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1936. He earned his wings and was commissioned at Kelly Field in 1937. Prior to America's entry into World War II, he served as Assistant Military Attache in England and helped British pilots transition into the P-40. In October 1941, Alison traveled to Moscow to administer the sensitive U.S.-Soviet P-40 Lend-Lease program. He trained Russian pilots in the P-40, A-20, and B-25 Mitchell aircraft. In his autobiography, Jimmy Doolittle wrote:
After ten months and repeated requests for reassignment to combat, Alison got his wish. In June 1942, he reported to the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) to serve as Deputy Squadron Commander under major David Lee "Tex" Hill in the 75th Fighter Squadron, part of Colonel Robert Lee Scott, Jr.'s 23rd Fighter Group, the USAAF successor of the AVG's famed Flying Tigers in the China-Burma-India Theater.
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